The Historical Context of Sustainability - Research Paper Example

The Historical Context of Sustainability Executive summary The historical context of sustainability is crucial because it determines the growth and progress in the society. The principle of sustainability affirms that the current generation should not compromise the need of the coming generations especially in the utilization of natural resources (Pereira & Cordery, 2009, p, 151). The investigation process describes projects that utilize modern approaches such as technology to enhance sustainability. The project will be presented using historical information highlighting activities that focus on sustainability in the modern society. Thereafter, the findings will be compared with the situations in the past. Sustainable measures used by authorities such as water recycling will be discussed in detail. According to Leal-Filho (2012, p, 2), societal changes contribute to the scarcity of water in Saudi Arabia. The findings of the project will create awareness concerning sustainability within the society. Information on water usage that is critical to the research process will be obtained from literary sources. A review of information highlighting the impacts of environmental changes on water usage in Saudi Arabia will be instrumental when designing the project. The fundamental role of this investigative process is evaluating the usage of water in driving the economy of Saudi Arabia. Table of Contents Executive summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Objective 4 Key words Sustainability refers to the use of a resource without compromising the future needs of the populace. According to Pereira & Cordery (2009, p, 151), careful use of resources is beneficial to the continuance of humanity. Conservation describes the careful use of a resource to limit the extent of damage on the ecosystem. Reservoirs describe the storage location for water resources. This can be artificial or natural storages. According to Alsharhan & Wood (2003, p, 6), desalination is the process of removing hardness from sea water to make it usable/portable. Concurrently, water recycling is the reuse of water resources to guarantee that it goes back to the natural ecosystem. Precipitations are the molecules of water vapor found in the atmosphere either in liquid or gaseous form. Introduction Water is a basic commodity that exists either in gaseous, liquid or solid form in nature. People frequently use the commodity to address their needs. Nations rely on the commodity to enhance the growth of the economy. Furthermore, human progress is heavily reliant on the accessibility of water. According to Leal-Filho (2012, p, 2), water is a scarce commodity in Saudi Arabia. The scarcity has forced authorities to initiate measures that curb the lessening of water resources within the country. Authorities devise ways for conserving this resource. This is because conservation of water is central to human survival. Conservation of water in Saudi Arabia applies at the domestic and commercial level. At homes, people store water for drinking, cooking and washing in tanks. Besides, agricultural activities such as growing crops rely on water from tanks. In Saudi Arabia, water aids in the irrigation of food crops making it a source of livelihood to the populace. According to Leal-Filho (2012, p, 4), water is not sustainable in Saudi Arabia because the current supply cannot meet the demands of the population. Water was sustainable in Saudi Arabia in the past; however, this has changed because people have turned water utilization into a commercial activity. As discussed in this piece, several changes in the 21st century have made water a scarce commodity that should be conserved at all costs. Objective This process analyzes the available sources of water in Saudi Arabia. Thereafter, the paper will devise solutions that enhance sustainability with regard to water use in Saudi Arabia. Overview The historical processes of social and cultural change In the ancient society, the supply of water was plentiful in the Middle East. According to Alsharhan & Wood (2003, p, 264), conservation measures were unnecessary because the supply of water was enough to cater for the small population of Saudi Arabia. There was consistency in water supply because the society had experienced less interference to its ecosystem. However, this changed with the advent of industrialization in the 21st century. Human beings began engaging in activities that increased the demand of water. This later made the commodity scarce. The scarcity posed difficulties that made it hard for people to enhance sustainability while using the commodity. The decrease in water supply affects production in agriculture making it necessary to import foodstuff. Currently, Saudi Arabia imports some of their food products because the production at the domestic levels is insufficient for the growing population. According to Alsharhan & Wood (2003, p, 92), the country imports wheat and rice for consumption. Besides, Saudi Arabia is investing in irrigation farming. This is an indication that the supply of underground water cannot address the needs of the populace. Currently, the supply of water to homes is unreliable. People have reported missing water for days in the capital Riyadh. 