This year, Iran is facing dangerous water crisis as arid temperatures rise with the encroaching summer season. As summer presses and temperatures rise, water scarcity in Iran is becoming a national emergency.
Who to blame? It is said that the water crisis in Iran is a two pronged problem. Global climate change (arguably helped along by the country's heavy GHG emissions) is intensifying the region's already arid climate. The other problem, and what many experts say is the most immediate problem, is the people of Iran themselves.Despite imminent shortages, water use in Iran remains inefficient, with domestic use 70% higher than the global average. Accordingly, experts say the Iranian people are to blame for this problem (with GHG emissions helping the crisis worsen).
Other countries may be experiencing similar problems to my country. Remember that "as the world's population is expected to reach 9 billion by year 2050 and at the rate we are going there won't be nearly enough water for that many of us". Therefore, We must raise awareness and groom the scientists and professionals that we need for both today and tomorrow. Students in today's classrooms are the scientists and technologists of the future that we will need to meet this challenge. How can we inspire them? Overcoming fear of failure is a necessity to overcome crises and for success on any level.
Very important and hard question!. I can think of following for Iran:
1) Water desalination (solar energy can used but might be expensive at the moment and cheaper technologies should be developed)
2) Allocating specific areas in the country for different crops and improve water use efficiency,for farming by as water wastage in agriculture is very high at the moments.
3) Renovation of water supply networks to will reduce water losses from the storage, transmission, and distribution system
4) Put a realistic price on water as it is already started (we should think of poor families as well)
Here is what real experts think:
About 130 of the best and brightest minds across sectors came together at the 7th World Water Forum on May 15, 2014 on Washington, D.C. to share solutions and build partnerships, courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund, The Coca Cola Company, and the World Water Council.
Here are ten keys to addressing the global water crisis from the Forum:
1. Build partnerships: This is a "shared challenge," Jason Morrison CEO of the Water Mandate said, which was echoed throughout the Forum and reflected in the multidisciplinary panels and discussions. We have to get out of our silos and borders, Greg Koch Director of Global Water Stewardship at Coca Cola said, and respect each other's priorities. And these take trust.
2. Include farmers: It seems so obvious. Since farmers use 70 percent of the water used in the world, they must have a prominent seat at the table. Steve Peterson, Director of Sourcing Sustainability at General Mills, one of the world's largest consumer food companies, (and farmer) said "Since 13 percent of (farmers) produce 80 percent of the food supply, therefore, there aren't that many people you need to get in the room."
3. Include communities, especially women: Water is used by people, and people are in communities, and increasingly in urban areas. Marcia Brewster of Nautilus Development Corp. reminded us that women are key to driving community awareness and action. Interestingly, Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture, Dr. Ann Bartuska said that there's been a significant increase in the number of women farmers in the U.S., based on the recent Census.
4. Measure water : Leaders say "what gets measured gets managed" and water is no exception. Data crystalizes and validates a challenge, spurs action, and helps us see improvements and trends.
5. Put a realistic price on water: We charge so little for it, yet it costs so much to manage, that there's little motivation to address the pressing needs of the aging water infrastructure. In developing countries, there is often no water infrastructure per se at all.
6. Waste less food: The USDA statistics are remarkable: in 2010, about 133 billion pounds of food was wasted from U.S. retail food stores, restaurants and homes, meaning about $161 billion worth of food was wasted - while many people go hungry. The DC Central Kitchen is tackling this issue in the DC area and with the national Campus Kitchen initiatives nationwide. You can learn more about it by listening to my interview with Amy Bachman on Green Connections here (click on "holiday show").
7. Integrate water into trade policy: We must integrate water management, conservation and sanitation into trade policy.
8. Upgrade the infrastructure -- and ASAP: The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the U.S. water infrastructure a grade of "D." As I addressed in a story on WTOP for World Water Day, The D.C. area's water infrastructure is between 77 and 100 years old, for example. Yet, as Steven Stockton, Director of Civil Works at the Army Corps of Engineers pointed out at the Forum, the return on investment is about 450:1 in preventing floods and increasing resilience. Really. Making these investments requires long-term thinking and getting out of living from crisis to crisis, as Stockton described it. I vote for the Infrastructure Bank.
