It is a fact that the amount of water in our planet is enormous with 1,404 million km3 in total and it is vital element in which all the living processes occur (Breu, et al., 2008). Thus, it is necessary to strengthen our efforts for a powerful confrontation of water issues worldwide. Water issues are related with problems about the acceptable status (e.g. infringement of the environmental standards of chemical substances), management and utilization of water in different human activities. One of the attributes that characterize the water issues is the complexity, because of the variety of scientific data from different disciplines, that need to be elaborated for tackling the problem, and the multi-interactions of the stakeholders in the governance process (Pahl-Wostl, et al., 2010). Thus, we need to adopt new dynamic and powerful approaches embracing the complex character of water issues. In order to determine and identify these new tactics during the governance process, an interdisciplinary approach must utilized integrating different disciplines that contribute to a holistic view and thorough understanding of the particular complex environmental problem (Rice, 2013). This advocates that an interdisciplinary approach allows different governmental agencies/departments, scientists and stakeholders from different scientific disciplines to collaborate in order to create new powerful approaches of water issues. Therefore, the proposition that I am going to support with my argumentation is:
‘’Water issues must be confronted under an interdisciplinary approach for creating new powerful approaches.’’
In the following essay, I will first present cases where an interdisciplinary approach was utilized demonstrating the advantages of su...
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Newell, B., Crumley, C., Hassan, N., Lambin, E., Pahl-Wostl, C., Underdal, A., & Wasson, R. (2005). A conceptual template for integrative human–environment research. Global Environmental Change, 15(4), 299-307. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2005.06.003
Pahl-Wostl, C., Holtz, G., Kastens, B., & Knieper, C. (2010). Analyzing complex water governance regimes: the Management and Transition Framework. Environmental Science & Policy, 13(7), 571-581. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2010.08.006
Rice, M. (2013). Spanning disciplinary, sectoral and international boundaries: a sea change towards transdisciplinary global environmental change research? Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 5(3-4), 409-419. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2013.06.007
Sullivan, C. (2002). Calculating a Water Poverty Index. World Development, 30(7), 1195-1210. doi:10.1016/S0305-750X(02)00035-9
Since water is becomes such a sought after resource, steps need to be taken on the sustainable/conservation front. The authors in “A Sustainable Decision Support Framework for Urban Water Management“(Pearson) say that three main ideals need to be the basis for sustainable decision making “1. Knowledge transfer for transformation; 2. Monitoring and evaluation of the decision process; and 3. Stakeholder engagement.” (Pearson). These ideals make sense because within each step the knowledge of sustainability is increasing. A sustainable water infrastructure will be much easier to accomplish if the public opinion supports sustainable practices. With overwhelming public support, bills and regulations can pass with less
There is no hesitation when it comes to whether humans impact the global environment. However, it is questioned in whether human’s ecological footprint is either negatively or positively impacting. In clear perspective, humans share from both sides and their ecological footprint is noted towards whether it will benefit or harm the environment around them. Topics such as overpopulation, pollution, biomagnification, and deforestation are all human impacted and can harm the environment, but some include benefits into helping the world around us with solutions to their problems.
In an effort to create a sustainable global environment a significant area of focus needs to be on the interrelationships that contribute to this goal. As with the relationships associated with globalization our actions are interconnected with one another, one nations decisions in a particular geographical area can often times impact those in another geographical areas. The same cause and effect theory applies to environmental interrelationships. An area that this can be most prevalent...
There is no doubt that human activity is having a significant impact on our environment. These environmental impacts include depleting our natural resources, air and water pollution, climate change, destruction of habitats, and loss of biodiversity. Because of these growing concerns, we need to learn how to live sustainably. Living sustainably will allow us to conserve our limited resources more wisely so they will be available for future generations (Withgott & Brennan, 2011, Chapter 1).
1998-1999 World Resources: A Guide to the Global Environment. Environmental Change and Human Health. A Joint Publication by the World Resources Institute, the World Bank, the United Nations Environmental Programme, and the United Nations Development Programme. Oxford University Press, New York, NY 1998.
Rogers, DS., Duraiappah, AK., Antons, D.C., Munoz, P., Bai, X., Fragkias, M., Gutscher., H (2012) A Vision for Human Well-Being: Transition to Social Sustainability: Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 4(1) pg 61-73.
Human Impact on the Environment Introduction = == == == ==
The African Ministry Council on Water (AMCOW) released a comprehensive status report of the current situation in the advancements towards clean water. The initial report claims that the goal to reach 75% of access to water by 2015 as established per the MDG’s is practically unattainable considering the different sector issues that must be fixed beforehand (Shore). The ministry has announced that advancements cannot be made without tackling the system first, the institutions are weak, sector policies are outdated, lack of qualified technicians, and a lack of infrastructure ("An AMCOW Country Status Overview"). In order to fully encapsulate a successful coalition both non-state and state actors are important; hence, joining forces between governmental, NGO’s, and businesses that are willing to ...
Freshwater is quite scarce, but it is even scarcer than one might think: about seventy percent of all freshwater is frozen in the icecaps of Antarctica and Greenland and is unavailable to humans. Most of the remainder is present as soil moisture or lies in deep underground aquifers as groundwater. It is not economically feasible to extract this waster for use as drinking water. This leaves less than one percent of the world’s fresh water that is available to humans. It includes the water found in lakes, reservoirs, groundwater that is shallow enough to be tapped at an affordable cost. These freshwater sources are the only sources that are frequently replenished by rain and snowfall, and therefore are renewable. At the current rates of consumption, however, this supply of fresh water will not last. Pollution and contamination of freshwater sources exacerbate the problem, further reducing the amount of freshwater available for human consumption. Something must be done if humans want to even survive in the near future: the lack of clean drinking water is already the number one cause of disease in the world today. The first step is worldwide awareness of the water crisis: governments and the citizens they govern worldwide need to know about this problem and be actively involved in solving this problem.
As our understanding of global ecosystem functioning continues to increase, so does the knowledge and awareness that the effects of human behavior on the environment are no longer confined to localized microcosms. Humans are not only responsible for impacting the ecosystem in which they directly inhabit, but are now joined as a global community where collective, individual actions are changing planetary ecosystems. Thus, environmental policies developed at an international level to address global problems, such as climate change, ozone layer depletion, and acid rain, must cross several cultural, economic, and political boundaries – far from a simple task.
Water is one of the world's most valuable assets, various uses of water have diminished the availability of water resources, therefore proper management is mandatory. Water resource management is an crucial issue from a few edges, for example, advancement of water bodies for future, assurance of accessible water bodies from contamination and misuse.
One main causes of water scarcity is water mismanagement worldwide. Water mismanagement has become a crisis of governance that will impact heavily ...
Integrated water resource management depends on co-operation and partnerships at all levels, from individual to governmental and non-governmental, national and international organisations showing a common political, scientific and ethical commitment to the need for water security and optimal water use policy.
"Water Crisis." World Water Council. 7th World Water Council, 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/library/archives/water-crisis/
Water resource management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and managing the optimum use of water resources. It is a sub-set of water cycle management. Ideally, water resource management planning has regard to all the competing demands for water and seeks to allocate water on an equitable basis to satisfy all uses and demands. As with other resource management, this is rarely possible in practice.