Water
Water is such a sacred element that everyone in the world needs to survive. It is also an integral part of a person's life. However, society as described in Memory of Water entrusts the location of water around them into the hands of only one person: the tea master.
Conflict about water
There is tremendous irony in the conflicts which have erupted across the world because of water. Across history, when resources have been in short supply, countries have become isolationist.
Noria's responsibility
After Noria's father dies, she is becoming her town's tea master and is entrusted with the biggest responsibility in the world. There is a biting irony in this because Noria was not fully prepared to do her job (her father died before he finished training her). which left her town's safety and security at risk.
Climate change
Humans are deeply upset with the situation they find themselves in Memory of Water. They are also well aware that they were the ones who caused the water shortage. Yet, some of the characters in the novel often ironically bemoan the situation they find themselves in.
China
In the novel, China decides to occupy much of Europe. Typically, countries that invade and then occupy other countries must expend their own resources (including and especially water) to keep a grip on their power. In a time when water is in short supply, most countries would never expend the resources to fulfill their desires for conquest.
