Is there a Global Water Shortage?
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by: TalPotishman
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Word Count: 480
For obvious reasons, more focus is being directed at the state of the worlds water supply. Water, our most valuable resource, has been misused and poorly managed for quite some time, resulting in shortages across the globe. The worlds population has doubled in the past sixty years, jumping from three billion in 1950 to about six billion today. Global water usage, however, is three times higher than it was in 1950, and about two billion people live in areas with significant water shortages today. The trend of moving from rural locations to urban areas has brought to light the fact that many of the worlds major cities have insufficient water and sewage infrastructures.
Agricultural activities use the majority of the worlds fresh water supply. This industry definitely needs to have an adequate supply of water, but much of the fresh water used for irrigating crops is wasted, and better conservation procedures need to be implemented. One of the problems in hot and dry areas is evaporation of irrigation water, and uncontrolled water runoff is a problem in the more temperate zones.
There is a need for research into possible alternatives for safe crop irrigation water, specifically ways to process healthy non-potable water. With a growing need for more fresh water in urban areas, there is more emphasis today on finding ways to use less of this water for agricultural purposes so that the water can be diverted to urban locations. Current estimates are that the amount of water required for crops can be decreased by fifty percent.
The International Water Management Institute announced that it is increasingly apparent that governments worldwide need to take action to assist with the water shortages across the globe. Water and sewage infrastructures, protection of the wetlands that act as water storage areas, the effects of tourism on water supplies, common habits that lead to water being wasted, and investigations into causes of water contamination are some of the topics that all nations need to examine to determine current procedures and possible improvement strategies.
Notable progress has been made in countries where water shortages loom as populations continue to grow at a surprising rate. Saudi Arabia, China, and Algeria have all invested billions of dollars in contracts with water suppliers with the intention of improving their existing systems and solving water management problems. The Saudi Arabian government is concentrating on replacing aging water pipelines and instituting water management strategies, and China is focusing on adding or improving water services to its cities and developing treatment and water recycling processes. Desalination plants are the major water project for the Algeria government.
Many nations have joined in the fight for saving the worlds water supply. There are years and years of mistakes to overcome, but a worldwide awareness of the fresh water problem is the beginning of finding solutions.
About the Author
Tal Potishman, member of Heating Central, writes articles about combi boiler, central heating, Coventry plumbers, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
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