Providing Freshwater in Arid Areas - Report Example

Providing Fresh Water in Arid Areas Introduction Fresh water constitutes only one percent of the total volume of water on earth. Based on the difficulty experienced in obtaining water in various dry parts on earth, the possibility of obtaining fresh water in such areas drops even further. In order to facilitate the supply of sufficient fresh water in arid areas, special techniques must be applied considering the challenges faced by these regions. Arid settings commonly have high water demands for domestic, agricultural and, in some cases, industrial uses. Drinking water, for instance, must be fresh, which is not easy to obtain in a dry environment whose natural cycle is compromised by climatic factors. The water sources available in arid areas are not sufficient to serve industrial and domestic needs of the entire population as well the needs of livestock1. Furthermore, where water access is improved by interventions such as digging of boreholes, the water quality is not guaranteed and the investment costs are high. There are a number of options that may be applied in the provision of water to arid areas. Among these include desalination of seawater, recycling and reusing, and flood water or river diversion. Desalination is a technique that is applied in reducing the amount of salt naturally available in water. Desalination is normally applied to water sources in arid areas that border or are close to the sea in order to make the water suitable for various domestic and industrial applications. Recycling wastewater through various purification techniques also acts as one of the most effective ways of reducing water shortage in arid areas2. Making use of floods and river water that is seasonally available is also a means through which the water needs of arid areas can be met. This report highlights how these techniques can be applied in the arid areas in a bid to present clean, fresh water for various uses. 2) Background Arid areas such as the Middle East and Northern Africa experience severe shortage of water from the natural cycle that sustains life and human activities. It may take several years or months before rain falls in these areas, and the ground water sources easily dry up due to the intense heat that is common nearly throughout the year. Alternatively, the rainy seasons may cause havoc to the arid communities through flooding where floodwaters flow sweeping over essential resources and top soils. Seasonal rivers and streams dry up soon after the rains which means that surface water is only unavailable in the short term. Furthermore, there exist few water sources in some arid areas whose proximity to the sea exposes the water to saline conditions making the water naturally unsuitable for various uses3. Under such condition, there is looming danger facing water dependent human activities such as agriculture and industrial processes. Crop cultivation and animal production within the arid areas is difficult due to the strain that the dry environment exposes to life forms. Provision of fresh water to support agriculture is a vital intervention just as it is for domestic usage such as drinking and washing. Due to the shortage of fresh water in the arid areas, several health risks are prevalent. Solute content in the arid areas is high due to the impact of evaporation caused by the high temperatures. Presence of impurities in drinking water exposes arid inhabitants to various health conditions such as diseases rising from mineral contamination. 3) Comparison of options Diversion of fresh river waters to areas of need in the arid settings may or may not require mechanical force. This option may not require extra processing apart from ordinary treatment of the water. The means of diversion may be through the use of pipes or channels, which require different levels of intervention. The commonly applied technique in respect of water diversion is pumping and piping the water before treatment and supply to the arid areas. This process is among the most suitable due to its relatively lower cost when compared to others such as desalination. The volumes of water that the process is capable of diverting are much higher than is possible through desalination and recycling. Desalination of water in the arid areas is usually practiced in affected by seawater in their ground water resources4. As an illustration, the arid Northern African region close to the Mediterranean Sea is affected by saline water, an effect caused by the bordering sea. This phenomenon is also experienced by certain dry islands in the sea environment. It may not be very difficult to obtain water in these regions from the underground water, which is usually close to the surface than in other arid areas. However, removal of the salt is difficult necessitating the use of desalination units. Some of the processes used in the desalting technique include thermal procedures using distillation principles, membranes, freezing and solar humidification. Although natural principles are applied, it is difficult to desalinate huge volumes of water cheaply. However, the process is cheaper than recycling which is even more complicated. In certain circumstances where there is insufficient fresh water flowing in rivers, desalination of underground water is more practical to boost the fresh water supply. Recycling of domestic and industrial wastewater to provide fresh water for use in arid areas requires a complicated process that eliminates the waste. Sewage treatment plants are needed for the complete purification and conversion of wastewater back to usable form. Removal of solid wastes precedes the removal of minerals and microbial life forms from the water before the water is channeled for reuse5. The recycled water before undergoing final treatment is passed through a wetland so that heavy metals and minerals can be drawn by certain plants. Other processes such as filtering are also applied during the purification process. The level of recycling and the complexity of the procedure employed depend on the type and level of impurities in the wastewater to be purified. For instance, purifying kitchen water is not the same as purifying bathroom water, and water from car wash centers may not contain the same elements as those from heavy metal processing industries. 4) Conclusion Supplying clean, fresh water in arid areas in sufficient quantities may not be an easy task. The difficulty in accomplishing this mission is dependent on the location and proximity to water sources, the population to be served, and the level of contamination of the water in the area. Diversion of fresh water rivers flowing nearby is among the simplest methods of obtaining usable water in arid areas. Only a few costs are incurred in this process including those related to diversion, treatment and supply. Desalination of the water in arid areas affected by high evaporation and the sea environment involves distillation procedures that remove salt from the water. Removal of salt is cheaper than purification of wastewater through recycling which is very complicated. From the three options discussed above, it is easier to obtain water from the natural source such as a river than it is with desalination or recycling. Furthermore, the use of water in its natural, fresh state is recommended since human activities may lead to the introduction of more impurities. 5) Recommendation It is important to ensure that fresh water supplied for sensitive uses such as drinking is pure and free of harmful contaminants. When recycling procedures are applied to obtain fresh water, quality checks must be carried out to ensure that contaminants are not introduced in important life networks such drinking water. The reuse of water should be based on the level of contamination of the water being reused such as car wash water to conduct further car wash activities. Drinking water should be obtained from disputed sources only with an assurance of high level purification. Recycled water suspected to have microbial or mineral contaminants should not be used for drinking purposes, since there are several health risks posed by such contamination. Arid areas must attempt to harvest rainwater and divert floodwaters into storage facilities to reduce costs and risks associated with the other sources of water6, this being the best alternative in most cases. Bibliography Li, X., Mathias, S., & Wheater, H. Groundwater modeling in arid and semi-arid areas. Cambridge University, London, 2012. Gaiker, F. & Urkiaga, A. ‘Best Available Technologies for Water Reuse and Recycling,’ , 2002 (Accessed 10 March 2012) Buros, A. K. ‘The ABCs of Desalting,’ International Desalination Association, , n.d., (Accessed 10 March 2012) Sundaravadivel, M. & Vigneswaran, S. ‘Recycle and Reuse of Domestic Wastewater,’ UNESCO, , 2004, (Accessed 10 March 2012) Hudson, N. Soil and water conservation in semi-arid areas. Food & Agriculture, Rome, 1987, p91p91 Read More