The Problem of Water Crisis - Essay Example

WATER CRISIS By Due Water Crisis Water is the elixir of life as it is a basic requirement for the survival humans and many organisms on earth. However, the present world has posed serious constraints to the supply of clean water with a constant increase in world population and continued pollution of fresh waters. In addition the global demand for water has increased owing to its utilization for energy and agriculture in order to meet the growing demand for food, power and transportation (The United Nations World Water Report, n.d). In addition other causes such as climatic changes due to global warming have caused major changes in precipitation globally which has affected the average amount of rainfall in several countries (National Resources Defense Council, 2010). All the above factors are collectively responsible for water constraints across the world. The natural water resources are being constantly depleted due to a combination of several factors such as increased demand, climatic changes and pollution. Rivers and aquifers which are a major source of clean water are being drained constantly. There is increasing withdrawal of water from groundwater, lakes, streams and manmade structures such as dams and water released from other reservoirs. With the annual population growth at 80 million people a year and projection figures indicating an addition of 3 billion people to the world population by the year 2050, the demand for clean and fresh water will see a manifold increase. Reports suggest that a majority of the population growth will occur in developing regions which are already facing water shortage. In addition, advances in science and technology have increased the use of renewable energy resources worldwide. There has been a huge increase in the generation of electricity from hydroelectric power. Other new innovations such as generation of nuclear energy and use fossil fuels for energy purposes have also affected water quantity and quality (The United Nations World Water Report, n.d). Apart from energy production water is also being used for agriculture which utilizes nearly 70% of freshwater withdrawals. The increase in world population has raised the demand for food. Subsequent rise in agricultural practices are using copious quantities of freshwater for growing crops and maintaining plants and trees (The United Nations World Water Report, n.d). Another reason which has posed serious constraints on water supply is the changes observed by scientists in the precipitation rates. This is likely to have a major negative impact on the amount of rainfall and snow estimated in several regions across the world (National Resources Defense Council, 2010; Natural Resources Defense Council, n.d). These shifts in climatic changes would have an adverse effect on the availability of renewable water supply and this in turn would affect water withdrawal for various purposes (National Resources Defense Council, 2010). Another major factor affecting water quality is pollution. Sources of clean drinking water include surface water such as rivers and water reservoirs and ground water. All water bodies contain natural contaminants such as chemicals and microbes. Of the two sources groundwater is less permeable to contaminants than surface water (Fawell & Nieuwenhuijsen 2003). With regard to surface water, water from the melting snow and rain run along roofs or houses and roads draining into the river it collects toxic chemicals, dirt and various disease causing organisms along. When these drain into rivers and other water bodies’ organisms and other pollutants build up and eventually enter the food chain. Microbial contaminants of water are associated with serious health issues such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and diarrhea. In addition toxic chemical pollutants from industries and factories also drain into the water streams thus increasing its levels of pollutants. This has led to the degradation of fresh water quality across the world (Natural Resources Defense Council, n.d; Fawell & Nieuwenhuijsen 2003; United Nations Environment Program, n.d). In some countries open defecation and urination serve as significant contributors to contamination. All these increase the level of pollutants in water in addition to altering its taste and odor. Water from these sources used for drinking purposes has to be treated further in order to remove disease causing organisms and other toxic chemicals. The treatment process should also be optimized in order to prevent further contamination of water by chemicals and other residues in the water treatment method. Other growing risks that are contributing to reduced supply of clean drinking water include: a large percentage of sewage water is disposed to the land without subjecting to any treatment and a large number of industries which are known to discharge heavy pollutants are being set up in developing nations which lack adequate resources to manage the released chemicals. Another major problem which is affecting the quality of water worldwide is caused by a high load of nutrients especially nitrates and phosphates generated from agricultural practices. These chemicals are known to reduce the beneficial properties of water. Manure which is spread on the fields to increase the nutrient and organic matter content of the soil is however vulnerable to environmental conditions such as snow and rains when precipitation is high. This in turn carries the nitrates and phosphates present in the manure into the waterways (The United Nations World Water Report, n.d). Oceans occupy a large portion of the earth’s surface and support a wide variety of life forms. However man-related activities such as oil spills, sewage disposal and dumping of toxic chemicals are now threatening the existence of these life forms. Another important source of contamination is the dumping of radioactive waste in to water bodies which can cause permanent damage to the ecosystem as the half-life of such chemicals is long and when they enter the food chain they can cause serious health problems to both the marine organisms and mankind. The low rate of breakdown of these chemicals increases their concentration within the body of the organisms that consume them and these chemicals pass through the food chain when the small organisms are consumed by larger organisms. Consequently animals higher up in the food chain can have higher concentration of these chemicals and finally people get contaminated by consuming such organisms. Thus apart from endangering the lives of the marine organism’s drainage of toxic chemicals into the oceans can have a reverse effect on the health of humans. Humans alone can put an end to this problem by avoiding disposal of harmful chemicals into the ocean water 5. In conclusion, globalization and the increasing demand for water has posed serious constraints to the availability of water around the world and hence suitable measures need to be taken immediately in order to reduce the risks posed to the supply of clean water globally. While steps are being undertaken to reduce the climatic changes and its subsequent effects on the natural supply of water, the build-up of contaminants in water bodies need to be effectively curtailed. In addition conservative methods adopted by agencies to control the levels of pollution in water need to be implemented in all countries. Following proper sanitation methods is a key factor in controlling microbial contamination of water. Toxic and radioactive pollutants released from industries need to be properly channeled in order to prevent them from entering the water bodies. When all the required systems are in place there will be adequate and clean supply of water for all life forms. Reference Fawell, J & Nieuwenhuijsen 2003, ‘Contaminants in drinking water,’ British Medical Bulletin, vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 199-208. Available from: http://bmb.oxfordjournals.org/content/68/1/199.full [17 March 2014] Natural Resources Defense Council 2010., Climate Change, Water and Risk: Current Water Demands are not Sustainable. Available from: www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/watersustainability/files/WaterRisk.pdf‎ [17 March 2014] Natural Resources Defense Council, n.d., Water. Available from: http://www.nrdc.org/water/default.asp [17 March 2014] The United Nations World Water Report n.d., Water in a Changing World. Available from: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3-2009/ [17 March 2014] World Wildlife Fund, n.d, Marine Problems: Pollution. Available from: http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/pollution/ [17 March 2014] Read More