As global warming is on a rise, temperatures are soaring. To stay healthy, it is important to cultivate a healthy habit of drinking water. A range of factors like age, weight and gender determine how much water an individual should consume on a daily basis.

This year, summer temperatures in UAE cities have reached as high as 50 degree Celsius. There is an increased chance of dehydration as fluids and salts are lost rapidly from our body. Children especially tend to get dehydrated quicker.

Water purifies the body’s internal system and facilities absorption of nutrients for development. It is a simple and an excellent alternative to other drinks, which contain sugars and unnecessary calories. It also has numerous other health benefits, such as aiding weight loss, reducing the effects of aging and reducing the long-term risk of developing colon or bladder cancer.

Experts say that, every individual should drink about 2 to 2.5 litres of water per day but this measurement may increase in volume depending on the climatic conditions and activity levels.

In our daily life we often ignore the need to re-hydrate our body. We need to make a conscious effort to get up from our chairs and re-fill that bottle or walk to the water dispenser and get ourselves a glass of life.

According to an international NGO, The Water Project, 783 million people do not have access to clean and safe water worldwide. We are lucky, but fail to see it.

Drinking water is of paramount importance, it makes up to 70 per cent of our body weight.

With summer being the longest season in the UAE, not maintaining proper body water level can lead to an array of physical impairments.

Research shows that drinking water and brain function are also integrally linked. Lack of water to the brain can cause numerous symptoms including problems with focus, memory, brain fatigue and brain fog, as well as headaches, sleep issues, anger, depression, and many more. If you are feeling any of these, perhaps it is time to re-hydrate!

The reader is a grade-10 student based in Dubai.