Persuasive Essay On Water

Water is the most utilized substance. There is not one person, or industry that could survive without water. Water provides in more ways than just quenching thirst. This is why the most critical issues today, revolve around water loss. It may come as a surprise, but according to Patricia Lefevere, only one percent of the water on earth is useful to humans. The other 99 percent is not accessible or fresh (Lefevere). However, the problem is not as terrible as it seems. According to The Economist the main problems are; how much water is too much, and the way the water is used (Sin aqua non; Water). Water is a valuable resource; without knowing how much fresh water can be taken from sources without them being depleted causes an uncertainty to

The way it is used needs to be more efficient in order to conserve what is left. Research exemplifies that humans need water to produce food, however the way food is produced is causing water loss. The way humans are using water is not sustainable. Water aquifers underground are being dried up daily. Once an aquifer reaches a certain low, it may or may not be able to come back. So, basically, water is being taken out of aquifers at a faster rate than which it can replenish itself (Sin aqua non; Water). Although, a lot of water that comes from aquifers is used for drinking, most of the water being used is for irrigation of crops. The water used for irrigation has created great gains for the agriculture and food industry. This water has been used to create food security. However, it is being threatened by other businesses that use it for industrial purposes (Hanjra). Once these aquifers and the other sources of water dry up, there will be no more accessible water. Not knowing when the water levels become too low is a major issue; however, if they are being used resourcefully, there should not be a reason to agonize over the levels. The Economist explains that diets are one of the main causes for water scarcity.

Charles Emerson uses the term “Glocal” to describe the fact that this problem cannot be solved locally or globally. There needs to be measures taken on a local level and on a global level to insure that this problem will be solved completely. He emphasizes the need for local communities to reuse water, improve management and infrastructure, and work on managing it better. However, these local initiatives need a great deal of financial support. This is where global agencies come in; they are necessary to provide legal, informational, managerial, and economic support to smaller communities (Emmerson). These initiatives take a local effort, but a global push. The initiatives could include, rainwater harvesting, technologies used to increase the water to seed efficiency, a push towards a more vegetarian lifestyle, increasing locally grown food, and decreasing energy usage when transporting food. An important aspect is the way irrigation is used. In the future, if irrigation techniques are improved, the water issue will be less of a problem. Integrating “more water storage, including large and small irrigation schemes, modern water infrastructure, recycling and water conservation, upgrading rain fed agriculture, paying irrigators to use less water, and better targeting of subsidies to reach the smallholders and female farmers,” can help in many beneficial ways. One in which