21st century Population, Urbanization, and the Environment The demand for water in Saudi Arabia in the past was manageable because the population was small. Additionally, seasonal rivers had plenty of waters that supplied the community with fresh water. However, the current society is driven by industrial activities, and faces challenges meeting its water needs (Pereira & Cordery, 2009, p, 21). Manufacturing activities in the 21st century have increased the demand of water. Consequently, industries contribute to the scarcity of the commodity. It is difficult to incorporate sustainable use of the commodity because industries are polluting the available water resources. This contributes to the scarcity of fresh water in homes (Pereira & Cordery, 2009, p, 30). Due to increase in industrialization activities, some of the water gets lost to the environment in the form of water vapor. Additionally, agricultural activities are depleting the available sources of water. Historically, farmers focused on rain water in tendering their crops. Nowadays they are beginning to embrace irrigation as the solution to water scarcity in Saudi Arabia. The geographic position of Saudi Arabia contributes to the scarcity of water in the country. The region receives limited amounts of precipitation making it prone to water shortages. Moreover, the supply by the natural systems cannot meet the demands of the urban population (Pereira & Cordery, 2009, p, 16). Drought is prevalent in Saudi Arabia because of its location in the desert. Besides, the pollution of the available water resources contributes to the scarcity of water in the region. The economically-driven global society and the foundations for future change. The presence of water treatment facilities in Saudi Arabia highlights that the population relies on water supplied from the seas. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is water driven economy that is struggling to address needs of populace. The situation will become worse with the increase in household in urban centers. People are encouraged to reuse water to prevent problems from arising in future (Smith, 2009, p, 1). Moreover, population control measures are needed to avert the water shortage crisis. A decrease in population means that the demand of the commodity will reduce, making it easy to undertake conservation measures. Sustainability is only attainable when the demand equals supply and people are using the commodity responsibly. Saudi Arabia has witnessed crisis due to the scarcity of the essential commodity because rivers are seasonal and the country receives limited amounts of rainfall. The country is also situated within a desert where water is a scarce commodity. There is need to avert the situation before it reaches a catastrophic level. In the past, the problem was at a manageable level, but it is getting worse. Report from the world food organization is indicating that there is a high possibility of famine occurring in Saudi Arabia. The impacts are spreading to the neighboring countries as indicated by Smith (2009, p, 3). Therefore, there is need to implement strategies that will safeguard the population from droughts in future. The government of Saudi Arabia has adapted measures such as leasing of land to handle the food production crisis in the country to prepare for the challenges expected in future. Saudi Arabia acquired land in Ethiopia to undertake farming. According to Pereira & Cordery (2009, p, 12), fair sharing of the commodity should be encouraged to ensure that water is available for the present and future generations. Water sustainability in Saudi Arabia (project) The projects aims at devising alternative methods of enhancing sustainability, since people in the society depend on water for their survival. The project will adhere to “the principles of sustainability”. Subsequently, people will be encouraged to use the commodity responsibly. According to Alsharhan & Wood (2003, p, 7), the project should incorporate tree plantation as a measure for enhancing sustainability. Moreover, industries should reduce their emission of carbon monoxide into the environment because such gases contribute to global warming that accelerates the depletion of water resources in Saudi Arabia. The project focuses on sustainable utilization of water to enhance profitability. It advocates for regulations that will stop industries from using the commodity carelessly. It is necessary to devise control measures that will enhance sustainability in Saudi Arabia. This incorporates the appropriate use of water for domestic and commercial purposes. Farmers are required to conserve the commodity while striving to use it in the production process. Indeed, careful usage of water results in profitability. Saudi Arabia incurs various forms of losses attributable to the misuse of water (Atkinson 2008, p, 9). There are instances when industries misuse water in the production process that could be used better. According to Pereira & Cordery (2009, p, 8) the process of desalinating waters from the seas has been effective in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, desalination should be embraced as an approach that enhances sustainability. Technology is fundamental because it is likely to address the challenges facing Saudi Arabia in terms of water shortages. Desalination and recycling are common technological solutions that can control the crisis in Saudi Arabia. The participation of the government is necessary when enhancing the project. However, this will cost it significant levels of revenue since it relies on oil resources as the source of energy for