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solutions for water scarcity
survey of water scarcity
survey of water scarcity
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Water Scarcity is harmful to human life because when water is poorly managed throughout the world, those who need water are deprived of nutrients they truly need causing them to die. This eventually affects the global population. Therefore many experts have proposed several solutions such as the LifeSaver Bottle, TrojanUVPhox treatment system, and Waste Water Recycling.
The problem of water scarcity has increasingly spread throughout the world as of yet, The UN reports that within the next half- century up to 7 billion people in 60 countries which is more than the whole present population will face water scarcity (Sawin “Water Scarcity could Overwhelm the Next Generation”). As well the demand for freshwater has tripled over the past 50 years, and is continuing to rise as a result of population growth and economic development. 70% of this demand derives from agriculture which shows the influence of water on food supply globally as well not just drinking water (Sawin “Water Scarcity could overwhelm the Next Generation”). But increasing water use is not just a matter of the greater number of people needing it to drink and eat; it also comes from pollution and misuse of water supplies, by either dumping or runoff of bacteria or chemicals into water. This also “causes other pollutions as well such as soil and air pollution, accelerating wetland damage and human caused global warming” (Smith and Thomassey 25). According to UN report, recent estimates suggest that climate change will account for about 20 percent of the increase in global water scarcity in coming decades.
One main causes of water scarcity is water mismanagement worldwide. Water mismanagement has become a crisis of governance that will impact heavily ...
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...rtied by bacteria and viruses not chemicals. To compliment this the UV oxidation would be used in more developed countries to destroy chemicals within the water allowing water to be cleaned worldwide ultimately in the end possibly ending the lack of water supply for the world.
Works Cited
Leach, Mike. "UV-Oxidation: Municipal Case Studies." Iuva.com. N.p., Sept. 2006. Web.
Miller, Debra A. Will the World Run out of Fresh Water? Detroit: Greenhaven, 2007. Print.
Reinders, Henry. "Life Saver." Portablewaterfilters.org. N.p., 19 Sept. 2012. Web.
Salzman, James. Drinking Water: A History. New York: Overlook Duckworth, 2012. Print.
Sawin, Janet. "Water Scarcity Could Overwhelm the Next Generation." Un.org. N.p., Aug. 2010. Web.
Smith, Zachary A., and Grenetta Thomassey. Freshwater Issues: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2002. Print
Although water is all around, very little is drinkable. Six billion people live on earth and 1.1 billion in 31 countries are unable to access safe, clean drinking water. California has only 20 years of water supply left. Ironically, even the wettest place on earth, Cherrapunji, India, has often water shortages. After years of millions of people dying of thirst and disease, a corporate movement to find a solution to the water crisis has now swept the world. Water, a fleeting resource vital to every life, every single day of the year, is now being taken out of the governments control and becoming a commodity bought and sold by big business, a.k.a privatization.
Two fundamental and closely related problems confront our present ecosystems: overpopulation and the destruction or exhaustion of natural resources.Some natural resources are so abundant that they still seem infinite, such as the planet’s stock of air and water.“At this stage of our technological development, we are learning that our powers extend to such heights and depths that we can even destroy the near-infinite resources” (Al Gore). Scientists predicted in the end of last century, that fresh water would be the “new oil” — the global strategic resource for the twenty-first century. This means that control over sources of fresh water will be one of, if not the, most important sources of conflict in the future. The last few years many books have been written about this issue, with titles like “Water Wars, Blue Gold, Last Oasis, Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource, and Thirsty Planet” (Maude Barlow, Tony Clarke)(1), as well as in press articles with the same alarmist titles. In this essay i will use this book, statistics, press articles and examples to discuss this issue. How come Population density, economy and politics affect water pollution?
