Water Shortage Problem - Essay Example

Research Essay on Global Environmental Politics Student’s Name Institution Date Research Essay on Global Environmental Politics Introduction Water shortages have become a very key issue in the current world. This issue has serious implications for environmental conservation in various parts of the world. Water is the source of life and without it, plants and animals cannot survive. Water has been a source of conflicts in various countries because many communities find it difficult to use the scarce resources that exist in regions they are living in. The issue of water shortage requires different governments in various parts of the globe to come up with appropriate solutions that ensure people observe sustainable consumption of water. This will alleviate problems of water scarcity which give rise to conflicts in different places (ATSE 2012, p. 15). Therefore, human beings across the globe need to exercise more responsibility to safeguard water resources from depletion. This essay discusses the importance of sustainable water management and environmental justice in different parts of the world and how it impacts on the lives of future generations. Sustainability Sustainable development movements have become very influential in environmental politics. These movements have been influenced by various collective actions which have directed more attention to this phenomenon. Egelston (2013) reveals that sustainable development, first gained global attention during the Stockholm Human Environment Conference of 1972. Since then, non-governmental organisations and environmental activists have advocated for the inclusion of sustainable development approaches in government policies. The formation of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) in the early 1970’s helped to increase awareness about this phenomenon across the world. Sustainable development practices are intertwined with political and economic governance. As a result, this requires interactive political systems which are well prepared to handle different social and environmental problems (Kimbrell, 2002, p. 57). Therefore, sustainable development approaches can have good results if they rely on multiple sources of knowledge to resolve complex social and environmental issues in different societies. Every person needs to understand sustainable development practices which ensure that different natural ecosystems are not destroyed due to carelessness (Liu & Yang, 2012, p. 652). An increase in economic activities and settlements close to forests, lakes, rivers and other important environmental features is likely to have a detrimental effect on dependants of these ecosystems. Participation by the public in protecting the environment from different destructive activities is important because it ensures that delicate ecosystems are protected from desecration.Water supply sustainability can only be achieved when all important stakeholders are willing to make sacrifices to ensure all water sources are able to replenish dwindling amounts of fresh water (Cruz-Torres & McElwee, 2012, p. 33). Sustainable development and lifestyle practices make it possible for various stakeholders to merge their capacities to come up with effective methods of safeguarding scarce natural resources in different areas. Water sustainability is heavily dependent on environmental conservation of vital ecosystems such as; forests, swamps, rivers and hills. All these geographical features contribute to precipitation and rainfall, which helps to control dry weather patterns and global warming. Large water systems should not be constructed before an environmental impact assessment is done (Woelfle-Erskine, Cole & Allen, 2007, p. 76). This will ensure that human activities which use intensive water supply are minimised to safeguard the interests of people living in different communities. Proper management of water resources helps to safeguard farming and pastoralist communities from drought and famine (García-Tejero, Duran-Zuazo & Muriel-Fernández, 2011, p. 42). Proper irrigation practices can help communities which are dependent on agriculture to use their water resources efficiently to avoid getting exposed to dangers that result from drought. This helps to restore scarce water levels in rivers and lakes to ensure they are able to serve different needs adequately. Water storage is also an important method through which communities can conserve large quantities of water, which can later be used during dry spells. Countries which have invested in high quality water harvesting and storage practices are able to serve the needs of their populations effectively without any major problems. This approach ensures that communities’ needs are adequately served by available water resources without any form of conflicts being experienced (Donahue & Johnston, 1998, p. 56). Rain water can be harvested in large storage tanks and water pans which can later be used for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. This excess capacity can then be utilised during periods of drought to assist communities to get their water needs more effectively (Feldman, 2010, p. 34). As a result, people living in different areas are able to create valuable water management systems which