Water Challenges and Solutions

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

Institution:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Essay Plan

• Introduction

A short description and analyses of the topic question, explaining the water issue status across the globe and thoughts of the current water state

1.2.1 Water Importance and Facts

Discussion on why water is precious commodity. Reasons as to why the given topic is worth a discussion. Facts of the current world’s water status, such as people who can access and the danger posed by the shortages or lack of clean water.

1.2.2 Water Challenges and Cause

Discussion on challenges faced due to water shortages and the major possible cause of the water crises globally.

1.2.3 Solution to Water Crises

Things that can be done to combat the ever growing water crises and methods to improve the current water volumes accessible for use

1.3 Conclusion

A summary of the discussed point on the water shortages and the methods that can be used to spare the generation to come from effects of lack of water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water Challenges and Solutions

1.1. Introduction

The world is developing and growing at a relative quicker pace. Across the globe populations are growing day in day out. But the question is, are the water sources and reserves expanding to cater for the ever growing population.As per statistics, it is estimated that with the current ongoing trend, the total population of the world will almost surpass nine billion marks by the year twenty fifty (2000, P.288).  Moreover, considering the number of animals across the globe who cannot survive in absence of water, it means that the current water reserves are ever stretched. Water happens to be an important aspect for live and in deed for any plant to survive and indeed to thrive well. The most worrying factor is the interconnection between food and water. Without water there is no food. Considering the fact that in the recent years, lives of both animals and livestock have been lost especially in the third world countries especially in Africa, it means unless something is done, the situation will be more worse come to the year two thousand and fifty. Indeed according to experts, if the current situation is not improved, large part of the globe is on the way heading to a serious crisis (2010, P.558). Meaning, the current resources would be scanty to cater and offer nutritious and affordable food to the people and animals. Therefore, as countries dwell much on devising methods and technics to ensure that they are developed, water is one of the factors that deserves total concentration. The inter relationship between water and food makes it a precious commodity and therefore, policies and technics should be devised to ensure that the current water crises experienced in some nations should not grow to uncontrollable levels come the year twenty fifty.

1.2.1. Water Importance and Facts

In order to have a clear and previous discussion, it is important fast to look at some uses and importance of water to both the mankind and livestock. Furthermore, looking at some facts on water usage globally while clearly outline the preciousness of this commodity. To start with water crises facts, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), use of unsafe water in conjunction with poor sanitation leads to approximate eighty percent of overall registered disease and kills more than other disasters such as war. According to the recent statistics and reports, more than third of the total population across the world is experience in one way or another effect of water scarcity (2007, P.759). Meaning that if something is not done in the current days, after thirty five years done the line the situation will be unmanageable and water crises and related effects may even surpass the deaths caused by killer diseases such as HIV/AID or even cancer. However, there are still large reserves of water in globe yet to be exploited. As statistics, only a small section aggregating at around 0.007 percent of the total globe water than have been used or is obtainable to feed and sustain the current 6.8 world’s population.  In the year two thousand and five, United Nations declared and called for a decade to all nations concern, “Water for Life”. Surprisingly, the decade is almost gone bearing in mind that we are in the final year of the set threshold and nothing great seems to be achieved. Indeed, it is believed and estimated that about 5.3 billion people, that is approximately two-thirds of the total globe population, will be affected by the water by the water shortages come the year two thousand and twenty five (2007, P.779).  Some of the scenarios are contributed by the ever growing usage and misuse of water.  It’s laughable, where a person in United States of America can spend more water in a single shower than what a person in the third world African countries can spend in three days. To support this, if statistics is something to go by, in the last century water usage has developed at a rate that exceeds twice the population growth globally. Therefore, with the current rate of use which is subjected to growth further in the years to come, and with water source remaining constant it means that in the next thirty five years the world will be faced a serious water crises.

1.2.2. Water Challenges and Cause

Bearing in mind that water is an important factor in order to sustain any life and growth, water shortages and accessibility is becoming a global crisis as the time goes on. On daily bases, the situation is changing from bad to worse. As per statistics, the number of people living in the planet, who in any way cannot access fresh and clean drinking water range past one billion of the total world’s population. More worryingly, more than a half of that population is small children who have not yet celebrated the fifth birthday. Therefore, one can argue that, unless something is done, with the current trend the number of people who cannot afford fresh and clean water will terribly rise to a point making it a hard to get this important commodity. Moreover, researches show that, unless the current consumptions patterns and conditions are improved, by the year two thousand and twenty five, two in every three people living in the plant will be victims of stressed conditions related to water (2007, P.29). Therefore, if the situation gets that worse by the year two thousand and twenty five, it means the situation would be terrible by the year two thousand and fifty, making water a luxury instead of a basic commodity.