9. Choose your words carefully: We need to reach people in culturally appropriate ways to build trust and language matters. For example, the word "sustainability" doesn't resonate with farmers, as the Gentleman Farmer from General Mills reminded us, adding that the word "stewardship" works for farmers. "They'll walk out of the room if they hear the word sustainability." And, we need to leverage technologies to bridge distances, such as apps that help farmers sell more and waste less.
10. Protect the poor: The less fortunate among us use "every drop of water available," so when they have even a little bit less, the impact is huge. Without a seat at the table, because they lack political influence, everyone must look out for them. They are the most vulnerable to shortages and climate change disasters, with the weakest infrastructure and least resilience.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joan-michelson/solutions-to-the-global-w_b_5348386.html
World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
http://thewaterproject.org/water_scarcity
http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/
http://purewaterfortheworld.org/health-crisis.html
http://www.unwater.org/activities/awareness-campaigns/world-water-day/en/
http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/toasttowater-raise-a-glass-to-raise-awareness-of-global-challenges
Dear @Nageswara Thank you for prompt response. Links and information about awareness of water challenges are very good starting point for campaigning on water crises.
New research areas on the issue, smart energy, water recycling and harvesting--as examples, dear Mahmoud!
Very important and hard question!. I can think of following for Iran:
1) Water desalination (solar energy can used but might be expensive at the moment and cheaper technologies should be developed)
2) Allocating specific areas in the country for different crops and improve water use efficiency,for farming by as water wastage in agriculture is very high at the moments.
3) Renovation of water supply networks to will reduce water losses from the storage, transmission, and distribution system
4) Put a realistic price on water as it is already started (we should think of poor families as well)
Here is what real experts think:
About 130 of the best and brightest minds across sectors came together at the 7th World Water Forum on May 15, 2014 on Washington, D.C. to share solutions and build partnerships, courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund, The Coca Cola Company, and the World Water Council.
Here are ten keys to addressing the global water crisis from the Forum:
1. Build partnerships: This is a "shared challenge," Jason Morrison CEO of the Water Mandate said, which was echoed throughout the Forum and reflected in the multidisciplinary panels and discussions. We have to get out of our silos and borders, Greg Koch Director of Global Water Stewardship at Coca Cola said, and respect each other's priorities. And these take trust.
2. Include farmers: It seems so obvious. Since farmers use 70 percent of the water used in the world, they must have a prominent seat at the table. Steve Peterson, Director of Sourcing Sustainability at General Mills, one of the world's largest consumer food companies, (and farmer) said "Since 13 percent of (farmers) produce 80 percent of the food supply, therefore, there aren't that many people you need to get in the room."
3. Include communities, especially women: Water is used by people, and people are in communities, and increasingly in urban areas. Marcia Brewster of Nautilus Development Corp. reminded us that women are key to driving community awareness and action. Interestingly, Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture, Dr. Ann Bartuska said that there's been a significant increase in the number of women farmers in the U.S., based on the recent Census.
4. Measure water : Leaders say "what gets measured gets managed" and water is no exception. Data crystalizes and validates a challenge, spurs action, and helps us see improvements and trends.
5. Put a realistic price on water: We charge so little for it, yet it costs so much to manage, that there's little motivation to address the pressing needs of the aging water infrastructure. In developing countries, there is often no water infrastructure per se at all.
6. Waste less food: The USDA statistics are remarkable: in 2010, about 133 billion pounds of food was wasted from U.S. retail food stores, restaurants and homes, meaning about $161 billion worth of food was wasted - while many people go hungry. The DC Central Kitchen is tackling this issue in the DC area and with the national Campus Kitchen initiatives nationwide. You can learn more about it by listening to my interview with Amy Bachman on Green Connections here (click on "holiday show").
7. Integrate water into trade policy: We must integrate water management, conservation and sanitation into trade policy.
8. Upgrade the infrastructure -- and ASAP: The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the U.S. water infrastructure a grade of "D." As I addressed in a story on WTOP for World Water Day, The D.C. area's water infrastructure is between 77 and 100 years old, for example. Yet, as Steven Stockton, Director of Civil Works at the Army Corps of Engineers pointed out at the Forum, the return on investment is about 450:1 in preventing floods and increasing resilience. Really. Making these investments requires long-term thinking and getting out of living from crisis to crisis, as Stockton described it. I vote for the Infrastructure Bank.