curb unnecessary wastage of the precious commodity. They are able to trap water from the roofs of their houses through large water tanks. Effective water management solutions have to be implemented to reduce water shortages. These solutions need to go beyond territorial borders for them to have a lasting impact on communities which share common water sources for a variety of needs. Many countries in the world are becoming rapidly urbanised and this is likely to have an impact on the way water resources are shared and consumed. Governments need to estimate the amount of water that is needed for various uses in a particular place to find out the best way in which these needs can be satisfied (Gasteyer & Vaswani, 2004, p. 51). Water management and usage is a complex phenomenon that determines whether countries are able to satisfy the expectations of their citizens or not. Joint studies between countries and territories that share the same water resources can help to uncover more facts about water usage patterns in both industrial and domestic settings. This can help such parties to find out if the prevailing water usage patterns are sustainable in the long term or not. Issues of safety, pollution and waste management also need to be taken into account when formulating policies that are related to water management. Delicate water ecosystems should not be contaminated by various human activities to ensure all people that depend on them are not exposed to different types of toxins (Whiteley, Ingram & Perry, 2008, p. 56). Domestic and industrial users need to be discouraged from discharging effluent and other poisonous substances directly into water bodies which supply water to different users. Strict environmental policies have to be enforced to ensure offenders are severely punished to deter them from such harmful practices (Savic, 2005, p. 63). This helps to protect diverse plant and animal organisms which depend on clean water resources for their survival. This also ensures that all community stakeholders understand their responsibilities in managing scarce water resources effectively. The depletion of water resources occurs due to several factors. Deforestation, poor farming methods, siltation of water bodies and diversion of water resources to large construction projects are all responsible for the depletion of water resources. As a result, the quantity of water reduces making it difficult to sustain the needs of all community members living in a particular area (Filho, 2011, p. 71). For instance, large dams constructed on major rivers have been blamed for reducing the amount of water carried by such rivers downstream. As a result, communities living downstream have to utilise reduced water resources because the normal flow of water is restricted. This has adverse effects on animals and plants that live in such water bodies because they are likely to be exposed to conditions they are not used to (Water Resources Research Center, 2010, p. 20). Efficient policies that conserve natural forests which are water towers are also needed to curtail the depletion of water resources. This ensures that logging of trees is strictly controlled to minimise the damage done to ecosystems which are supported by large natural forests. Many rivers originate from high altitude areas and they are a source of fresh water for major lakes and oceans (Novotny, Ahern & Brown, 2010, p. 44). Illegal logging destroys water catchment areas and contributes to soil erosion. This ends up affecting water quality because the soil components which are eroded are deposited at the bottom of major rivers and this increases siltation. As a result, this makes water levels in rivers to go up causing floods which displace both humans and animals from their settlements (Moore & Matalon, 2011, p. 67). Policy makers and other interested parties need to come up with solutions to curb the large quantities of water which are wasted by domestic, industrial and agricultural users. Large scale industries that use a lot of water to produce various commodities need to use efficient machinery which does not consume a lot of water. They also need to have water treatment processes to ensure the waste water from their internal processes is not released into water systems carelessly (Wong, 2006, p.83). This reduces contamination of water resources which are used by people living in surrounding communities. Domestic users also need to be advised on how to use water resources efficiently to avoid wastage. Domestic activities such as washing, cooking, flushing toilets and watering of plants consume a lot of water and these practices are not sustainable in the long-term (Gleick, 1998, p. 55). Governments need to come up with efficient water usage patterns to encourage domestic users to avoid wasting water. Environmental Justice and Water Environmental justice is a concept that relates to environment and equitable distribution of natural benefits and burdens that result from various aspects of environmental management. The concept requires all people living in a particular society to be treated equally and fairly during the execution of various environmental regulatins and policies (Cronon, 1996, p. 53) . The issue of environmental justice has gained prominence because some communities