Introduction
Water is one of the most important inorganic compounds in the world,
playing vital physical, biological and chemical roles. For many
governments the main challenge for the twenty-first century is how to
ensure a reliable supply of good- quality, fresh water. This chapter
is divided into two sections. The first concentrates on fresh water,
whilst the second deals with salt water. Such a division is convenient
from a human viewpoint but is of no relevance from an environmental
viewpoint because the different states in which water exists are not
restricted by salt and fresh water definitions.
Water location and water disputes
Vast areas of the world are already deficient in a supply of
freshwater. These water deficiencies are often the result of poor
management of the water resource, rather than an overall lack of
precipitation. Disputes over water extraction from rivers have grown
in number and severity in recent years. As the shortfall between
demand and supply of water increases so international disputes over
water availability are also set to grow.
The World Resources Institute in 1996 estimated that 40% of the
world's population gets its water from just 214 major river catchment
zones. Of these, 148 are shared between two countries and a further 50
are shared between three or more countries.
The Nile basin illustrates some of the problems. The river Nile rises
in Ethiopia and flows 6196 km through Sudan and Egyptto the
Mediterranean Sea. The building of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt in the
1960s eliminated the flood hazard from most of the rest of the country
.However there are plans to dam the Nile in Ethiopia from which comes
80% of the water entering the river. The water would be used to
irrigate areas of Ethiopia and Sudan which have been plagued by
drought. This could feed some 57 million people in Ethiopia and 29
million in Sudan, but it would leave calculate how effective
precipitation may be in Egypt with a mere trickle of water.
A seismograph station is located 2000 km from an earthquake’s epicenter. Explain the order that the S and P waves will arrive at the station by using the characteristics of the waves.
Water is the foundational basis of life on Earth. Ecosystems, society and humans are completely dependent on it, and as the world population continues to grow, there will be more mouths to feed, and those people will need water to continue their daily lives. However, shortages and poor management leads to the destruction of natural habitats and human suffering. Desertification of land in China is ever-increasing, turning green, lush land into desert. However, this is due mainly in part, because of human activity, and global warming (Wang, Yang, Dong, & Zhang, 2009). The United States could experience a crisis similarly to China’s, but for now they have averted such a catastrophe, because of heavy regulation of water. Though there are water shortages in many parts of the world, it is unwise to export water from the Great Lakes to those regions. Two major reasons why diverting the Great Lakes is a terrible idea, one: it allows for waters wars to start on the basis of who is allowed to access it and for commodification purposes. Two, diverting water on such large scales could have cataclysmic effects on the local residents as well as the environment.
Water shortage in arid and semi-arid regions and declining its availability to a crisis ...
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make a decision where you life or others lives were in danger, for marines and other troops in combat it was a life style they would make decisions like this on a daily basis. Is it healthy for average people to have to make choices like this and does it cause any type of depression or mental weakness? Or does it make you a stronger person mentally? People often wonder what its like to be in there shoes there for when you meet a marine you catch yourself always asking the questions what is it like being at gun point or what's the scariest story you have from your experiences overseas. And i am here to answer those questions.
Water is essential to life. By being so important it is crucial to keep it maintained and preserved. Our water supply is affected by environmental, economic, and legal issues. In Oklahoma water is very sacred to its people especially to Native Americans. Both Choctaw and Chickasaw nations are suing the state of Oklahoma for the regulatory authority over Sardis Lake and the water resources it holds. The Choctaw and Chickasaw nations deserve the rights over Sardis Lake because it is their main water supply and they own the rights through the treaty of the Dancing Rabbit Creek of 1830.
The usage/control of waterways has many political and economic effects on societies today and in the past. One way that the usage/ control of waterways has an effect politically and economically is by the control/ usage of waterway helped civilizations sprout. Another way is by the control/usage of waterways creates easier trade routes. The next way is by the control/ usage of waterways helps agriculture do well. These are some of the ways that the control/ usage of waterways had effects politically and economically on societies today and in the past.
The Ancient Egyptians were at the mercy of the seasonal flooding and droughts but learned to work within the natural system of the River and weather cycles (Carnegie Museum of Natural History). Modern people, however, were more interested in conquering nature, rather than living in harmony with it. When we think of the Nile River, we typically do think of Ancient Egypt. But the Nile River actually flows through 11 countries, now that South Sudan has become an independent nation. pg.2/Streets It is 6,600km long and the Nile River Basin is home to 160 million people.
Ocean Environment The sea is the most obvious feature of the earth's surface. Approximately seventy percent of this surface is covered by water, in one way or another. Beneath this water are the familiar sands of the beaches, bottoms of bays, and the inshore ocean. Farther offshore this water covers an amazing submarine topography of underwater canyons, trenches, mountains, and plains.
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.
One main causes of water scarcity is water mismanagement worldwide. Water mismanagement has become a crisis of governance that will impact heavily ...
Water is the most priceless resource on our planet. Billions of gallons flow through our rivers and lakes. Millions of gallons are consumed by humans each day. Our world’s surface is seventy percent water. With so much water around us, how can 1.1 billion people still lack access to clean water (Cooper, Water Shortages)? People are already using fifty four percent of all the freshwater available on this planet (Cooper, Water Shortages). We cannot afford to neglect something so essential to our very survival. We must defend our most important natural resource—water.
What is aquatic biology? Aquatic biology is very similar to marine biology in that you study ecology, behavior of plants and animals, and microbes; however, instead of the main focus being saltwater, aquatic biologists study things like rivers, wetlands, ponds, and other freshwater resources (princetonreview.com). Being an aquatic biologist comes with many crazy experiences, some in college, others with diving, and some with preserving the environment.
Freshwater in the world makes up only a small portion of water on the planet. While the percentage of water in the world is nearly 70%, only 2.5% is consumable. Even further, only <1% is easily accessible to basic human needs. According to National Geographic, “by 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change.” With this current trend, water will become more immersed in environmental, economic, political, and social changes. Many of these in later years shall need to be addressed as tension rises:
...ebert, N., Rosenfeld, T., and F. Renaud. (2013). Climate Change, Water Conflicts and Human Security: Regional Assesssment and Policy Guidelines for thr Mediterranean, Middle East and Sahel. Bonn: United Nations University and Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).
Cherain, T., Unni, K., and Sophie, L. 2010. China – India water shortage. Bloomberg News. http://www.grailresearch.com/pdf/ContenPodsPdf/Water-The_India_Story.pdf (accessed November 1, 2010).