Comparison of Two Possible Methods for Water Provision in Arid or Semi-Arid Regions in Spain - Term Paper Example

COMPARISON OF TWO POSSIBLE METHODS FOR WATER PROVISION IN ARID OR SEMI-ARID REGIONS IN SPAIN IntroductionWater provision in arid or semi-arid areas in Spain has been a major concern to many living in the country. This is because most semi-arid regions in Spain always receive low annual rainfall. The vegetation found in the area is not healthy for human beings because most of them are scrubby (Ahn, Grant, Surbeck, DiGiacomo, Nezlin, & Jiang, 2005). This has affected many individuals living in the region because they find it difficult to irrigate or even grow crops or vegetations to use in the day to day feeding. Therefore, this paper focuses in providing a report comparing two possible methods for water provision in arid or semi-arid regions of Spain. Methods of Water Provision There are numerous water provisions methods that can be used to supply water in the arid or semi-arid areas of Spain. Potable water is an example of a method which can be used in providing water in arid and semi-arid areas of Spain. It is a major source of water that is used in aquifer storage and recovery schemes. This water is highly treated and placed in a well, in arid or semi-arid areas in Spain. They are normally placed in restricted aquifers where they form bubbles of potable water that is later stored in the aquifer for use in different purposes and by different individuals found in the areas. Moreover, it has been proven that the method is cost effective because the purpose of the bubbles created is to displace native water (Daily et al. 2000). Additionally, the method is environmentally friendly because it has no adverse effects to forms of life using it and the entire environment around. Schemes used in creating portable water are always constructed near water sources to help in subsidizing the costs which could have been used in its provision (Hutton & Haller, 2004). In many cases, portable water has been used in semi-arid areas to bridge the gap existing between the demands of water availability during such cases like emergencies. The cost of portable water is that it forces community to form social fund projects which takes a portion of their income in creating projects to aid them with the collection of the water. Despite the fact that social funds are always beneficial in ensuring against unforeseen risk, at the end the community bears the bitter truth that they have to collectively to fund the projects which are undertaken by these projects (Arrow, 2001). The second method of water provision in arid or semi-arid regions in Spain is storm-water run-off. The main source of storm-water run-off is mainly generated from urban areas. However, the run-offs always vary in quantity with regards to the amount of quantity of rainfall experienced in the region. It is normally gathered through such methods like ponds, grassed areas, porous pavements and wetlands. In cases of rural areas, run-off water is normally obtained through agricultural fields and lands which are not cultivated. In many arid or semiarid areas in Spain, the run off water is stored in wells which have large diameters to contain large amounts of the collected water (Walsh et al, 2005). With regards to quality of the gathered water, storm-water runoff varies as not all water is collected from a secure source. Some of the water, coming from cultivated lands are corroded with chemicals which makes it unhygienic for consumption, whereas, those collected directly after a rainfall can be easily used for various consumption purposes without being treated or tested. In arid or semi-arid areas found in urban centers, the best quality of storm-water runoff can be obtained from water collected from rooftops. Others may include galleries, wells and boreholes, but the water are not always replenishable for use in the various aquifers constructed for the purposes of providing water in the regions (Newman, Pradhan, Rawlings, Ridder, Coa, & Evia, 2002).. In addition, arid or semi-arid storm-water runoff in arid or semi-arid areas is majorly polluted by residential pesticides or fertilizers which are used in the growing of various crops and vegetables. Thus, waste materials from livestock are also among the list of pollutants. These wastes have negative effects to aquifers constructed to provide water in the regions as they contaminate them (Parikh, Taylor, Hoagland, Thurston, & Shuster, 2005). The result is that many aquifers handling contaminated water are always passed through a maintenance procedure as a form of treatment to prevent individuals from taking contaminated water from the aquifers. However, storm-water runoff is associated to the following damages. They damage property in form of floods; running runoff degrades the habitat of various living species, causes insurance to pay individuals for their destroyed properties and damages any fishing activities in the region. The cost related to storm-water runoff is that the government and various parties involved are forced to built detention ponds in an attempt to mitigate the situation; they also use state resources in responding to situations of flooding and lastly incur a lot in treating polluted water and constructing other programs to help mitigate the situation (World Health Organization (Ed.). 2004). In my opinion, I recommend portable water over storm-water runoff water to be use in arid or semi-arid areas in Spain. This is because the Ozone as a layer of the earth is a perfect method to use in disinfecting water. The cost that is incurred in the process is little compared storm-water runoff because Ozone acts as an agent used in inactivating microorganism like protozoa which pollute water and makes it harmful for consumption. Conversely, the chemicals used in treating storm-water runoff may prove to be hazardous in the long run to the ecosystem when used in abundance. Conclusion In conclusion, many individuals living in the arid or semi-arid areas in Spain experience the problems of water shortages. Various mitigation processes have been undertaken to help in the matter of remedying the situation, but as it goes, not all processes have been successful in providing adequate and safe water that can be used for various activities in the region. Storm-water runoff and portable water are methods used in providing water into these regions and the effects is that most areas have been able to perform processes that are performed in other areas with adequate water or rainfall. References Ahn, J. 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