In Cyprus, two business owners, Leila and Samir, were arguing over their rights to the underground water sources that supplied their wells.
"Samir, you need to stop using so much aquifer water; you're going to drain it dry!" Leila says.
"What do you mean, Leila? This is my land, and I have the right to use the water beneath it." Samir argued back.
"But you're using more water than you need; you should think long-term!" Leila reasoned.
"Who cares what will happen in the future, Leila? My factory requires water."
"I need water for my crops too, but I'm not using it all up like you are." "We need to figure out a way to share this resource while conserving it," Leila says.
"What nonsense! I don't share anything with anyone! How about we have a competition to see who can extract the most water from the aquifer?" says Samir.
"A contest?" questioned Leila, "are you out of your mind?" "We need to work together to protect this resource."
"I don’t collaborate with rivals, Leila; I crush them."
"Well, I won’t let you crush me like you did your competitors, Samir; I'll fight and protect this resource," Leila declared.
"We'll see about that," sneered Samir.
Samir continued with the wasteful usage of water, and as the months passed, the well started emptying. It was then that Samir realized how freely he had been using the water.
"Leila, I need your help; my well is almost empty, and I don’t know what to do."
"Don’t worry, I’ll help you as much as I can, Samir. I’m glad that you finally realized that we cannot afford to waste this resource."
"Yes, I have learned my lesson now; let us work together from now on," Samir says.
Leila and Samir worked together to ensure that the remaining resource would be protected. They invested in technology and techniques to be able to use the water more efficiently.