Throughout the path of human and mammal history, there have been a small number of characteristics in life that are needed to maintain and facilitate survival. These necessities consists of water, nutrition, shelter and oxygen, which many historians, anthropologists and humans in general have began to realize. Through this realization, one apprehends the fact that out of the four requirements of life, water by far provides as the most important. Each year, the world population increases exponentially; today being over seven billion. Due to this increase human beings have begun to experience a serious crisis dealing with the loss of water. The world has become limited with its supply of water, due to its high demand. Humans believe water is a resource that is completely renewable and everlasting, but through many years water supply is becoming extremely scarce. Statistically proven there is only " 2.5 [percent] which is freshwater. Almost all of it is locked up in ice and in the ground. Only a bit more than 1.2 [percent] of all freshwater (which was only 2.5 [percent] of all water) is surface water, which serves most of life's needs (The World's Water). Water, on a daily basis, is wasted through many daily activities such as people utilizing water in their houses, at work and tremendously through gardening. People cannot live without water, but many do not understand how much water supply around the world is potable. Many countries around the world do not facilitate clean water, usually consisting of dirt and bacteria, which makes many people ill. The polluted water is usually in the rural and poor countries, that do not have enough money and technology to provide hygienic water. Contaminated water broadens the s...
2.1 billion people in countries that are undergoing a form of urbanization have inaccessibility to clean drinking water as a result of pollution, poverty and poor management of resources. Water resources are being depleted by agriculture and energy production
UNDP, 2006. Human Development Report: Coping with water scarcity. Challenge of the twenty-first century., s.l.: UN-Water, FAO, 2007.
As small of a percentage as 3% already is, only a smaller percentage is available for human use. Of that 3% of fresh water 2% of it is stuck in glaciers, leaving 7.125 billion people to divide up 1% of Earth’s water. This 1% is Earth’s only usable water. About 70% of Earth’s usable water is used for agricultural irrigation; which leaking hoses and incorrect watering methods waste 60% of that water. To add to it, the pesticides and fertilizer used in agriculture often runs-off in to the local fresh water supply polluting it. As a result, about 1.1 billion people do not have access to water, and for at least one month out of the year, another 2.7 billion find water hard to come across. Not only is water hard to find for many, the water found is often polluted. For another 2.4 billion people, bad sanitation is an issue that exposes them to
Today, water usage is very high. One of the main reasons has been due to an increase in population. Human population is today on the rise. According to the CIA (2015), the birth rate of the human population stands at 1.86%. In the last 100 years, there has been tremendous growth in human population due to advances in medical technology as well as improvement in agriculture. This has led to an increase in water use over the years. In addition, the increase in industries over this period has also led to an increase in water use. Today, there are numerous industries that have come up, each requiring huge amounts of water to run smoothly. The increase in water usage today is partially responsible for the global water crisis. The huge demand for water means that there is less water available for each person and each industry.
Actually, only one percent of the world's water has the capability of being used by us. About ninety-seven percent is salty seawater, and two percent is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. That only leaves one percent of the precious water that is to be used by not only people, but used by animals, plants, and food. Dehydration, which is the lack of water, will kill us faster than starvation, which is the lack of food. Since the plants and animals we eat also depend on water, lack of it could cause both dehydration and starvation. Water that looks drinkable can contain harmful elements, which could cause illness and death if ingested (Eliasson, 2011).
When water demand is quickly outgrowing water supply, what happens next? Many people question the definition of water scarcity and how it is measured. Although there is no consensus on how water scarcity can be defined and measured, the most common measure of water scarcity is the ‘water stress index’ or ‘Falkenmark indicator’. The water stress index is defined by the scarcity of renewable water that is available per person every year compared to the amount of water resources available the the population of region. The Global Water Forum indicates that “if the amount of renewable water in a country is below 1,700 m3 per person per year, that country is said to be experiencing water stress; below 1,000 m3 it is said to be experiencing water scarcity; and below 500 m3, absolute water scarcity” (Global Water Forum). Water scarcity is becoming more apparent not only in third world countries, but also worldwide. “About 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. Though it seems abundant, just 1% of world’s water is fresh (not salty) and available (not frozen). And that mighty 1% is under threat” (World Wild Life). There is about 196 countries in the world today and if 60 countries experience water scarcity, about 31% of the world is in danger. As our human population rapidly grows, so does our thirst for water and other resources. If the baby boom generation does not take halt to the threat of water scarcity, the next generation will have no where to turn for a natural source of usable water. Our ecosystems can no longer keep thriving and feeding a growing population due to water systems becoming overly stressed.
