Every continent is experiencing an increase in water scarcity, with poorer people being the worst affected.
An inclusive and integrated approach must be used to manage this limited resource to feed a growing population and increase resilience against climate change.
Table of Contents
What is Water Scarcity?
Water scarcity occurs whenever there is a lack of access to clean, potable water for drinking and sanitation.
Thus, a situation in which there is a water shortage, a water crisis, or a lack of access to high-quality water is considered to be experiencing water scarcity.
According to ScienceDaily,
“Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region. It already affects every continent and around 2.8 billion people around the world at least one month out of every year.“
The lack of sufficient water resources to meet regional water usage demands is known as water shortage.
The concept of water scarcity is relative. Water availability fluctuates according to supply and demand, which changes throughout time. But, there are ways to prevent water scarcity.
As demand rises and/or the quantity or quality of the water supply declines, there is an increase in water scarcity.
Human rights and water scarcity are intricately intertwined, and ensuring adequate access to clean drinking water is a top concern for global development.
However, many nations and large cities worldwide, both wealthy and poor, faced increasing water scarcity in the twenty-first century due to the problems of population expansion, profligate use, increased pollution, and changes in weather patterns related to global warming.
Why Should We Prevent Water Scarcity?
We are meant to prevent water scarcity because of the following reasons
1. Water demand is rising.
The infrastructure and water resources of many nations are unable to keep up with the rising demand as the world’s population rises and resource-intensive economic development continues.
2. Climate change is making water scarcity worse
The effects of a changing climate are increasing the unpredictability of water. Water retained in soil, snow, and ice—terrestrial water storage—is dwindling. Due to the increased water scarcity that arises, societal activity is disrupted.
3. Women and girls are among the hardest hit
Any water scarcity issue affects poor and marginalized populations first, affecting their capacity to protect their families, preserve their health, and make a living.
Water scarcity entails more difficult, time-consuming water collection for many women and girls, which puts them at risk of attack and frequently prevents them from attending school or working.
4. Hunger
Water is necessary for livestock animal care and crop growth. Around 70% of the world’s water is reportedly used for irrigation and agriculture, with only 10% going to home uses.
Water scarcity thus has a significant impact on farming and crop-growing practices.
Due to this, water scarcity frequently causes poorer crop yields and animal mortality, especially in arid and semiarid regions, which causes hunger, poverty, and thirst.
5. Poor Heath
Water scarcity leads people in many developing countries to drink the water of poor quality from flowing streams, the majority of which are poisoned.
As a result, they are infected with fatal water-borne illnesses like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
A lack of water may also cause sewage systems to become stagnant, which allows for the growth of germs and dangerous insects that cause diseases.
Additionally, when there is a lack of water, sanitation can become a mess, especially in hospitals, restaurants, and public spaces, endangering everyone’s health.
6. Poverty
For people to live better lives and for the economy to develop, access to clean water is essential. For operations to run smoothly, establishments such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and schools must maintain a clean environment.
Imagine a case when a large school or hotel has water shortages for even a day; the results could be severe and result in significant financial losses. To draw customers, restaurants and commercial centers must be kept spotless.
Large amounts of water are necessary for the success of mining operations, manufacturing and industrial processes, and commercial enterprises.
Lack of water will prevent economic activity, which will result in increased poverty and subpar living conditions.
7. Loss of Habitat and Ecosystem Devastation
When water is in short supply, natural landscapes suffer the most because of desertification, plant loss, and animal and wildlife extinction result.
These ecological disasters consequently result in habitat loss, which then causes food shortages and poor quality of life.
For instance, in just three decades, the Aral Sea in Central Asia, which was once the fourth-largest freshwater lake in the world, has shrunk by more than a third.
Due to abuse of the water supply, primarily brought on by water scarcity in the area, the water is now extremely saline, and the ecosystems within and surrounding it have been severely devastated.
8. Elimination of Wetlands
In part because of water constraints, more than half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1990, according to WWF.
The wetlands have dried out so much that they are no longer able to retain water naturally. Because of excessive water usage, pollution, and tampering with subterranean aquifers, human activities are the main culprits.
9. Illnesses
If you don’t have access to clean water, you run a higher risk of contracting infections from the water you do have. Those infections will enter your body whether you drink the water or use it to bathe.
People are frequently capable of spreading bacteria and infecting others. In extreme situations, these illnesses may result in fatalities and even traverse international borders, which may also produce pandemics.
10. Hygiene Concerns
Without access to clean water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, or bathing, which is necessary for several daily functions, people typically find themselves in unclean situations.
