Population Growth and Water Resources - Research Paper Example

11 November, Population Growth and Water Resources The population of human beings around the world has been rising at an alarming rate. The world population doubled from three billion to six billion in 1999, within a time period of 40 years (“The World”). On October 31, 2011, the world population reached seven billion (Worldometers). This rise in the world’s population is mainly due to the advancements in medical technology which has improved life expectancies and reduced infant mortality rates. This has allowed the birth rate in many nations to be significantly higher than the death rates. Another factor that has contributed to the population growth is the increase in agricultural productivity. Over population results in serious environmental degradation as the limited natural resources like water, soil, air and forest get depleted at a faster rate. As humans begin to overpopulate the earth, the planet may not be able to support their needs. In this paper, the impact of population growth on water resources will be analyzed. Water and Population Dynamics One of the primary natural resource that has been impacted with the demands of the growing population is water – a resource that is required for agriculture, industry and domestic use. Human beings need water for agriculture, industry and for domestic purposes like cooking, washing, sanitation and cleaning. As population increases, the demands for the limited water resources from each of these areas compete with each other. Although 70% of the earth is covered by ocean water, human beings rely on the limited fresh water supply for their needs, which accounts for only 2.5 % of the total water supply (Pluijm). According to the World Water Council, the total population of the world tripled in the 20th century, while the use of renewable water resources multiplied six times. This is primarily because of the irrigation requirements and demands of agriculture. Scientists have also confirmed that nearly half of the world’s population does not have enough water to drink and the demand for it is doubling every 21 years (“Cost of water”). According to the International Water Management Institute, the world’s leading body on fresh water management, the issue of water scarcity is increasing faster than expected (“Cost of water”). In China, the wells and rivers in the eastern part of the country have dried up and the authorities are trucking in water to the millions of people living in this region (“Cost of water”). In the following pages, the various issues concerning population growth and the resulting effect on the limited water resources have been discussed. Lack of Adequate Clean Water According to the World Health Organization, 1.1 billion people in the world lack safe drinking water and nearly 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation, which puts them at increased risk of being affected by water-borne diseases like cholera and dysentery. Again, nearly 3,900 children die from water borne disease each day (World Health Organization). Another major concern is that 95% of the cities in the world still throw raw sewage into their waste supplies (World Health Organization). This is the main reason why 80% of the health issues in developing countries are related to unsanitary water conditions (World Health Organization). Considering these figures, one can only imagine the impact of the growing rate of population in the world, the decreasing water supply and its impact the environment. Disproportionate Use of Water by Developed Nations Developed countries like the United States which has only a two fold increase in population growth have been found to have a six fold increase in water usage, while in contrast, developing countries are struggling to have access to clean water supply (Carroll). This disparity in the use of water reveals that the developed nations have higher living standard and increased use of water. Therefore, it is very important to focus on sustainability of the resource. Impact of Population on Water Resources The increase in global population can directly and indirectly affect the limited water resources on earth. Direct influence of growing population on water resources includes consumption of large amount of water for living, control of river water through dams and waste water disposal. Indirect influence of growing population on water resources includes deforestation, increasing water pollution and acid rains which are caused when the chemical property of water is affected by air pollution. Effect on Surface Water Withdrawing large amount of water for human use, formation of dams on rivers and associated land uses can significantly change the surrounding environment and water flows. These disturbances affect the water levels in aquifers and rivers and also reduce the quality of freshwater. One of the main factors that affect the flow of water is deforestation – which is again a result of population growth. As the population grows, more trees are cut down for preparing farm lands and the wood is used as fuel. Forests ecosystems are very stable and help to improve the water cycle by reducing runoff and keeping the water table high. Destruction of forests therefore changes the flow of rivers, increases runoff and reduces the water table in the region. This leads to frequent flooding during the rainy season and drying up of rivers during the summer season. As the runoffs increase, the rich top soil flows away and accumulates in steams and behind dams, which in turn affect the water supply. Population growth also causes overexploitation and overgrazing of the land and causes similar effects as that of deforestation. Effect on Groundwater Ground water is especially useful to meet the demands of growing cities and of irrigation. However, with the growing demands of the increasing population, the water is quickly getting used up. In the state of Tamil Nadu in India, heavy