Water is life; this three word sentence has been very common round the globe, but it is very unfortunate that a significantly small number of people actually understand the phenomenon and its complexities. A large number of people just know that three-fourth of our planet contains water, which is abundant in such amount that its resources can never end. In fact, out of these gallons of water, only 2.5 % is fresh, out of which only 1% is easily accessible. The rest of water resources are composed of ocean water that is saline in nature. Hence when it comes to water for basic human needs, the resources are limited and finite (National Geographic 2013). As we are in the second decade of 21st century now, phenomena like global warming and water scarcity have become more vivid and evident statistics are now coming in these regards. Particularly developing nations of Africa and Asia are facing huge water crisis. They are deprived of fresh water resources, which means they have no or very less water for cleaning, households, agriculture and most importantly for drinking purpose. Ground water table is drastically decreasing in the semi-arid regions of Asia and the Middle East, which is an area of high concern. If there is no ground water; there is no arable land and the agriculture of such countries will suffer a lot. This directly affects the supply of food globally and hence, there would be a food crisis as a result of water crisis (Seckler et. Al., 1999). So the statement mentioned in the start becomes exactly true; “Water is Life”.
It is strongly agreed upon that the major issue concerning the global human population in this century is the fact that reliable sources of clean fresh water are becoming increasingly scarce. Although fresh water is a powerful renewable resource, yet it is becoming finite as well due to growing global population and its needs. Global warming, climate change and population growth, these three factors have intense effects over the resources and use of water. As our climate becomes hotter than ever, more water from oceans and seas gets evaporated, leaving behind low or nonexistent flows. Also, global warming has brought abrupt weather changes such as floods, heavy precipitations, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and typhoons etc. All these drastic changes are making fresh water resources limited and inaccessible (Postel, 2000). Parts of the world that are wet tropic may face the lesser extent of the problem, but they have to face the availability of clean water supplies that directly affects health, causing diseases in people with relatively weak immune systems such as new born, children and aged. As far as arid and semi-arid regions are concerned, the population growth and development in urban areas increases the scarcity of water, and people living in these areas are more vulnerable to water pollution and the diseases caused by it (Vörösmarty et. Al, 2000).
Since the most devastating effects of water scarcity are being observed over the agriculture sector, there is an instant need for proper policy making over the use and distribution of water in agricultural methods. For those regions that are facing water scarcity for agricultural purposes, there is a need for innovative and technological methods that can help in reviving dead land and also assist in increasing ground water table. But the most important step to do is to save and re-use wasted water with the help of treatment plants, as water scarcity is leading towards the use of inferior quality water for irrigation. Appropriate supply and demand management policies should be made and implemented according to the particular requirements of the land and area, along with the understanding of proper distribution and irrigation strategies that can save and utilize water as much as possible. A combined and global effort is required to save the world from “water bankruptcy”, as the current statistics are already not going in our world’s favor (Pereira et. Al, 2002).
WORKS CITED:
“Fresh Water Crisis,” National Geographic, accessed March 21, 2013,
Pereira, Luis Santos, Theib Oweis, and Abdelaziz Zairi. 2002. "Irrigation management under water scarcity". Agricultural Water Management. 57 (3): 175-206.
Postel, Sandra L. 2000. "Entering an Era of Water Scarcity: The Challenges Ahead". Ecological Applications. 10 (4).
Seckler, David, Randolph Barker, and Upali Amarasinghe. 1999. "Water Scarcity in the Twenty-first Century". International Journal of Water Resources Development. 15 (1/2): 29-42.
Vörösmarty, Charles J., Green Pamela, Salisbury Joseph, Lammers, Richard B., 2000. Global water resources: Vulnerability from climate change and population growth. Science. 289 (5477).
