Water Crisis in the United States - Term Paper Example

 Water Crisis in the United States Introduction In the recent years, the threat of drought in the U.S. has significantly increased. Reasons like high levels of pollution, poor water management, global warming, etc. have contributed to this scenario. In this situation, we have to reflect on whether should Canada share its freshwater resources with the U.S. or not so that the looming water crisis can be controlled and avoided. The position on this question should clearly be that Canada must help USA to handle the water crisis by sharing its freshwater. Significance of the Problem A major element of water crisis in the U.S. is that the demand for potable water is entirely out of ratio with the available supply. For instance, if we consider the example of Las Vegas, the city is running out of water supply. A desalination plant is being constructed on the Pacific Ocean so that it can provide water to San Diego and Tijvana, Mexico. In return, Las Vegas will get a fraction of the water supply form Colorado River. In this way, a sort of water trade is taking place (Glennon, 2009). The situation is similar in several other places too. “In the face of dwindling resources, federal, state, and local authorities have implemented conservation efforts in an effort to stretch already stressed water supplies.” (Solomon, 2011, p. 41) Outline of the Paper Introduction Significance of the Problem Outline of the Paper Research Question Discussion Water Situation in the U.S. Water Situation in Canada Arguments in Favor of the Position Conclusion Research Question Should Canada share its freshwater with the United States, given the looming water crisis in the U.S.? Discussion In discussing the issue we will first focus on the water situation in the U.S. and then reflect on that in Canada. After that, there will be an argumentative subsection to explain why Canada should share its freshwater with the U.S. Water Situation in the U.S. According to a feature published on 27th September, 2011 in The Charlotte Observer Newspaper, the Catawba River Basin is suffering from drought conditions. It has got only 1 to 2 inches of rain. Voluntary water conservation by all water users has already been recommended in the region (Muccigrosso, 2011). Following the situation in Catawba River Basin, we can see that scarcity of freshwater will adversely affect natural vegetation, drainage, fishing, ecosystem, and availability of water for drinking and other activities. A similar situation can engulf the entire country if preventive measures are not taken and eco-friendly water conservation systems are not established. Reforming the waste water management system is also an imperative to control the pollution of freshwater. (Mays, 2010; Marks, 2009) According to the most recent analysis of Tinker and Rosencrans (2011), the danger of drought and shortage of water are almost alarming in the areas like New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Moreover, the western U.S. is also suffering from chronic shortage. Please see the figure below: Figure – 1: U.S. Drought Monitor Source: Tinker and Rosencrans (2011) Water Situation in Canada In Canada, the situation of freshwater reserves, demand, and supply are entirely different. Canada has largest renewable freshwater system in the world following only Brazil and the Russian Federation. In fact, Canada’s river water discharge amounts to 7% of the renewable water supply in this world. Almost 9% of the total area of Canadian land is covered with freshwater. (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005; Loh, 2000) In such circumstances, Canada can help the U.S. to solve its increasing water crisis. Canada and the U.S. share the world’s largest lake water drainage system. The countries also share close economic, cultural, and political ties. Large portions of Canada are scarcely inhabited, while over 80% of its population dwells near the U.S. – Canadian borders. Canada is a country which is very rich in other natural resources too, and its population is low with a stable and affluent economy. (Thompson and Randall, 2008) Arguments in Favor of the Position Canada must share its freshwater with the U.S. The arguments in this regard are enlisted below: 1. Canada has the third largest renewable water system in the world. Its population density is relatively low; hence demand of water is rather less than the available supply. According to Statistics Canada (2010), even the most densely populated portions of the country around the Lake Region, which is inhabited by 80% of its population, insignificantly depend on underground water. Please refer to the figure on the next page: Figure – 2: Canadian population dependent on groundwater by drainage and region Source: Statistics Canada (2010) Therefore, Canada has excess freshwater and it can provide this water to the United States without any harm to its population. 2. Even after Canada redirects a portion of its freshwater supply to the U.S., Canada has huge water reserves in the form of ice. The Canadian Shield and the Arctic region of the country provide it with prospective water reserves of large amounts. 3. “According to many researchers, protracted droughts and their adverse impacts on water supplies, as well as flooding caused by rising sea levels may represent to of the greatest hazards the United States faces in the foreseeable future.” (Solomon, 2011, p. 41) However, in Canada, threats like rising sea level do not affect the population in a similar way. Hence, Canada must help its neighbor in the difficult days. 4. In 1909, Boundary Waters Treaty was signed between USA and Canada. The International Joint Commission (IJC) established to oversee the water situation in this region is an existing authority that can readily form a framework through which the U.S. can avail proper amounts of water from Canada. (U.S. Department of State, 2011) Hence, Canada should share its water since there is almost no possibility of unfair dealing. 5. If Canada remains reluctant to share its water, projects like the Devil’s Lake Outlet instituted by the U.S. may create unnecessary tensions between the countries. Canada should develop an amicable approach. 6. Canada has more than 2 million lakes. It is a safe and easy option to transport reasonable amounts of this water through a controlled pipeline network to USA. Conclusion On the issue under discussion, the position taken is simply that Canada should share its freshwater with the U.S. so that the U.S. can be helped to save its population from water crisis. Canada has water resources far excess than its needs, but for the U.S., the circumstances are not so favorable. In the introduction, the example of Las Vegas city has already been given to elucidate the practical situation in the U.S. Later in this paper, the situation in Catawba River Basin has also been discussed. The federal, state, and local authorities must synchronize with each other so that water management can be bettered. After comparing the water situations in Canada and the U.S., we can say that water sharing is a practical idea for Canada with regards to its troubled neighbor. Although there are environmental and political implications for such a partnership, humanitarian cause is most important. References Glennon, R. (2009). Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What to Do about It. Washington D.C.: Island Press. Loh, J. (2000). Living Planet Report 2000. Gland: UNEP-WCMC, World Wide Fund for Nature. Marks, S. (2009). Aqua Shock: The Water Crisis in America. Hobokon: Wiley. Mays, L. (2010). Ancient Water Technologies. New York: Springer. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Wetlands and Water Synthesis. Washington, D.C.: World Resources Institute. Muccigrasso, C. (2011). Drought plagues lakes| CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/09/27/2642812/drought-plagues-lakes.html Solomon, L. (2011). America's Water and Wastewater Crisis: The Role of Private Enterprise. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Statistics Canada. (2010). Human Activity and the Environment. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/16-201-x/2010000/m016-eng.htm Thompson, J., & Randall, S. (2008). Canada and the United States: Ambivalent Allies. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. Tinker, R., & Rosencrans, M. (2011). US Drought Monitor, October 11, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/drought_monitor.pdf U.S. Department of State. (2011). Embassy of the United States Ottawa, Canada - Home. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://canada.usembassy.gov Read More