Water is a basic necessity to every living creature big and small. Access to clean drinkable water is paramount to human and animal existence but whether it is pollution or poverty access to this basic need for some is limited. “For many of us, clean water is so plentiful and readily available that we rarely, if ever, pause to consider what life would be like without it.” According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization 783 million people in the world do not have access to clean water, with this many people not having access approximately 6 to 8 million people die each year from water related diseases and disasters. To put it into perspective, 1 out of every 5 deaths worldwide of a child under the age of 5 years old is because of a water related-disease.
Water scarcity is among one of the worst problems that is facing society today. A rising number of regions, all over the planet, are beginning and continually faced with a shortage of water. Water shortage can be linked to both a natural and a human-made phenomenon (www.un.org). Currently, there is enough fresh, consumable water on the planet to sustain seven billion people. However, the current rate at which it is distributed, wasted, and stored, there will be even less water left for future generations.
One in three people on each continent is experiencing water shortages. This situation is exacerbated as population growth, urbanization and increasing domestic and industrial water needs. There are lots of countries that suffering with water shortage problems like India, Australia, China, Jordan.
Agricultural practices use 70% of the world’s accessible fresh water, yet, inefficient irrigation systems and application methods of water cause 60% of the fresh water used to be wasted (“Water Scarcity”). Pollution from human activities, such as fertilizers, and toxic wastes also contaminate fresh water sources, further decreasing the amount of accessible water available for use. Perhaps the most unpredictable, yet incredibly significant cause of the fresh water crisis is how humans inefficiently use water in their lifestyles. A considerable extent in the daily lives of humans require the use of fresh water in various activities such as cooking, gardening, bathing, cleaning, laundry, drinking…etc. In these daily activities, many people do not consider the amount of water they use, and as a result, humans waste a large amount of water by performing simple tasks. For example, an average water sprinkler uses 530 litres of water every hour (Clift and Cuthbert). Not only is it crucial for people to recognize and understand the causes behind the fresh water crisis, it is also extremely important to understand the impacts of this
In the Time Magazine article, “The World’s Water Supply Could Dip Sharply in 15 Years,” Alice Park speaks about the potential destruction of water in the future. As a result of water shortages, Park believes that “only 60% of the world’s water needs will be met in 2030” (Park 1). Although water covers 70% of Earth, there is not an unlimited supply of this natural resource, therefore, it has to be wisely conserved. If water conservation policies and wastewater purification systems are not implemented, the world will encounter drastic impacts, such as disappearing wetlands and damaged ecosystems. Once water becomes scarce, ecological catastrophes will create food shortages, and wetlands will no longer provide water filtration and flood
Be it in Africa, where fresh water scarcity has been a thing for ages, to India, where farming has had to adjust due to the lack of fresh water, or California where wells have already begun to run dry in certain counties, fresh water scarcity is spreading and fast. Many argue about what to do about it, some call for policy changes as well as production changes. One suggestion was that “Water professionals need to communicate these concerns better, and policymakers need to be more water-aware”. (Molden, De Fraiture, Rijbermen, 39) Another suggested changes to farming, claiming that while irrigation farming is generally the favored choice when it comes to growing crops, this method of farming is exactly why so much water is needed, as irrigation farming tends to use a lot of water and energy, this supported by the face that “Intensive irrigation has led to closed basins where all water is allocated to specific uses, including water for the environment. In fact, irrigation has been the single most important reason for closing river basins and creating physical water scarcity” (Molden, De Fraiture, Rijbermen, 45). It must also be taken into account that water is often used to create energy in the first place, leading to a very intense compounding of the situation. Some have even suggested dry land farming as a solution, as dry land farming tends to support water