desalination. Interestingly, the insufficiency of water in Saudi Arabia leads to innovations in various sectors of the economy. People have devised innovative ways of farming such vertical farms. The projects advocates for water recycling as one of the strategies that promotes sustainability. During the process, water can be used for industrial activities. This maximizes profitability in industries that rely on water for production. According to Atkinson (2008, p, 23), recycling water resources helps in the development of agricultural activities. Farmers can increasing their production leading to higher levels of profitability when there is plenty supply of recycled water. Water mining is a big business in Saudi Arabia because of the profitability that is attributable to the sale of recycled water. According to Brebbia & Popov (2011, p, 27), the process of recycling will ensure that water is still available for use by the future generations. The concept is similar to the earth’s recycling system. This is because the water that people currently use was recycled for millions of years. Recycling water will reduce overdependence on aquifers as the major source of water for the population. Additionally, it will encourage authorities to invest in recycling plants to enhance sustainability. The use of recycled water brings several benefits to the economy (Atkinson 2008, p, 14). It is a means of environmental conservation, and can be stored in tanks to ensure consistency in water supply. Riyadh has the capacity to maintain water-recycling plant because of its proximity to energy sources. In the present day Saudi Arabia, environmental bodies are advocating for measures that regulate the usage of water by industries. This should be supported because projects focusing on sustainability will curb challenges affecting productivity of the national economy. Projects will help governments cut their spending. The government is currently spending revenues generated from oil exportation to enhance water sustainability (Pereira, & Cordery, 2009, p. 11). Industrialization activities also contribute to the scarcity of the commodity. It is equally evident that populations are sourcing their waters from aquifers. It is established that Saudi Arabia is a country that has embraced sustainable measures in water usage. This is evident in the presence of water reservoirs around the country that store water (Smith, 2009, p, 2). Controlling population growth is necessary when conserving water in the society. People should invest in sustainable agriculture instead of relying on the conventional methods that are heavily dependent on water. Irrigation farming should be embraced to ensure the country is self sufficient in food production. Conclusion The traditional and modern approaches should be used when enhancing sustainability in Saudi Arabia because of the differences in the population’s needs. The traditional approaches are preferred in situations when the community lacks enough capital to invest in modern equipments that helps in conservation. Moreover, sustainability requires the participation of all stakeholders to ensure effectiveness. Water consumption is only sustainable when individuals taking part in the sustainability project support the process (Pereira, & Cordery, 2009, p, 154). Lastly, desalination will aid the country increase its supply of water for domestic purposes. This is because surface water contributes to less than a third of the water used by the population. According to Pereira, & Cordery (2009, 44), sustainability can be enhanced when people depend on water from the seas when meeting their needs. Recommendation Authorities in Saudi Arabia need to empower the masses to conserve water resources. They should begin by enlightening people about the different approaches for conservation. The government and the citizens should embrace sustainability when dealing with conditions that threaten humans’ survival. This is because sustainable use of water resources is fundamental to survival of humanity (Brebbia & Popov, 2011). Additionally, authorities should invest additional resources in water conservations. Academicians in Saudi should conduct research to devise amicable solutions to the situation facing the country. The government of Saudi should channel funds towards research. To ensure the project is successful, authorities in Saudi Arabia should use the media to educate the masses on sustainability. The campaigns should reach huge audiences for the masses to understand sustainability. List of References Alsharhan, A., & Wood, W 2003. Water resources perspectives evaluation, management and policy. Amsterdam, Elsevier Viewed 11th November 2012 at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780444515087. 7 92 264 Atkinson, A 2008, Techniques and technologies for sustainability proceedings: international conference and summer school 2007. Berlin, Univ.-Verl. Der TU, Univ.-Bibliothek. Brebbia, C. A., & Popov, V 2011, Water resources management VI. Southampton, U.K., WIT Press. Leal-Filho, W 2012, Climate change and the sustainable use of water resources, Heidelberg, Germany, Springer. Pereira, L, S., & Cordery, I 2009 Coping with water scarcity: addressing the challenges. Dordrecht, Springer. Smith, C 2009, sustainability and water resources in Middle East .e-International relations. Viewed 11th November 2012 at http://www.e-ir.info/2009/11/09/sustainability-and-water-resources-in-the-middle-east/ Read More