The water crisis is a global concern. Countries around the world are suffering water shortages, particularly countries like India, where the population demands exceeds the availability. Not only is there note enough drinking, useable water available but there is a lack of water all together, water sources, the catchment area resource are being dramatically depleted. According to the United Nations the water crisis that the world is experiencing and will continue to experience is one of the world’s greatest environmental problems.
The United Nations has calculated that if the rate of development and global population growth continues at the existing rate, two thirds of the world’s population will live with serious water scarcity or nearly without water by the year 2025. The United Nations has also calculated that one should have a hundred litre of water per day to manage; this water should be used for everything from consumption to agriculture and industry. People around the world, particularly in countries like Mozambique have less than fifty litres per day, and this water is solely sourced from boreholes, rivers and lakes, hence the increase in the percentage of population that have suffered or suffer from infected water disease or illness. (Carroll, C. (2007). Global water supply drying up as population grows. Available: http://environment.about.com/od/biodiversityconservation/a/watersupply.htm. Last accessed 16th April 2011.)
It is estimated that the world’s population has already used over half of all the freshwater, which is available in all the world’s rivers, lakes and ground water sources, which has caused much concern and the need to develop a radical strategy that will ultimately offer immediate solutions and results for this development. This significant decrease in the quantity of freshwater available has arisen do to the fact that more water is used than returned to the freshwater systems. The large water consuming countries include: The United States of America, China, India, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, it is in these countries in particular that over seventy percent of the available freshwater is used for agriculture, for example, it has been estimated that for every kilo of rice, wheat or maize produced over a thousand litres of water is used.
At the World Summit for Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, last year , it was argued and then finally decided that the amount of people without access to clean safe drinking water should be halved by the year 2015, as the concern amongst governments is not only about the decrease in the availability and quality of drinking water but also the amount of people that do not have access to fresh drinking water has increased as a result of population growth, particularly rural population growth. It is particularly in the rural areas where access to freshwater or any forms of a sanitation system and water source system are formally structured and maintained for each individual. (The department of Water affairs and Forestry. (2005). Drinking water quality in South Africa, a consumer's guide. Available: http://www.smianalytical.co.za/water-testing/drinking-water-quality-guide-South-Africa.pdf. Last accessed 16th April 2011.)
It has been estimated by the United Nations that over one billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water, this often resulting in many deaths, particularly in children, caused by accompanying water borne diseases. Cholera is a the number one water related illness that is responsible for increased death rates in rural villages in Africa, as it is this illness that ultimately directly causes death and or weakens the immune system. However, this water availability problem is considered simple to solve, as according to the United Nations it is possible to drill boreholes and set up manual pumps in a number of villages, particularly in Africa, it is however of great importance to maintain these water sources and educate the rural population the need to conserve water and the value of fresh water. (UN News Centre. (2009). Ballooning global population adding to water crisis. Available: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story/water. Last accessed on 18th April 2011.)
Flooding in numerous countries over the past decade has been considered to be a result of increased human activities. Rapid economic growth during the last twenty years, particularly in China, has seen the rise of building activity. The materials for these constructions have come from forests and other natural sources, thus resulting in mass excavation and natural forest desiccation. A number of foreign countries, including China, have initiated reforestation and rehabilitation of the damaged natural areas; however where there is less vegetation there is more rain water which runs to rivers instead of being stored in the ground and replenishing the ground water, causing rivers to overflow and thus flood. (United Nations. (2009). Water: essential for life. Available: http://www.un.org/works/water/globalthoughts. Last accessed on 17th April 2011.)
It has been a common thought amongst those trying to find solutions for the water crisis that the worlds water problems could be solved by constructing large dams, however although these dams may be a source to produce hydro electricity and be a credible water source, large dams can create many problems. For example, the life time of a dam is reduced constantly as large volumes of soil are washed into the dam with the rain water causing over silting. It is thus largely the responsibility of farmers to develop agricultural systems which reduce soil erosion. In South Africa where there is limited space for the construction of large dams, dams have not been budgeted for and inadequate maintenance for the dams after construction, domestic water storage systems have become the sustainable solution to solving the unavailability and quality of freshwater to a large portion of rural population. The introduction of JOJO tanks to rural settlements have proven to be a quick solution, as these tanks store rainwater and make it readily available to those that need it for consumption or use.
The polluting of our already established and function water sources and catchment areas, has proven to be detrimental and has only intensified the water crisis in counties, particularly South Africa. Countless volumes of polluting chemicals have landed up and continue to land up in the groundwater systems, it is often the pesticide residues used by farmers in the agricultural business. The problem with contaminating ground water is not only the fact that the water can no longer be used for consumption but it results in governments spending large sums of money to treat the ground water to, in order for the water to be used as drinking water. In a number of cases, water companies like Munchen in Germany are currently paying farmers to transform their farms to ecological farms as it is cheaper for water companies to prevent the contamination of water than treat or be forced to clean it. (United Nations. (2009). Water: essential for life. Available: http://www.un.org/works/water/globalthoughts. Last accessed on 17th April 2011.)
It is apparent that water problem is one of the most serious and concerning environmental problems the world faces and the fact that this problem is having a considerable effect on businesses globally and thus economic growth, the well-being of the global populations and the sustainability and survival of the environment. It is also apparent that the water crisis needs a global solution and partnership amongst countries, however there are solutions that have been proposed but it is largely considered that a need for an interest in solving the problem forms key to solving this concerning problem.
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