Water scarcity:an issue to worry about - Research Paper Example

Water Scar An Issue to Worry About of the English of the Concerned July 16, Water Scar An Issue to WorryAbout As per a report published in the Gulf News, compiled by Samihah Zaman, titled Region Only a Decade Away from Severe Water Crises, the experts associated with the management of the water resources in the Middle East and North Africa are of the opinion that if something is not urgently done to improve the management of water resources in the region, the region may face a severe water scarcity in the coming decades (Zaman, 2011).

These experts are of the opinion that it will take sincere international cooperation and an augmented awareness amongst the masses in the region to rescue the imminent water shortage (Zaman, 2011). There is no denying the fact that fresh water tends to be a finite resource that needs to be consumed in a systematic and planned manner to avoid the scarcity of water in the future. It goes without saying that the survival of life upon earth depends upon water. Though seventy five percent of the planet earth is covered with water, yet, realistically speaking roughly 97.

5 percent of the available water on earth is not fit for human consumption (Piel, 2007, p. 346). The pending 2.5 percent of the fresh water on earth either exists as ground water or is locked in glaciers (Piel, 2007, p. 346). Hence, there is no doubt to the fact that water is a scarce commodity. Thereby, going by the fact that the humans need an optimal amount of fresh water on a regular basis to survive, scarcity of water in the future may not spell well for the human survival on earth. That is why the nations need to be sincere and serious about the planning and management of the fresh water resources they have.

The other big thing about the stock of fresh water available on earth is that it is not evenly distributed over the earth’s surface. Hence, in case of the nations those are not lucky in terms of the availability of fresh water like the nations in the Middle East and North Africa, a mismanagement of the available water resources and the failure to sensitize their populations regarding the responsible use of finite water resources may give way to water scarcity in the times to come (Kilot, 2006).

It also needs to be considered that the availability of fresh water in a region is also dependent on the overall ecosystem in a region and fresh water tends to be an integral aspect of most of the ecosystems in the world (Jenkins & Panizzon, 2009). Thereby, if the finite water resources are not methodically conserved and consumed, this may not only lead to water scarcity in a region, but may also jeopardize the overall health of the associated ecosystems in the region (Jenkins & Panizzon, 2009).

Hence, the humans ought not to take fresh water in the context of drinking water only, but should consider the larger picture in which the fresh water tends to be a vital ingredient for the sustenance and survival of the overall ecosystems in the region. Again, as evinced in the article under consideration, it is true that the scarcity of water in the future may give way to political instability in the times to come. This is because many of the fresh water sources are not exclusively owned by specific nations, but are rather assets that are spread across nations.

In the light of this fact, it is imperative for the nations in the water scarce regions to understand that cooperation and coordination in the management of water resources is the only sure way to survival (Biswas, Rached & Tortajada, 2008). When it comes to water management, no nation affords to act irresponsible or in a caviler manner. An overuse or polluting of water by the nations lying upstream could wreck havoc on the nations lying downstream. An irresponsible attitude on the part of the populations of the upstream nations could cause much harm to the region at large.

Hence, an international cooperation on the part of the nations that share the water resources around the world is not only necessary, but rather a must for the survival of the entire world and especially more so for the regions like Middle East and North Africa (Swain, 2007). Simply, speaking there is no doubt about the fact that water is a finite resource. Water is not only necessary for human survival, but is imperative for the sustenance of the associated ecosystems. Since, most of the fresh water resources are shared by many nations, cooperation and coordination at an international level is the only way to assure a responsible usage of water.

References Biswas, A.K., Rached, E., & Tortajada, C. (2008). Water as a Human Right for the Middle East and North Africa. Ottawa: International Development Research Center. Jenkins, K, & Panizzon, D. (2009). Healthy Wetlands: Valuing Both the Wet and the Dry. Teaching Science, 55(1), 15-18. Kilot, N. (2006). Water Resources and Conflict in the Middle East. New York: Routledge. Piel, G. (2007). The Age of Science. New York: Basic Books. Swain, A. (2007). Managing Water Conflict. London: Routledge. Zaman, S. (2011, March 4).

Region Only a Decade Away from Severe Water Crises. Gulf News. Retrieved from http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/region-only-a-decade-away-from-severe-water-crisis-1.771290