have felt that they are exposed to a lot of environmental risks, which occur due to violations done by other entities. For instance, in the US, poor communities have bore the brunt of environmental hazards because they live in zones which are not conducive for human settlement. Whenever there is a shortage of water and other natural resources, poor communities are the first to feel the disadvantage caused by such problems (Tiemann, 2006, p. 37). Therefore, proponents of environmental justice laws argue that waste disposal, manufacturing and other practices that are hazardous to the environment should not be close to settlements where poor communities live. Forsyth (2008) has published works that link different environmental management practices to social justice (p. 757). The concept of environmental justice is intertwined with social justice and it gained prominence from the 1980’s. Environmental management practices influence the political agenda of any given area on issues which are related to environmental usage. Early scholars on this phenomenon emphasised the need to include communities in participatory approaches. All members of a particular community need to be given knowledge to make them understand their rights to enable them protect themselves from various environmental hazards that are caused by other people. Walker (2005) also adds his opinion to the debate and argues that long term environmental laws cannot be enforced in a society that has people who are heavily influenced by their cultural ideals (p. 76). He adds that environmental management strategies that restrict the ability of people living in an area to earn a living are likely to be unsuccessful because people are likely to be encouraged to do all they can to survive. All citizens need to be given adequate information about the availability of all natural resources in areas they are living in. They should be consulted by both public and private authorities about how water resources are going to be shared. The distributive format used to provide water to people living in different communities needs to conform to their lifestyles, settlement patterns and their economic status. This approach will ensure that scarce water resources are well utilised to avoid wastage and contamination (Cole & Foster, 2001, p. 42). The pricing formula that is adopted in water supply systems in a given area also needs to be carefully assessed. This will guide all public water authorities to find out if subsidies are needed to enable people living in poor communities to access clean and safe drinking water. Pricing formulas used in water supply should not be too high because they are likely to cause resentment in low income communities (West End Revitalization Association 2002, p. 76). The rapid urbanisation has also brought about water pollution from domestic and industrial users. Water pollution threatens all species on the planet and they cause a lot of harm to delicate ecosystems in different parts of the world (McGinnis & Davis, 2001, p. 329). Many communities face a lot of problems due to contamination of their water sources by large scale farmers and manufacturing firms. Large scale manufacturers without proper waste water management systems have been accused of polluting water systems in different parts of the world (Harter, 2009, p. 24). These manufacturing firms do not observe sustainable practices in their operations and as such, they discharge toxic effluent into natural water systems. Communities which depend on these water systems are exposed to harmful chemicals which endanger their health and personal wellbeing. Therefore, strict environmental laws need to be enforced to compel large manufacturing firms to be more responsible in their operations to ensure they invest in effective waste management practices to reduce pollution. Many communities also practice unsustainable farming methods which cause a lot of pollution in areas they are applied. For instance, there has been an increase in the use of fertiliser, pesticides and other chemicals in farming. When it rains heavily, all these chemicals deposits are washed into rivers and other water systems, which results in water pollution. As a result, this endangers the lives of organisms which inhabit these water bodies (Wilber, 2003, p. 56). Water pollution through chemicals and other toxic elements is an environmental injustice to communities which depend on that water for drinking, washing and other activities. However, rapid urbanisation has contributed to water pollution because some cities and towns do not have good sewerage systems (Snitow, Kaufman & Fox, 2007, p. 65). All citizens have a responsibility to ensure all waste products are not discharged into rivers and lakes haphazardly. One section of the population should not be made to bear the burden of environmental violations done by other people who are unwilling to observe good environmental practices. The global distribution of water is unequal due to differences in lifestyles and water usage patterns by people living in various countries. The amount of fresh water which is crucial for life and survival on the planet has been shrinking in the past ten years. Scientists estimate that about 2.5% of all the water in the world is fresh and it is either