9. Choose your words carefully: We need to reach people in culturally appropriate ways to build trust and language matters. For example, the word "sustainability" doesn't resonate with farmers, as the Gentleman Farmer from General Mills reminded us, adding that the word "stewardship" works for farmers. "They'll walk out of the room if they hear the word sustainability." And, we need to leverage technologies to bridge distances, such as apps that help farmers sell more and waste less.
10. Protect the poor: The less fortunate among us use "every drop of water available," so when they have even a little bit less, the impact is huge. Without a seat at the table, because they lack political influence, everyone must look out for them. They are the most vulnerable to shortages and climate change disasters, with the weakest infrastructure and least resilience.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joan-michelson/solutions-to-the-global-w_b_5348386.html
Drip Irrigation
Blass invented this system to allow people to farm dry and arid areas and because Israel and the Middle East are chronically short of water for farming and drinking. He did not regard it only as a way to settle the Negev, but also realized that the system could be used globally and useful in all arid areas. Usage of a plastic emitter in drip irrigation was developed in Israel by Simcha Blass and his son Yeshayahu. Instead of releasing water through tiny holes, that are blocked easily by tiny particles, water was released through larger and longer passageways by using velocity to slow water inside a plastic emitter. The first experimental system of this type was established in 1959 by Blass who partnered later (1964) with Kibbutz Hatzerim to create an irrigation company called Netafim. Together they developed and patented the first practical surface drip irrigation emitter. Beginning in 1989, Jain Irrigation Systems helped pioneer effective water-management through drip irrigation in India.
With today’s constraints with fresh water, it is time to look for new solutions to the lack of water problems. A majority of countries have neither adequate nor reliable data on the status of rural water supply services to their communities.
This lack of data or inadequate data make it difficult to measure the quality of service provision and determine the needs for investment. Citizens should be aware of the water problems in their country and should be encouraged to contribute to the solutions of the water problem.
Allow me to place here this award winning poster on water desalination by LIJO FRANCIS, in addition to your comments. Poster presented at Cyprus EDS 2014. Thanks.
An integrated analysis of natural water availability, human water uses and their development in the light of climate change is necessary. To raise the awareness on water management and consumption issues we established an interactive information platform (see http://www.bmbf.wasserfluesse.de/?lang=EN ) that provides regionalized data on precipitation, evaporation, regional runoff, climate scenarios, water use patterns of industry, agriculture and households in Germany and supplemented this national perspective by an analysis of virtual water flows - the water that German consumers and industry are using in other parts of the world via the import of goods and raw materials. To find solutions for a sustainable water resources management, we have to draw such a complex picture - meanwhile trying to keep it as comprehensible as possible. Besides the internet platform we published a poster that has been very well received in the German water management community (see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264952454_Everything_Flows_-_A_German_Water_Balance )
Technical Report Everything Flows - A German Water Balance
Dear All,
I have but very simple suggestions: do not waste water! Economise water! It is not compulsory to have a shower each day. In countries where people overuse the common water resources the price of water should be raised.
I am sure that attitudes of people should be changed and technological alterations or innovations cannot make up for the increase of water consumption.
Dear @Mahmoud, I agree with the solutions that are proposed by dear @Behrouz.
Dear Andras et al., in hot countries, it's necessary to shower, once or twice a day. So some build a water harvester. This water harvester isn't so difficult to build for our own home. (Many years ago, we had more rain. When I was a student, my job was to place a beaker in an open area in school, and measure how many cm of rain fell over 24 hours.)
In my perspective (as a civil engineer), what we do realy need is to solve the problem, although it is really huge and challenging (see what José Ortega y Gasset (1883—1955), says about nature, intelligence and spirit of the man).
We have a lot of water (in liquid, solid and vapour) mostly in the oceans, but also in the continents. The problem is basically its spatial and temporal distribution on the continents (that is getting worse due to the global warming of the planet) and the water quality. The angle of the earth changes cyclically, changing the climate. I never heard that we could do something about that.
The solution for the problem you pose (beyond its efficient use - frequently there are to much losses of fresh water everywhere) is basically the development of the treatment technologies, particularly desalinization, and the wastewater treatment, the reuse of treated wastewater, and the development of the transportation and distribution networks. In other words, research, rationality and investment.
Note that frequently a billion in EUA (10^9) is not a billion in Europe (10^12). Are frequent several misunderstandings (I stood petrified some years ago with a drawing that was given to the kids with people falling down from the planet!). We should be also worried with the population and born at a planet scale, but basically because of its distribution. We should remember that the 9 (Americans) billion would fit in the Cold (Winter) Desert of Antarctica or in the Sahara desert at a rate (individuals/Km2) reasonably lesser than the observed currently in many cities of the world, as in Lisbon, for example (I never noticed that anyone did fall from the planet in any city of the world).
