Greatest potential for impact by 2030 - Essay Example

This seems to conflict with the general idea that water is abundant and natural. After all, it falls from the skies, fills lakes, floods rivers, and runs in underground currents. However, accessing all of these sources of water and, more importantly, treating it is a difficult process, even in developed countries like the United States. Standing at the core of civilization, the use of water can be either an aid or a curse for developing countries. As water becomes scarcer, as it is projected to be, with the projected coming of global climate change and a larger population, water treatment will have to respond to the needs of a human population growing beyond its means.

Of the coming environmental challenges facing the world, perhaps a water shortage is the most extreme. The possibility of a worldwide water shortage is inextricably linked to other global catastrophes and the economic effects of those natural events. Stress on water supplies is already occurring, between household uses in growing populations worldwide, rapid urbanization, and expansion of business activities in developing countries. All of these factors contribute to a lessening of supply of water, as the demand continues to increase (Shiklomanov).

In fact, the demand for water in developing countries increased linearly from 30 percent in 1970 to 80% in 2000 (Chartres and Varma). Growth in Middle East populations is particularly concerning, given the natural lack of water in desert regions. This has led some experts to say, “The next war in the Middle East will be fought over water, not politics” (Nicol). Of the 3 percent of water on Earth that is fresh (that is, not saline), 70 percent of it is tied up into icecaps and glaciers that gravitate toward the North and South Poles, and therefore remains inaccessible for most humans (USGS).

The remaining 30 percent of that fresh water is the water that is accessible, either through a process of merely collecting or welling. A majority of the water collected, nearly 70 percent is used for agricultural uses (Shiklomanov). In order to produce food for a growing population, water is necessary. A significant amount of the runoff from agricultural is unusable, due to increases in the use of herbicides, pesticides, and other toxins. Tying up water into these resources is a delicate balance between supplying one necessary resource and supplying another, which lends credibility to the thought that humans are outgrowing the earth’s carrying capacity.

An additional 22 percent of water sources worldwide are devoted to industrial uses, which again creates an unusable runoff (Shiklomanov). A common use of water, however, is in hydroelectric power plants that help provide electricity to both developed and developing countries. A widely touted solution to water scarcity, or coming water crises, is an extensive infrastructure for sewage treatment that removes contaminants from water sources. Although investment in sewage treatment facilities is either low or nonexistent in developing countries, it is a viable tool for reusing water continuously for the same purpose (Frederiksen).

In an agricultural area, for instance, water can be collected in irrigation channels, moved from the farming area into a treatment plant, then pumped into the water supplies of the farmers. Such a system has been successful so far in Singapore, which has invested considerable amounts of resources into creating sustainable water systems (Tortajada). Ultimately, sewage