Citing a number of contemporary issues, evaluate pressures on water and discuss the means by which the resource might be better managed in the future.

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Citing a number of contemporary issues, evaluate pressures on WATER and discuss the means by which the resource might be better managed in the future.

Water, after air perhaps, is the most precious resource available for use. Humans cannot survive much more than 5 days without drinking water, we need it to grow crops and feed animals, for cleaning and cooking, and for processing all man made goods and the provision of services. Although water is abundant on earth 96.5% of the water is saline (Pennington & Cech, 2010) which is undrinkable and unsuitable for agriculture and industry. A further 1.7% is stored as frozen water. So when discussing water as a resource, in this case, it is the 1.7% that exists as groundwater, in rivers, lakes, wetlands and soils that is being referred to, although not all of this is accessible.

Currently the population of the world is over 6.8 billion (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010) and population growth worldwide is about 1.17% per year (Google, 2008). Life expectancy is increasing and coupled with these population factors are advancements in human society which are increasing our demands on water resources. In 2005 it was estimated that 48.6% of the world’s population lived in urban areas (Encyclopedia of Earth, 2009) with this number constantly on the rise. Urban water provision usually depends on inefficient infrastructure which is susceptible to leakage. People living in cities depend more on large scale farming and food processing industries that require large amounts of water and energy. Urban sprawl contributes to increased flooding and contamination of freshwater supplies because of impermeable surfaces which can negatively affect groundwater levels by decreasing the possibility of water seeping into the ground, increase evaporation of rainwater off bare ground and by polluting groundwater with urban waste (Pennington & Cech, 2010). The State of California has had its fair share of urbanisation related water issues whilst trying to provide for the citizens of Los Angeles, confessing to the depletion of local groundwater and draining of Lake Mono and Lake Owens (LADWP, 2010). But an ever growing population in an increasingly arid region means that state officials may have to go further to provide for their citizens, putting more farmers and ecology at risk.

Further to urbanisation issues, there is the change towards water-profligate lifestyles for example higher demand for water intensive foods, such as meat and consumer goods. Such increased agricultural and industrial demand needs to be fuelled by more energy, which is also a highly water intensive industry.

 

Figure 1 Competing Water Uses

Figure 1 above shows generally how the use of water is divided. Domestic use accounts for the smallest slice of the pie. This use of water is of upmost importance, but there are 13% of the world’s population without access to clean drinking water and 39% without adequate sanitation facilities (World Health Organisation, 2010). Unclean water can lead to illnesses and an estimated 3.575 million people, mostly children, die per year from water related illnesses such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid (World Health Organisation, 2008).

Industry accounts for water usage in power plants, mining and refinery and manufacturing industries. Agriculture is the highest consumer of water, the majority being spent on irrigation and a smaller portion on aquaculture. Irrigation has allowed humans in the 21st century to intensify agriculture by expanding crop yield geographically and temporally (Hemson et al, 2008). Irrigation is an important process in the provision of food but inefficiencies within the process also mean the technique can be very wasteful. An estimated 60% of water used for irrigation is lost through evaporation and seepage (Houghton, 2004). Heavy machinery used in agriculture compacts the soil, decreasing its water retention ability, leading to soil erosion and increased runoff. Chemical fertilizers are used to remedy this which in turn affects the soils water retention ability, increasing the dependency on irrigation and contributing to pollution.

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All three uses of water specified can contribute to water pollution. Water pollution can come in three main categories; excess nutrients from sewage or soil erosion, pathogens from sewage and heavy metals and synthetic organic compounds from industry, mining and agriculture although other forms exist such as thermal pollution, radioactive substances and turbidity from sediment (Middleton, 2008). Water is in a continuous cycle so polluted water will not go away, so there is a need to protect and restore our water quality.

One big issue currently and historically facing humans is the uneven distribution of water resources. Although the ...

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Overall this is a good discussion of some of the key issues affecting water supplies in the world. There is evidence of extensive relevant research. It could be improved by being clearer about the issues and pressures. Where are the biggest problems? Which countries or users are being most wasteful? Who is being more efficient? And why? It would also benefit from a more thorough conclusion.