Based on your answers and my country situation (location), I think the following points may be good ones as starting points:
1) We should make use our existing water more efficiently.
2) To improve sustainable access to water for drinking, cooking, personal and domestic hygiene and/or irrigation, potable water mains and non-potable water mains (sanitary sewer, storm drain, and water for irrigation) must be separated.
3) We should think of water reuse. It is the beneficial use of reclaimed water. Examples of water reuse include irrigation, cooling, and augmenting water supplies.
4) we can desalinate water from the sea by taking the salt out of seawater to alleviate shortages and growing water conflicts. But desalination of water requires a lot of energy. Salt dissolves very easily in water, forming strong chemical bonds, and those bonds are difficult to break. Energy and the technology to desalinate water are both expensive, and this means that desalinating water can be pretty costly.
Dear Miranda,
I am not against bathing or showering. I wanted to express only that while some shower several times a day, other cannot even drink enough clear water.
The rainwater harvesting is an excellent idea, I think it should be constructed everywhere. Some years ago I found the detailed design of a Hungarian specialist (who lived over 30 years in tropical countries) which was suitable to provide with drinking and washing water a household.
Dear Mahamoud Omid. Perhaps you should read again what I wrote in the second and third paragraph. There are no magic innovative solutions for this problem of arid regions in any part of the world. I faced a similar problem, several years ago in a large innovative project in a Sahel region (Africa). I suppose you do not want to discuss (well-known) existing technologies at this level (you may read it in any webpage). Nowadays, desalinization is extensively used and is not very expensive. Also reuse is rational and very common. If it does not rain in your basins, the water does not go to the aquifers and you have no superficial or underground fresh water in the basin (unless you import artificially water from other basins, as occur in Australia, for example). As you certainly understand, I am not exactly aware of the climate, geography, and hydrogeology of Iran, so I can not help much. I agree that you should have Iranian experts in this area that can give easier and better answers to your concern in Iran.
Although this question hit me due to current situation in water scarcity in my country, but the problem can be extended to other regions too. Further more, as I explained it already in my question, the world's population is expected to reach 9 billion by year 2050 and at the rate we are going there won't be nearly enough water for that many of us. So scientist must raise awareness that we need water for both today and tomorrow.
One of the problems faced in India and probably many places is that rains during monsoon period are erratic and the rain water is runoff into either sewers are flooding the region without properly utilizing. One of the better ways of utilizing is to harvest the rain water and store in a place either to recharge the ground water table or store for the house hold use.
Here are a few useful resources.
http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/
http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/
http://theconstructor.org/water-resources/methods-of-rainwater-harvesting/5420/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_recharge
http://bakerinstitute.org/media/files/page/507ab850/rainwater_harvesting_construction_manual_maintenance_english.pdf
http://cpwd.gov.in/Publication/rain_wh.PDF
Dear Mahmoud
Desalination of sea water is an option, but at the current time because of the enormous amount of energy it consumes is not really viable. It should be used as the last option when all other options are exhausted. In order to make desalination sustainable it is necessary to use renewable energies. However it is necessary to do a thorough PLA of the system to prove its sustainability in the long run.
http://research.nigc.ir/files/Info_Res/Articles/86069AN_R19.pdf
https://sustainability.water.ca.gov/documents/18/3334111/Desalination.pdf
There is a concept called " The tragedy of commons" that I think could be worth considering . It is happening now at an extensive rate. Population of the earth has exceeded 7 billions and earth's resources are limited.
I think the first step for scientists and scholars is to be able to break the "taboo" of talking about the limits of world that we are living in and make their societies understand that it is a must to consider the global welfare instead of their own comfort.
2 books that I think are worth reading "Living Within Limits" and " Ostrich Factor "
by G.Hardin.
Raining water is for free! So why desalinization, treatment and reuse, or Inter-basin transfer? You have just to catch the water from your roof to a tank and wait for the rain. In a larger scale, you just have built a dam to retain the water as superficial water in a pond or in an aquifer after infiltration. That will work excellently if you have good topographic conditions for the pond and if there is enough rain.