pumping for irrigation has caused the water table levels to reduce by 20-30 meters within a decade (“Population and water”). Industrialization involves mining, tapping the natural gas resource and increased use of groundwater resources causes a shift in pressure and movement between soil layers. These changes affect the land quality as it affects buildings, streets, rail roads and the sewage system which can get destroyed or damaged as the ground below it gives way. According to the international water management institute, a third of the world’s population, which is more than 2 million people, is living in regions where water is overused (“Cost of water”). This has resulted in reduction of underground water levels and drying up of rivers (“Cost of water”). Water Pollution The increasing human activity results in pollution of both surface and ground waters. Water pollution occurs as a result of improper domestic waste disposal and release of organic nutrients and toxic materials from industries and farmlands into the environment, all of which pollute the freshwater supply. These pollutants include heavy metals, nitrates, radioactive wastes and organic wastes. A significant amount of solid waste is also created by the growing population, which finally enter the water sources. In developing countries, the effect of water pollution gets multiplied when we consider issues like - less than 2% of sewage is treated and 30 to 50 percent of urban solid waste is not collected (“Population and water”). These factors therefore affect the overall quality of available fresh water sources and in turn, the health of the people living around these polluted water sources. A significant amount of pollution in developing countries is caused by the rapid growth of poor people on the outskirts of the cities. Many of them are located near water bodies and release their domestic waste and sewage into these water bodies. They also use this water for domestic use of cooking, washing and bathing. Therefore, the poor people cause significant damage to the environment and are also the victims of the resulting pollution. In developed countries, industrial and domestic waste are the two main sources of water pollution, while in developing countries, agriculture plays a bigger role as it involves deforestation and use of fertilizers and pesticides. Population growth also results in the destruction of wetlands which act as natural filters and therefore, more pollutants enter the water sources. Several countries like Bhutan, Brazil and Namibia have a livestock industry that uses considerable amount of water and also releases large amount of organic wastes that pollute the water sources (“Population and water”). Effect of Changes in Water Supply on Population The growing demand for water as a result of population growth can result in overexploitation of the limited sources of water resources. This can lead to a significant decline in the availability of water for agricultural, domestic, industry and energy production use. This decline in water sources can again put a significant amount of pressure on the growing population. Shortage of water can also affect the overall health of the population. Scarcity of water can affect water quality as sewage, industrial and agricultural waste enters the water sources. In most cases, women and children are the most vulnerable. Water scarcity also affects the economic growth of the country, especially those countries that depend largely on agriculture and food production industries, since they require large amount of water for sustaining themselves. International Conflict The competition to access water resources for daily needs can result in conflict between neighboring regions. The genocide in Rwanda and the violence in Sudanese Darfur are examples of conflicts that are linked to water (Tulloch). In fact, based on the recent population projections, United Nations has been estimated that by the year 2025, about 15 countries including Ghana, India, Afghanistan and Peru will suffer from ‘water stress’, a condition when the demand for water exceeds the amount available during a certain period (“Population and water”). Nine countries including South Africa and Egypt will suffer from ‘water scarcity’, a condition when the demand for water exceeds the amount available and affects human and economic development (“Population and water”). Again, 22 countries including Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Singapore will have a ‘water barrier’, a stage where maximum population pressure can be handled with the current technology and management capabilities (“Population and water”). Migration The requirement of water for human survival and higher quality of life will result in large scale migrations. According to the international standards, a person requires 2,000 cubic meters of water in a year (Dey). Although, one can still survive with 1,000 cubic meters of water in a year, several regions in the world, like Rajasthan in India, have reached 650 cubic meters mark (Dey). As the water level continues to reduce and reach absolute scarcity level, people will begin to migrate to other areas where there is sufficient water available for survival. This will result in significant socio-demographic changes. Economic Collapse The reduction in water sources leads to loss of production both in the industrial and agricultural sector. It can also affect public health, which can result in an overall economic downturn. Struggle to Meet Human Needs The scarcity of water affects not only the poor nations but also the wealthiest nations in the world. In Europe, the countries lying along the Atlantic Ocean are facing repeated droughts while the water intensive tourism and irrigated agriculture are using up the water resources of the Mediterranean Sea (“Cost of water”). According to the International Water Management Institute, Egypt imports more than half of their food because the country does not have enough water supplies