Diseases, like the ones we discussed above, become considerably more of a problem when people lack access to good sanitation than they otherwise would. Additionally, it contributes to mental health problems like despair and anxiety.
11. Destruction of Habitats
All types of life on our planet depend on water. A longer-term water shortage could also result in the extinction of entire habitats. If there isn’t enough water available, animals and plants can either perish or have to relocate.
12. Loss of Biodiversity
Some creatures may go extinct if there is a severe lack of water in a location because they would starve or thirst to death. Serious biodiversity loss could result from many plants no longer being able to grow and reproduce suitably.
10 Ways to Prevent Water Scarcity
Below are 10 ways we can prevent water scarcity
1. Conserve water wherever you can
This might entail using less water, fewer washing machines, and shorter showers rather than longer baths.
Try to conserve water, even if you are traveling to a place where there is a water shortage. You ought to make an effort to persuade your loved ones and acquaintances to conserve water. Anytime and whenever you can, save it.
2. Educate to change consumption and lifestyles
In the end, changing how this problem is seen requires educating people to encourage new behaviors. Water scarcity will necessitate a significant rethink of all consumption patterns, from personal use to the supply networks of large firms like GE.
The Southwest United States, Australia, and some other areas are already experiencing a freshwater problem. Making sure the issue is much more understood globally is the most important duty.
3. Recycle Water
You can recycle rainwater and other types of water that you may use in your home thanks to a variety of technologies. Think about becoming knowledgeable about water recycling. It not only helps to avoid shortages, but it can also help you save some money.
4. Enhance Agriculture-Related Practices
Water shortages are frequently caused by farming and irrigation. Because of this, we need to change our methods so that we use less water overall and those who do use it do it effectively. Technology must also develop in this way.
5. Less Chemical Use in Agriculture
To increase crop production, large amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are currently employed. But it causes severe soil degradation, which then causes groundwater pollution and adds to the problem of water scarcity.
To assure clean water and address the issue of water scarcity, farmers must drastically minimize the use of pesticides in their operations.
6. Boost Wastewater Systems
A sound sewage system is a foundation for clean drinking water. Without proper sanitation, a region’s water gets contaminated with disease and a host of other issues. We can stop the water shortage from getting worse by making improvements to the sewage systems in these locations.
7. Back initiatives for clean water
Worldwide, groups are working to provide clean water where none already exists. Think about donating to these organizations, whether it be with your money, your time, or both (whichever you can afford to give to them).
So as you can see, there are a lot of factors to take into account while examining water scarcity and possible solutions.
We will be in a much better position to assist people all around the world in stopping this issue from getting worse if we begin to view it as a whole and if we work hard to ensure that we can make a difference when it comes to this pervasive issue.
8. Water re-use and Effective Water Treatment Technologies
Reusing water can help cities, hospitals, schools, and businesses with their water shortages. Reuse, recycling, and the usage of zero-liquid discharge systems are the key tactics used here. A facility’s water is continuously treated, consumed, and reused without being dumped into the sewage or other external water systems. This is known as a zero liquid discharge system.
Greywater, often known as non-potable water, is used for industrial processes, flushing toilets, and washing automobiles. With the aid of such a technology, wastewater that would have been thrown away can now be used. Thus, in times of water scarcity and water stress, water reuse or greywater can preserve a significant amount of fresh water for human consumption.
9. Water Management
Regulation and policy-based water management can aid in reducing water scarcity.
Aspects including water reuse, water resource management, water rights, industrial water use, wetland restoration, residential water supply, water pollution, and others can all be addressed by legislation and policies.
To be more specific, water management can take into account both human interventions and numerous natural occurrences about resources and the long-term effects of water policy decisions on the environment and economy.
10. Water Conservation
One of the most effective strategies for overcoming water scarcity is water conservation. It is a covert method of lowering water consumption and is frequently essential to preserving the supply-demand equilibrium.
For example, water conservation measures during droughts and in densely populated areas ensure that supply and demand are balanced.
The strategies involve easy-to-implement methods for conserving water. Water management strategies must be used in conjunction with water conservation measures for them to be sufficiently successful.
Conclusion
Water is a natural resource and failure to conserve it would lead to scarcity and her prevailing problems. We have seen where lack of conservation has led us. We have to make a U-turn and focus on the new oil-water.
Water is life and without it, we would certainly go on extinction like the plants and animals that have gone on extinction.
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A passion-driven environmentalist by heart. Lead content writer at EnvironmentGo.
I strive to educate the public about the environment and its problems.
It has always been about nature, we ought to protect not destroy.