Water is one of three essential components to sustain life. The earth’s surface is two thirds water but only about 1-2% of the water is fresh water, out of which two thirds is frozen as ice in glaciers and polar caps. This leaves about 0.007% of water available for human use. Sources of freshwater include surface water such as rivers, wetlands and lakes, sub-surface water or groundwater stored in aquifers below water tables, frozen icebergs and through desalination. Although fresh water is a renewable resource, but the steady supply of water is decreasing because as the world population continue to rise at an unprecedented rate, the demand for water surpasses its sustainability and many more areas will experience imbalance in the near future.
About 69% of freshwater is used up for irrigation in agriculture. Irrigation is needed to increase crop yield especially during the drought and in some areas irrigation is necessary to grow any crop at all. Water is also used in the industrial sector to cool power plants, generate electricity, in chemical processes and as a solvent. The portion of industrial water usage varies but is much less than agriculture. Apart from that, water is also used for household purposes like drinking, cooking, washing, gardening and so forth. However most of the water used is return back to surface water sources and therefore is less consumptive compared to industrial and agricultural activities. A small portion water is also used for recreation like in swimming pools and water sports like sailing, boating and angling but such use is not consumptive. On the other hand, when water is used for a golf course, it can become the greatest water usage in a region. It has been estimated that a single average mid-western US golf course is equivalent to a population of 50,000 residents in water usage!
Freshwater pollution is a major problem since it is too easy to pollute rivers and lakes with pesticides, industrial waste and sewage. In poor and developing countries, the addition of sewage waste to sources of drinkable water lead to many diseases and deaths. In China, the United Nations reported that more than 78% of the people in China drink contaminated water supplies. The depletion of fresh water supplies is also due to climate change which affects the hydrologic cycle causing frequent droughts and flood. Apart from that, the draining of wetlands and overuse of aquifers by humans also aggravates the situation. Although humankind has made enormous effort to control the supply of freshwater by building huge dams, it results shrinking rivers and lakes, falling water tables and loss of wildlife.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for a international discussion to be held between countries and environmental organizations to identify and carry out drastic steps that must be taken to counter the depletion of freshwater resources before it becomes too late. Hopefully, the nations would not have to go to war against each other just to secure water supplies in the future as predicted in fiction books.
About 69% of freshwater is used up for irrigation in agriculture. Irrigation is needed to increase crop yield especially during the drought and in some areas irrigation is necessary to grow any crop at all. Water is also used in the industrial sector to cool power plants, generate electricity, in chemical processes and as a solvent. The portion of industrial water usage varies but is much less than agriculture. Apart from that, water is also used for household purposes like drinking, cooking, washing, gardening and so forth. However most of the water used is return back to surface water sources and therefore is less consumptive compared to industrial and agricultural activities. A small portion water is also used for recreation like in swimming pools and water sports like sailing, boating and angling but such use is not consumptive. On the other hand, when water is used for a golf course, it can become the greatest water usage in a region. It has been estimated that a single average mid-western US golf course is equivalent to a population of 50,000 residents in water usage!
Freshwater pollution is a major problem since it is too easy to pollute rivers and lakes with pesticides, industrial waste and sewage. In poor and developing countries, the addition of sewage waste to sources of drinkable water lead to many diseases and deaths. In China, the United Nations reported that more than 78% of the people in China drink contaminated water supplies. The depletion of fresh water supplies is also due to climate change which affects the hydrologic cycle causing frequent droughts and flood. Apart from that, the draining of wetlands and overuse of aquifers by humans also aggravates the situation. Although humankind has made enormous effort to control the supply of freshwater by building huge dams, it results shrinking rivers and lakes, falling water tables and loss of wildlife.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for a international discussion to be held between countries and environmental organizations to identify and carry out drastic steps that must be taken to counter the depletion of freshwater resources before it becomes too late. Hopefully, the nations would not have to go to war against each other just to secure water supplies in the future as predicted in fiction books.
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