to grow food domestically (“Cost of water”). Australia also is facing water scarcity in the Murray-Darling Basin because of diverting large quantities of water for agricultural use (“Cost of water”). These scenarios reveal the seriousness of the water scarcity issue as it affects countries and large geographical regions. Even in the United States, several regions within the country are using excessive water than can be replenished naturally (“Cost of water”). This situation will become worse as climate change causes lower rainfall, increased evaporation and changed patterns of snow melting. Potential Solutions to Water Crisis Even though there is a significant crisis with regard to the availability of clean water to meet the needs of the growing human population, there are several measures that we can take so that the situation does not worsen. Scientists have proposed several solutions to meet this growing demand and deal with saving and effective management of the water sources. Some of the promising solutions to address this issue has been discussed in this section: Desalination Technology One of the solutions that scientists have proposed to address the depletion of water resources is the desalination of salt water. The process involves filtering salty water through membranes and removing the salt through electrodialysis, filtering and reverse osmosis. This process has been used in about 130 countries in North Africa and Middle East and they have been able to produce 6 billion gallons of usable water each day (Arrandale). The United States of America also has nearly 1,200 desalinating plants which supply usable water to communities and businesses (Arrandale). For e.g., Dare County in North Carolina’s outer banks has three reverse osmosis facilities that produce public drinking water from salty well-fields and about 24 towns in Texas depend on desalinated groundwater for municipal water supplies (Arrandale). Desalinization is therefore a promising solution which can be used to serve the needs of metropolitan areas. Saving Water Sources One of the main methods to address this issue is to ensure that water is not wasted. Whether it is in the area of agriculture, industry or domestic use, each individual has to play their part in ensuring that the limited water supply be used efficiently. Urbanization and lifestyle changes have been known to increase water consumption. However, if people are made aware of the issues concerning depletion of fresh water sources and educated about the ways that they can play a major role in water conservation, a lot can be achieved. Changes in food habits can also address this issue to a certain extent. For e.g., to grow 1 kg of potatoes, we need only 100 liters of water. On the other hand, 1 kg of beef requires 13,000 liters of water (World Water Council). Improve Drinking Water Supply Improvement in drinking water supply can be achieved when several factors work together. This would involve decentralizing the responsibility of water, develop the know-how of water management at the local level, increase and improve financing to address this issue and by conducting regular evaluation and monitoring of the water resources. In this regard, the World Water Council is working to achieve the Millennium Development Goal to reduce the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation to half by the year 2015. Improve International Cooperation “In the past hundred years, the global population has tripled while demand for water has increased sevenfold” (UNESCO). This increase in the demand for water has not only affected the environment and politics, but has also triggered several conflicts. Resolving conflicts between neighboring regions can therefore help in regional economic development and effectively addressing the issue of water crisis. In this regard, the UNESCO and Green Cross International are working together and initiated a joint ‘From Potential Conflict to Co-operation Potential: Water for Peace’ program in 2001. Through this initiative, they plan to promote peace in the use of trans-boundary water courses by encouraging cooperation and addressing conflict. Conclusion In conclusion, population growth has significantly reduced the limited water resources that are currently available. As the population continues to grow, there is an urgent need to address this issue since it can affect the very survival of mankind. Numerous solutions have been proposed in this paper to address this issue, but the primary need of the hour is to create awareness about this issue and for each person to do their part in reducing wastage of precious water. Works Cited Arrandale, Tom. Our Drinking Water Will Come From …..Where? Governing. Dec 2002. Web. 8 Nov 2011. Carroll, Chris. Global Water Supply Drying Up as Population Grows. n.d. Web. 6 Nov 2011. Dey, Anindo. Water Crisis in State to Force Migration, Says Study. The Times of India. 19 May 2010. Web. 7 Nov 2011. Pluijm, Ben. Population Growth Over Human History. 1 Apr 2006. Web. 9 Nov 2011. < http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/human_pop/human_pop.html> Tulloch, James. Water Conflicts: Fight or Flight? 18 Mar 2008. Web. 8 Nov 2011. UNESCO. Water Security and Peace: A Synthesis of Studies Prepared Under the PCCP- Water for Peace Process. 2000. Web. 5 Nov 2011. < http://www.unwater.org/wwd09/ downloads/133318e.pdf> United Nations. Population and Water Resources. 1994. Web. 5 Nov 2011. United Nations. “The World at Six Billion”. n.d. Web. 6 Nov 2011. Vidal, John. “No Water World”. The Guardian Newspaper. 8 Aug 1995: Print. Vidal, John. “Cost of Water Shortage: Civil Unrest, Mass Migration and Economic Collapse”. 17 Aug 2006. Web. 8 Nov 2011. Worldometers. Current World Population. 8 Nov 2011. Web. 8 Nov 2011. < http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/> World Health Organization. Water Sanitation and Health. 2004. Web. 8 Nov 2011. World Water Council. Water Crisis. 2010. Web. 4 Nov 2011. Read More