Water is among the most important natural resources essential for the life and well-being of all living creatures in our planet. Just 3 percent of world water resources contain fresh water and some part of it is locked in glaciers and ice caps. There is also fresh water in remote areas that are inaccessible for people. As a result only 0.08 percent of the fresh water is used to meet the needs of mankind that include manufacturing, drinking, environment, sanitation, leisure, etc.
The results of a study conducted in 2007 are discouraging. It shows that more than 1.6 billion people suffer from water scarcity due to economical reasons, i.e. their local authorities cannot meet the rising needs for water in these regions mainly because of the insufficient investments. The enormous number of another 1.2 billion people all over the world does not have enough water to meet their everyday needs.
Since half part of the world population is concentrated in the cities and urban centers, the natural water sources located around the cities are polluted by industrial and urban wastewater. The cities should develop systems for treating the wastewater; otherwise, there could be a risk for people's health related to the use of wastewater, containing different pollutants, such as heavy metals, pathogens, etc.
Since the usable amount of fresh water is limited, people discover ways to properly manage and optimize water usage. Water usually comes as harvested rainwater in many locations. This water should be properly collected and used during the dry season for agricultural purposes. The groundwater is also very important, so people drill wells to use it efficiently for both agricultural and drinking purposes. The significance of lakes should also revive, so that the residents located nearby can use this collected water effectively.
The major consumer that uses up to 70 percent of freshwater resources is agriculture. The increasing world population requires more food. As a result the industrial and urban centers expand more and more, so the scarcity of water becomes a major issue in many regions around the world.
The water problem should be resolved globally by taking the following six important steps. However, each and every individual should consciously contribute to the water problem to be resolved.
We need to start by improving all existing water related data. We need to learn how to protect our environment from any further pollution. We have to reform our water governance and to revitalize the agricultural water use. We need to manage all industrial water demand and provide an access to the water resources to women and children in poor regions.
These steps will help us avoid the global water crisis, which treats to be devastating for our planet. The water should be used efficiently in big urban centers and by all kind of industries. This will allow people to direct more water to food production, so that there would be more food for the increasing world population.
The results of a study conducted in 2007 are discouraging. It shows that more than 1.6 billion people suffer from water scarcity due to economical reasons, i.e. their local authorities cannot meet the rising needs for water in these regions mainly because of the insufficient investments. The enormous number of another 1.2 billion people all over the world does not have enough water to meet their everyday needs.
Since half part of the world population is concentrated in the cities and urban centers, the natural water sources located around the cities are polluted by industrial and urban wastewater. The cities should develop systems for treating the wastewater; otherwise, there could be a risk for people's health related to the use of wastewater, containing different pollutants, such as heavy metals, pathogens, etc.
Since the usable amount of fresh water is limited, people discover ways to properly manage and optimize water usage. Water usually comes as harvested rainwater in many locations. This water should be properly collected and used during the dry season for agricultural purposes. The groundwater is also very important, so people drill wells to use it efficiently for both agricultural and drinking purposes. The significance of lakes should also revive, so that the residents located nearby can use this collected water effectively.
The major consumer that uses up to 70 percent of freshwater resources is agriculture. The increasing world population requires more food. As a result the industrial and urban centers expand more and more, so the scarcity of water becomes a major issue in many regions around the world.
The water problem should be resolved globally by taking the following six important steps. However, each and every individual should consciously contribute to the water problem to be resolved.
We need to start by improving all existing water related data. We need to learn how to protect our environment from any further pollution. We have to reform our water governance and to revitalize the agricultural water use. We need to manage all industrial water demand and provide an access to the water resources to women and children in poor regions.
These steps will help us avoid the global water crisis, which treats to be devastating for our planet. The water should be used efficiently in big urban centers and by all kind of industries. This will allow people to direct more water to food production, so that there would be more food for the increasing world population.
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