Awareness about the severity of water crisis in different parts of the world and the methods to overcome it
by Teertha.CH, VII-A
The severity of water crisis in different parts of the world
The countries we will be focusing on :
Palestine
Oman
Pakistan
India
UK
Palestine
The main source of water here is the water from aquifers. However, due to a lot of population and demand the aquifers are being depleted and the water is also being contaminated with sewage. At times, people drink sea water itself.
Oman
Obtaining fresh water from the sea comes at a high financial and environmental cost as Oman and the other Gulf countries are dominated by vast and scorching deserts. Sea water is desalinated and this is the main source of water. But the Desalination plants produce more toxic sludge than freshwater. So, many campaigns are conducted urging people to use water wisely and to recycle the waste water.
Pakistan
For Pakistan the main source of water is from the Indus river. Pakistan ranked third among the countries facing severe water shortage.The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources announced that by 2025, there will be very little or no clean water available in the country. The major reasons for the water crisis in Pakistan are the increase in population in urban areas, agriculture, mismanagement of the water system and climate change.
India
More than 50% of the population has no proper access to safe drinking water and about 200,000 people die every year due to lack of access to safe water. The major reasons for the water crisis in India are over population, depletion of groundwater, mismanagement of water resources. Majorly people of Jharkhand and West Bengal are facing water crisis due to drought conditions.
UK
There is a water shortage in the UK due to a lot of population and climate change . If each person spent one minute less in the shower, the UK would save 600 million litres of water every day groundwater provides about five per cent of public supply. The UK’s total water supply is forecast to drop by 7% by 2045 due to climate change.
Methods to overcome the water crisis –
- Use water wisely – Try to reuse waste water.
- Million cusecs of water is wasted flowing into oceans and seas. This can be reduced by constructing dams or by using many other water conservation techniques.
- Rain water harvesting.
- Developing energy efficient desalination plants.
- Stop polluting the water.
- Educating people about conservation of water.
Water is the substance of life, treasure it!
