Introduction
The relationship between the influence of water pollution and the economy is really important since without the water, no life, no prosperity and no economic development can be achieved. It is one of the most important parts of people’s daily lives. The scarcity of water has been seen in many parts of the world and the predictions for the future are even more concerning. Most of the planet earth is composed of water but only 3% of it is fresh and drinkable and therefore useful for the global population. There has been seen development of the techniques of desalination, but the prices are still relatively high with various other negative factors. This is the reason the population needs to use water in a sustainable matter in order to prevent the future shortages. With the development of industry the usage of the available water has been decreased. Along with the increased usage of fresh water resources in the industry the water pollution has become a severe problem all around the globe. Almost all factories and industries need water for production and along they are causing emissions and polluting the water resources. The paper will focus on presenting negative impacts and cases in industry with water pollution and will not focus on the sustainable development paths of various organizations have already implemented. The thesis of the paper is: economy and water pollution are interdependent and have adverse effects on each other.
Economy correlation with the water pollution
The economy can have vast impacts on the water pollution. With the pollution the drinking costs rise, the tourism declines along with the commercial fishing and loss of biodiversity. There are two affects we can see between the water pollution and the economy, the first is that in order for economy to increase a lot of natural water resources are being spend and also the economy needs water resources. The water pollution results also in the social costs with increasing health risks. The environmental and water pollution can therefore result in the economic loss (Krishnadas, Madhusdan, Sharif, 2013). Every economy needs energy in order to function. The energy systems today are highly dependent on the fossil fuel, coal, oil and gas are using unsustainable techniques that many times result in the water pollution. In order for the economy to function the supply of resources is needed. Energy producing facilities as all other present in the economic sector are responsible for significant water pollution in the form of the thermal shocks, discharge of uncontrolled contaminants and hazardous pollutants. There are many different pollution standards and requirements, which greatly differs around the globe (Bhattacharyya, 2011). The water pollution caused by industry can have severe impact on the human health. One of the most concerning is the Minamata disease and the Mercury pollution around the globe. The extreme cases of negative health effects were a result of the chemical release in the industrial wastewater. The toxin of industrial release can greatly impact human life and result in severe environmental damage that can result in great expenses of the cleanup (Harada, 1978). Based on the Pacific Institute (2010), two millions of sewage and industrial waste are discharged globally into the world’s water every day. The amount of waste water produced in one year from all sectors, not just the economy, is six times more than the global available water that exists in all rivers. The economic development and underdevelopment plays a significant role. Where the economic development is slow the lack of adequate sanitations represents one of the major water pollutants. The economic effects of the pollution of water result in negative human health impacts and negative impacts on the ecosystems. Pollution from industry and mining is affecting the quality of water worldwide. It is concerning that 70% of the industrial waste in developing countries is disposed untreated into the waters. The numerous abandoned mines are polluting the water streams and groundwater. The agricultural sector uses the greatest amount of fresh water and also contributes to the pollution of water with nitrate, fertilizers and various chemicals. With the agriculture the pollution and salinization of water is produced. Economic infrastructure is one of the most important factors, which also affects the water quality. 60% of the world’s biggest rivers have interrupted stem flows (Pacific Institute, 2010). Economic growth can be achieved only with the sustainable and secure water supplies.
How to diminish water pollution
Control of water pollution must include educational and technical assistance to the various sectors that contribute the most to the water pollution. With the sharing knowledge the best practices are being implemented. Financial and regulatory framework must exist which prevents to achieve competitive advantage on the expenses of water pollution. Finical issues the subjects in the economy are confronted with will highly impact the behavior towards pollution. Assistance and the financial contribution and incentives from the national or other sources is very important. The taxes imposed on the polluter and regular monitoring will make the practice of pollution more expensive with the following the path towards a clean industry (Shortle & Dunn, 1986). The economic sector is very complex and diverse and is causing various environmental concerns. The economy affects the water and the water is one of the most important factors in the continuation of the economic development. Growing population and urbanization are calling for the better handling of water supply, sanitation, storm water and waste water management. Many big cities and industry and firms do not have sufficient protection to prevent the water pollution (UNESCO, 2015). Various firms are moving their production to the geographical areas where lack of framework for environment protection exists and this must be prevented. With the unsustainable consumption of water and increased pollution that has reached alarming rates in China and other countries the economy will hurt in the long term by having a long lasting effect on human health and biodiversity.
Conclusion
The paper has examined the relationship between water pollution and the economy. The topic is very broad since inside the economy, there are various actors and sectors that have different contributions to the pollution of water and also to the economic growth. There are major differences between various geographical locations and countries, but the impact the economy has on the water pollution is indisputable. The same can be argued for the impact of quality of water on the economy. The thesis of the paper can be confirmed since the economy and water pollution are interdependent and have adverse effects on each other.
Work cited
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Harada, M. (1978). Congenital Minamata disease: intrauterine methylmercury
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Krishnadas, M., Madshusudan, P., Sharif, Mahin. (2013). Economic Impacts of Water Pollution on Human and Migration in Nanjangud Industrial Area of Karantake State. Environmental & Ecology 31(2): 518-523.
Pacific Institute. 2010. World Water Quality Facts and Statistics. Retrieved http://www.pacinst.org/wp- content/uploads/2013/02/water_quality_facts_and_stats3.pdf
UNESCO. 2015. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2015: Water for Sustainable World. Retrieved http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002318/231823E.pdf
Shortle, J. S., & Dunn, J. W. (1986). The relative efficiency of agricultural source water
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