However, we are speaking about arid climates. If it rains in average less than 100 or 200 mm in a year, and the rains are scarce, erratic and intense (it may not practically rain during several consecutive years) you cannot wait a year to drink your cup of water or have your bath. Other interesting alternatives had been tested and abandoned, for example trying to interfere with the clouds or condensation of fog.
If you have a big flood, short and intense, in two or three days in a year in an arid climate it does not mean that you can solve the problem catching that water. With the current climate change, we have too much water in some places (really huge floods) and to less in others (really dry climate). Globally speaking we have really many, many, many water for the 9 (American) billions (do not worry). The problem is just where, when and with what quality (we just have to work on that). I hope this can helps.
Here "Most people waste water"!! Some facts about current [water] crises:
Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said "Iran may be forced to impose water rationing in Tehran should the capital’s residents fail to cut consumption by about 20 percent".
He also said that Iranians consume 80 percent of their renewable resources each year -- 20 percent more than “what is in the world considered a [water] crisis.”
Chitchian said at least 100 billion cubic meters of water have been extracted from strategic underground waters in recent years, causing wells in farmlands to turn salty, the Tehran-based paper said.
Thanks for bringing up such an important issue. Unfortunately over 90% of total water consumption in Iran is in agricultural sector. A lot has been said about the inefficient and uneconomical status of agricultural activities in Iran, but unfortunately less has been done to ratify it.
In addition to raising the public awareness the government should take up practical measures. It is a duty of academics to inform the Uni. students about the current status of water consumption, the problems associated with that and the future prospect. Furthermore, we need to pressurize the current government for taking up urgent actions.
Dear Dr. Khorasanizadeh. Thank you for explaining the current situation and practices in agricultural sector. Water for irrigation should be used more efficiently in that sector. Definitely, urgent actions is required by responsible officials.
Dear Mahamoud Omid. I sincerely admire your capacity for wisely promote the awareness and so wide discussion on this vital issue that is the water. I devoted some years to a Atlantic island near the African coast very poor, with very scarce water resources, but plenty of dignity (illustrating perfectly one of the passions of Bertrand Russell). Let me post a RG link. The text is in Portuguese, but I suppose that everyone can understand the images of pages 7 and 14.
Conference Paper O PROJECTO HIDRÁULICA RECURSOS HÍDRICOS E AMBIENTE - SANTIAG...
Dear @Antonio, Thank you for complements and Introducing your paper and research in this area. I downloaded the article but unfortunately my Portuguese is as bad as my Spanish. I will try to translate it using Google Translate facility.
Here I give another prove of Iranians misuse of water: Massoumeh Ebtekar (vice president and the head of Iran’s Department of Environment) said in a recent speech “Our water usage is twice the world standard, and considering the situation in our country, we have to reduce this level,”
However, as was mentioned earlier by Dr. Khorasanizadeh the cause of the crisis is not just in residential use; agriculture accounts for about 90% of water consumption, with much of it being used inefficiently.
We can use PAYU (pay as you use water) but at lower costs. This is already happening in several regions in the world. put up incentives like putting up the free water cans when theres no water in the house etc.
Sustainability of water requires more attention in long-term solutions. Water Mgt policy and approach to reduce waste-water should be encouraged on water conservation - supply and reuse options/ programs. Education should begin as early as, at the kindergarten level, to later reap huge rewards for the society.
This matter would be one of most important environmental problems in region. One of typical side effects on mentioned crisis would be recent changes in Uremia Lake in North -west of Iran that maybe due to dry and destroy of this important and biggest lake in our country.
Unfortunately, neglect of sustainable development could be bring mentioned crisis for human societies and it needs to assessment and review again to current national programs with focus on scientific approach.
I heard Illegal well drilling and unlicensed construction could have led to a water shortage as well as helping the crisis worsen in Iran. I appreciate if you discuss consequences of illegally digging (drilling) a well and its effects on a long term, too.
According to recent interview of director of regional water East Azerbaijan province office about 30000 Illegal wells were drilled in Uremia lake region in recent years.
Persian reference:
http://www.hamshahrionline.ir/details/207663
By leveraging on the use of social media as a platform to educate others about the severity of water problems and the need for more innovative solutions.
Dear @Renard. Thank you for your suggestion. You are right. I think beside the social media, other mass media such as TV, Radio, Newspaper, ... have important roles and should take more responsibility in educating people in this case.
back again. teaching in the universities and colleges is one way of increasing awareness. pamphlets and media can also be used to increase awareness. law courts and punishments is also other ways of increasing awareness to the public.