Some of the contributing factors to the water crisis and challenges include: first it is the ongoing water pollution. Meaning a lot of people can access water but that water is not clean. Therefore, the water is not fit for domestic usage, either by human or animals. The other contributing factor is industrialization. Due to the quest of development, industrial sector has grown rapidly across the globe. Water being one of the raw materials used in industries either for cleaning or cooling machineries, the water sources are stretched more as the days go on. In addition, to wide usage in the industries, disposal methods after use are more harmful. Most of industries productions are not environmental friendly as they channel their waste in to water bodies or sources. Once the contaminated water is channeled back to a river or a lake, it contaminates large volumes of water making it unfit for consumption. Therefore, if the industrial sector fails to embrace clean and safe production and considering the rate at which this sector is developing and growing at, water may become scantier in the near future. Lack of proper knowledge of water usage especially in agriculture is another major contributing factor (2006, P.17). Recently, people and nations have embraced large scale production in attempt to reduce food shortages or rather improve food supply. However, the worry is the amount of water that is wasted on daily bases to water those crops. This is caused by lack of the proper knowledge or the technology to reduce the amount of water used to water the plants. On the other hand, chemicals used in these agricultural farms have effects on the cleanliness of the water. For instance, fertilizers applied in these farms are later washed by running water into the rivers or other water bodies. As a result the water is contaminated making it unfit for any consumption, bearing in mind that this fertilizers are products of different chemicals. These are some of the factors that have led to the cost of some food staffs being relatively lower than ever a small bottle of clean water. Changes in climate have also played part in reducing water levels in the planet. For examples, researches shows that snow caps at the top of some mountains across the world are thawing away. For many years, this snow has been the origin of many rivers that flow from the highlands towards the low lands. This has resulted from global warming where the radiation warming in the atmosphere has considerably increased making the ice to melt off. Deforestation is thought to be one of the factors that have contributed to the change in weather patterns and in deed global warming (2000, P.33).  This supports the fact that, unless methods and technics are devised to reduce such effects of the global warming, by the year two thousand and fifty there will be a serious water crisis.

1.2.3Solution to Water Crisis

Different methods can be used to reduce the water crisis and the challenges different people have to overcome on daily basis. First, using water recycling technics can considerably reduce the amount of water that is used once and then disposed. For instance, in the industrial sector a lot of water is used to col the machines and the machines and then disposed. If these industries can devise methods to reuse this water, it will ensure that the industrials grow and more water is saved in the process (2000, P.942).  Another method that can be used to save water is improving water harvesting and catchment. For example, in many regions constantly people are killed by heavy rainfall and later killed by drought due to lack of water. Therefore if methods can be devised to store this water during rains, it is possible to be used once the drought spell starts. Revolutionizing agricultural production and practices is another method that can be used to reduce the water crisis. Embracing practices such as drip water irrigation and opposed to overhead irrigation can help reduce a lot of water wasted. This will ensure high production at low water usage.

1.3Conclusion

To sum up, water is an important commodity and every living thing depends on it for survival. Without water there is no life. As discussed earlier, large population globally is in one way or another affected by water crises. With the current use and misuse, if nothing is done to Improve the levels and supply, there may be serious crises come the year two thousand and fifty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Iglesias, A., Garrote, L., Flores, F., & Moneo, M. (2007). Challenges to manage the risk of water scarcity and climate change in the Mediterranean. Water Resources Management, 21(5), 775-788.

Gallopin, G. C., & Rijsberman, F. (2000).Three global water scenarios.International Journal of water, 1(1), 16-40

Lazarova, V., Levine, B., Sack, J., Cirelli, G., Jeffrey, P., Muntau, H., …& Brissaud, F. (2001). Role of water reuse for enhancing integrated water management in Europe and Mediterranean countries.Water Science & Technology, 43(10), 25-33.

Postel, S. L. (2000). Entering an era of water scarcity: the challenges ahead. Ecological applications, 10(4), 941-948.

Rijsberman, F. R. (2006). Water scarcity: fact or fiction? Agricultural water management, 80(1), 5-22.

Trenberth, K. E., Smith, L., Qian, T., Dai, A., & Fasullo, J. (2007).Estimates of the global water budget and its annual cycle using observational and model data.Journal of Hydrometeorology, 8(4), 758-769.

Vörösmarty, C. J., McIntyre, P. B., Gessner, M. O., Dudgeon, D., Prusevich, A., Green, P., …& Davies, P. M. (2010). Global threats to human water security and river biodiversity.Nature, 467(7315), 555-561.

Vörösmarty, C. J., Green, P., Salisbury, J., & Lammers, R. B. (2000). Global water resources: vulnerability from climate change and population growth. Science, 289(5477), 284-288.