in form of glaciers or underground. Fresh surface water accounts for less than 1.5 % of all fresh water in the world. Rivers, lakes and swamps are some of the largest sources of fresh water which many humans and other living organisms depend on for survival (Hussey & Dovers, 2007, p. 52). Oceans and seas contain a lot of water but only a small fraction of the water they contain is fresh. It is estimated that there are more than 10,000 cubic kilometres of water in the world today (Fukushi, Sumi, & Honda, 2010, p. 87). The increase in settlements in different parts of the world is likely to strain the supply of water in different societies. Environmental justice proponents argue that governments need to put in place systems that curb excessive wastage of water through industrial and domestic processes. This will ensure that fresh water levels in different areas are not depleted for the benefit of all organisms which depend on them. The largest quantity of fresh water run off is in form of rivers. Asia has the largest volume of river runoff which is estimated at 13,300 cubic kilometres annually (Narasaiah, 2005, p. 67). South America has more than 12, 000 cubic kilometres of river runoff while North America has close to 8,000 kilometres of river runoff every year. Sub Saharan Africa has 4,000 cubic kilometres of river runoff annually while Oceania has an annual river runoff of 6500 kilometres. Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Australia have low volumes of annual river runoff compared to other territories in the world (Gleick, 2008, p. 87). The Amazon and Orinoco river basins, Yangtze River basins and Canadian rivers and lakes account for a large portion of the surface fresh water concentration in the world. These areas have a concentration of about 40% of the total fresh surface water in the world. Conclusion In conclusion, the world’s fresh water sources need to be replenished to ensure they do not get depleted in the long run. Every person has a responsibility to conserve all natural resources to ensure future generations are able to benefit from them. Water shortages in different parts of the world are a cause of concern because they cause conflicts between people living in different communities. Fresh water sources need to be protected from pollution and contamination to guarantee people who depend on them strong environmental health. References ATSE. (2012). Sustainable water management: Securing Australia’s future in a green economy. Melbourne, Victoria: Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. Cole, L.W. & Foster, S.R. (2001). From the ground up; Environmental racism and the rise of the environmental justice movement. New York, NY: New York University Press. Congressional Research Service Cronon, W. (1996). Uncommon ground: Rethinking the human place in nature. New York, NY: W. W. Norton. Cruz-Torres, M.L. & McElwee, P. (2012). Gender and sustainability: Lessons from Asia and Latin America. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona. Donahue, J. M. & Johnston, B. R. (1998).Water, culture, & power: Local struggles in a global context. Washington, DC: Island Press. Egelston, A. (2013). Sustainable development: A history. London, UK: Springer. Feldman, D. (2010).Water policy for sustainable development. London, UK: JHU Press. Filho, W. L. (2011). Climate change and the sustainable use of water resources. London, UK: Springer. Forsyth, T. ( 2008). Political ecology and the epistemology of social justice. Geoforum 39, 756–764. Fukushi, K. Sumi, A. & Honda, R. (2010). Sustainability in food and water: An Asian perspective. London, UK: Springer. García-Tejero , I.F., Duran-Zuazo, V. H., & Muriel-Fernández, J.L. (2011).Water and sustainable agriculture. New York, NY: Springer. Gasteyer, S., & Vaswani, R. T. (2004). Still living without the basics in the 21st Century: Analyzing the availability of water and sanitation services in the United States. Washington, DC: Rural Community Assistance Partnership. Gleick, P. H. (2008). The world’s water 2008–2009: The biennial report on freshwater resources. Washington, DC: Island Press. Gleick, P.H. (1998). Water in crisis: Paths to sustainable water use. Ecological Applications, 8(3), 571–579. Harter, T. (2009). Agricultural impacts on groundwater nitrate. Southwest Hydrology 8 (4), 22– 35. Hussey, K & Dovers, S. (2007). Managing water for Australia: The social and institutional challenges. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. Kimbrell, A. (2002). Fatal harvest: The tragedy of industrial agriculture. Sausalito, CA: Foundation for Deep Ecology. Liu, J. & Yang, W. (2012). Water sustainability for China and beyond. Science 337, 649-659. Retrieved from http://csis.msu.edu/sites/csis.msu.edu/files/Science_water.pdf McGinnis, S., & Davis, R. K. (2001). Domestic well water quality within tribal lands of Eastern Nebraska. Environmental Geology 41, 321–329. Moore, E., and Matalon, E. (2011). The human costs of nitrate-contaminated drinking water in the San Joaquin Valley. Oakland, CA: Pacific Institute. Narasaiah, M.L. (2005). Water and sustainable tourism. New Delhi, India: Discovery Publishing House. Novotny, V., Ahern, J. & Brown, P. (2010). Sustainability. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.  