There are millions to billions of people all over the world who don’t have access to water or access to clean water, that cannot be used.
About 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, and 3% of it is freshwater that is fit for human consumption and time several issues have posed a serious threat to the availability of clean water, especially to the rural poor.
Water problems involve the scarcity of drinking water, the water crisis, and the inability of water to meet the human population’s demands.
A greater percentage of humans of low income live in rural areas most people in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Individuals in these areas have been solely affected by water issues such as inaccessibility to clean and safe water which over time has resulted in an adverse impact on human health and economic loss.
This is one of the main reasons that drive this point on how to solve water problems in villages.
According to WWF, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water and a total of 2.7 billion experience water scarcity which is a major water problem for at least one month of the year.
Water problems in these rural areas arise as a result of the poor economic value of the society, environmental pollution, and global warming as some regions experience extreme harsh weather conditions which may lead to water shortage with time (Sub-Saharan), improper sanitation and hygiene,
The comparative aim of this article is to suggest practicable ways water problems can be addressed in the rural regions around the world as it has been identified as the major hit to the human population found in those regions.
Table of Contents
How to Solve Water Problems in Villages -10 Ideas
- Conservation of Water
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Education
- Wastewater Recycling
- Global warming Mitigation
- Improve Practices Related to Farming
- Improve Sanitation
- Better Water Distribution Infrastructure
- Address pollution
- Develop and enact better Policies and Regulations
1. Conservation of Water
Water is a scarce resource, so limiting the amount of water you use daily will contribute to reducing water problems. Conservation deals with adequate and careful preservation of water. This entails using less water, limiting the use of water, and using it more efficiently.
Around our homes, conservation can involve both engineered features, such as high-efficiency clothes washers and low-flow showers or taking quick showers instead of a full bath, and the use of lower-flow toilet system, as well as other behavioral decisions, such as growing native vegetation that requires little irrigation in harsh weather condition, turning off the water while you brush your teeth or between shampooing hair in the shower, and fixing leaky faucets.
Conserve water wherever and whenever possible.
2. Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is an essential way of helping in giving solutions to water issues. Rainwater harvesting involves trapping or catching and storing rainwater for reuse before it gets to the ground surface.
This is a more efficient way to address water issues as it does not require much technical know-how or finance. Individuals can be able to practice this in the comfort of their houses once there is a downpour.
A rainwater harvesting system is essential for areas with no other reliable water sources. Efforts such as this provide independent control of water resources.
3. Education
In solving the water problem, education is a critical factor that must be considered and strategically put in place. Education goes a long way to motivate and inculcate new behaviors in the population in the aspect of both supply and consumption of water resources.
People must be educated on some factors that lead to water problem experienced, as well as ways they can prevent the problem from becoming worse in the future.
Education should not be only for individuals affected by it, but also for others who may not be affected as they can be of help in extending the awareness to the affected society.
Hence, to mitigate the issue of water problems presently and in the future, it is necessary to enlighten the human population on the need to address their usage of the resource. This is a practical way in making sure the problem is much better understood worldwide.
4. Wastewater Recycling
Wastewater or rainwater can be recycled to be used again then it is lost either to groundwater or other natural water bodies. There are many technologies available that allow you to recycle rainwater and other water that you may be used in your home.
In March, World Water Day panelists impelled a new mindset for wastewater treatment. Some countries, like Singapore, are trying to recycle to cut water imports and become more self-sufficient.
The rich East Asian republic is a leader in developing advanced technology that cleanses wastewater for other uses, including drinking.
Wastewater recycling not only reduces water problems but also aids to reduce pressure on natural water bodies and groundwater. Hence, the need to consider learning about how one can recycle wastewater. Not only does it help to prevent scarcity, but it can save you some money as well.
5. Global warming Mitigation
Global warming and water problems go hand-in-hand to cause some of the biggest contemporary challenges to the human race.
This is another important cause of water issues, as this is seen when the average air temperature becomes warmer, water from rivers and lakes evaporates faster, which may contribute to the drying up of water bodies.
Glaciers and ice packs also melt in some areas, affecting freshwater supplies. Moreover, because of global warming, there are more and more droughts, floods, and heat waves.
Therefore, people who rely on those water bodies for drinking water significantly suffer from the consequences of global warming, affecting the local water supply. Global warming, therefore worsens the water problems, especially in areas that are already under water stress such as temperate regions.
6. Improve Practices Related to Farming
Less Use of Chemicals in Farming must be introduced to ensure clean, safe, and reduced water problems or crises.
As this often leads to soil pollution which in turn moves down to groundwater thereby increasing the level of water problem by polluting the groundwater.
Also, Farming and irrigation are often huge culprits when it comes to water scarcity. Because of that, we need to improve practices so that we don’t use as much water and those who are using water are using it to its fullest potential.
Research shows that 70% out of 3% of the world’s freshwater is used for agriculture. Therefore, improving irrigation can help close supply and demand gaps. In certain cases, profligate irrigation practices meant for an earlier era have weakened the ability of farmers to provide food and fiber to a growing world.
7. Improve Sanitation
Without proper sanitation, the water in an area becomes unsafe for human consumption and as such becomes ridden with disease and any number of other problems.
Clean drinking water starts with a good sewage system. By improving the sewage systems in these areas, we can prevent water scarcity from becoming any worse Also discharges of waste in water bodies should be highly avoided either human waste on any kind of waste.
8. Better Water Distribution Infrastructure
Poor infrastructure is devastating to health and the economy. Many people around the world, especially in poor developing countries, are still not connected to public water infrastructure.
These people often rely solely on fountains to meet their water demand, which may not work in droughts.
These people are at high risk of suffering from wastage of resources, adds costs, diminishes the quality of life, spread of preventable water-borne diseases among vulnerable populations, especially children, and severe water shortages.
By connecting these people to the public water supply, the water scarcity risk could be greatly reduced. The problem is not confined to the developing world.
9. Address Pollution
The degradation of water quality contributes to the shortage. Water pollution has environmental consequences that make water unfit for consumption or use and reduce the available water resources. Pollution over time is becoming one of the main threats to the availability and reuse of water.
Which occurs as a result of Fertilizers and pesticide application, soil depletion and poor waste disposal conditions are detrimental to available freshwater sources.
Therefore, addressing pollution, and measuring and monitoring water quality is essential to human health and biodiversity. This monumental issue rears its head in many forms and can be addressed in just as many ways, whether it’s David de Rothschild’s eco-adventure in a plastic ship or Joe Berlinger’s documentary on oil contaminating the Ecuadorian Amazon.
While securing the quality of drinking water at the local level, it’s essential to build international bridges to solutions.
10. Develop and enact better Policies and Regulations
Because of the accelerating growth in the global population, parts of the world could see a supply-demand gap of up to 65 percent in water resources by 2030, water problems complicate food security and pollution, and governments need to redefine their role. Though many governments around the globe are considering expanding the Clean Water Act to ensure more protections. Countries like the United States where her government has enacted policies on clean water for water protection.
Why do Rural Villagers face Water Problems?
Rural poor face water problems due to impacts of low community internal management, technical solutions, low income, global warming and climate change, water contamination from industrial, indiscriminate waste disposal, and agricultural chemicals.
Conclusion
Over the last 50 years, the world’s population has doubled and continues to grow. As a result, the use of water to drink, cook and meet other needs has tripled. As the global population is expected to boom in the coming decades, water resources need to be managed more efficiently to be readily available to the increasing pollution and also help to address the issue of water-related diseases.
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Ahamefula Ascension is a Real Estate Consultant, Data Analyst, and Content writer. He is the founder of Hope Ablaze Foundation and a Graduate of Environmental Management in one of the prestigious colleges in the country. He is obsessed with Reading, Research and Writing.