Savic, D. (2005). Sustainable water management solutions for large cities. London, UK: IAHS. Snitow, A., Kaufman, D. and Fox, M. (2007). Thirst: Fighting corporate theft of our water. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Tiemann, M. (2006). Safe drinking water act: Issues in the 109th Congress. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service. Walker, P. (2005). Political ecology: Where is the ecology? Progress in Human Geography 29 (1), 73–82. Water Resources Research Center (2010). The Water-Energy Nexus. Arroyo. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press. West End Revitalization Association (2002). Failing septic systems and contaminated well waters: African-American communities in Mebane, North Carolina. Mebane, NC: West End Revitalization Association. Whiteley, J. M., Ingram, H. & Perry, R. (2008). Water, place and equity. Boston, MA: MIT Press. Wilber, M. (2003). Californians without safe water. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Water Resources, Statewide Planning Office. Woelfle-Erskine, C., Cole, J. O. & Allen, L. (2007). Dam nation: Dispatches from the water underground. New York, NY: Soft Skull Press. Wong, T. (2006) Australian runoff quality. Sydney, NSW: Crows Nest. Read More

Effective water management solutions have to be implemented to reduce water shortages. These solutions need to go beyond territorial borders for them to have a lasting impact on communities which share common water sources for a variety of needs. Many countries in the world are becoming rapidly urbanised and this is likely to have an impact on the way water resources are shared and consumed. Governments need to estimate the amount of water that is needed for various uses in a particular place to find out the best way in which these needs can be satisfied (Gasteyer & Vaswani, 2004, p. 51). Water management and usage is a complex phenomenon that determines whether countries are able to satisfy the expectations of their citizens or not.

Joint studies between countries and territories that share the same water resources can help to uncover more facts about water usage patterns in both industrial and domestic settings. This can help such parties to find out if the prevailing water usage patterns are sustainable in the long term or not. Issues of safety, pollution and waste management also need to be taken into account when formulating policies that are related to water management. Delicate water ecosystems should not be contaminated by various human activities to ensure all people that depend on them are not exposed to different types of toxins (Whiteley, Ingram & Perry, 2008, p. 56). Domestic and industrial users need to be discouraged from discharging effluent and other poisonous substances directly into water bodies which supply water to different users.

Strict environmental policies have to be enforced to ensure offenders are severely punished to deter them from such harmful practices (Savic, 2005, p. 63). This helps to protect diverse plant and animal organisms which depend on clean water resources for their survival. This also ensures that all community stakeholders understand their responsibilities in managing scarce water resources effectively. The depletion of water resources occurs due to several factors. Deforestation, poor farming methods, siltation of water bodies and diversion of water resources to large construction projects are all responsible for the depletion of water resources.

As a result, the quantity of water reduces making it difficult to sustain the needs of all community members living in a particular area (Filho, 2011, p. 71). For instance, large dams constructed on major rivers have been blamed for reducing the amount of water carried by such rivers downstream. As a result, communities living downstream have to utilise reduced water resources because the normal flow of water is restricted. This has adverse effects on animals and plants that live in such water bodies because they are likely to be exposed to conditions they are not used to (Water Resources Research Center, 2010, p. 20). Efficient policies that conserve natural forests which are water towers are also needed to curtail the depletion of water resources.

This ensures that logging of trees is strictly controlled to minimise the damage done to ecosystems which are supported by large natural forests. Many rivers originate from high altitude areas and they are a source of fresh water for major lakes and oceans (Novotny, Ahern & Brown, 2010, p. 44). Illegal logging destroys water catchment areas and contributes to soil erosion. This ends up affecting water quality because the soil components which are eroded are deposited at the bottom of major rivers and this increases siltation.

As a result, this makes water levels in rivers to go up causing floods which displace both humans and animals from their settlements (Moore & Matalon, 2011, p. 67). Policy makers and other interested parties need to come up with solutions to curb the large quantities of water which are wasted by domestic, industrial and agricultural users. Large scale industries that use a lot of water to produce various commodities need to use efficient machinery which does not consume a lot of water.

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