Thank you Dear @Kamal for your suggestion. Although, Iran has Caspian Sea at her Northern part, and Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman at her Southern part (Please see the map below), yet we made no progress in Water Desalination from Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. As I pointed out earlier "desalination of water requires a lot of energy". Energy and the technology to desalinate water are both expensive, and this means that desalinating water can be pretty costly. However, I think sooner or later the government of Iran must take this option as a good solution to solve the water crises in long term.
Mass awareness campaigns to worldwide population for saving every drop pf water, and self-awareness to consume water to the sufficient amount only and not to be wasted + harvesting rain water
We everbody know but still use much than required........if we all have a check 6 billion population then x = billions/trillions litres can be saved / day
There are multiple challenges in the Water Sector, from scarcity and security to distribution, allocation, management and governance. These set of issues exist at local level and even at global. The multiplicity of crisis calls for holistic approaches and increased participation by all levels of stakeholders. Water as a ‘resource-system’ can’t be managed in isolation, the interconnectivity of dependent dimensions viz., water use-water users-water managers needs to be factored clearly. I would like to share this link tagging elaborate arguments in this context
https://water.tallyfox.com/groups/iwrm/blog/transboundary-water-management-difficult-questions-awaiting-pragmatic-answers
Dear @Nidhi Thank you for your comments here and in the link on transboundary resources and their management as a matter of regional and international interest. I read your article and recommend others do the same. Definitely such crises of water scarcity in Iran can be managed more effectively through cooperation regionally and not in isolation. Transboundary issues should be raised at both regional (such as ECO) and international summons.
Note: ECO stands for Economic Cooperation Organization. It is an intergovernmental regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey for the purpose of promoting economic, technical and cultural cooperation among the Member States. Current Members include Islamic State of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan Republic, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkey, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan.
Dear Omid, I appreciate your comments on my article and also your recommendation. Many thanks for sharing about ECO; I am always curious to learn about regional Transboundary water management strategies practices and institutional arrangements. I sure these learning educates us about lessons that can be shared beyond the active members interest domain and can be easily adopted for better good of water resource-systems worldwide
.
Please, see in the link bellow from FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) 2011 “THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S LAND AND WATER RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE”, particularly page 29, relative to the “physical water scarcity”.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/i1688e/i1688e.pdf
In 2010 the world capacity for production of desalinated water was about 80 million of m3/day (25 thermal, and 55 by reverse osmosis), that is more than 10 L/(world) habitant/day, and the production cost in 2011 varied approximately between 0.40 euros/m3 and 0.86 euros/m3.
For having a better perception of what is the problem of the water in the world, all should revisit the “hydrologic cycle” or “water cycle” (see VIKIPEDIA, for example).
http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/i1688e/i1688e.pdf
Dear Antonio,
Thank you for linking to comprehensive report by FAO entitled "THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S LAND AND WATER RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE: Managing systems at risk"
On Page 119 it says"Groundwater depletion has also contributed to subsidence as aquifer structures collapse. In Iran, intensive withdrawal of groundwater is contributing to drying up of traditional qanāt (springs and shallow wells) and has also led to subsidence of productive agricultural land due to compression of underlying aquifers as groundwater is withdrawn.
Note: A qanāt (Arabic: قناة, Persian: قنات) is one of a series of well-like vertical shafts, connected by gently sloping tunnels (see attached picture). Qanāts create a reliable supply of water for human settlements and irrigation in hot, arid, and semi-arid climates. The qanāt technology is known to have been developed by the Persian people sometime in the early 1st millennium BC and spread from there slowly westward and eastward.
Contamination of drinking water supplies due to industrial pollution and waste disposal practices
Dear Kamal,
Thank you for your suggestion and practical solution. Certainly this can be a good option too. However, according to the officials, "Iran's first nuclear power plant in the Southern city of Bushehr is operating at maximum capacity and has generated 7.5 bkw/h of power so far, the operator of the plant said." Further more, the operation of the power plant will "save the country the consumption of 8.5 million barrels of oil annually" [Source: FarsNews] . I am not specialist in this issue. Is this enough to desalinate sea water?
Source: FarsNews
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930612001089
Thank you again dear Kamal. Iran should consider this option for water desalination beside generating electricity as our power station is, in fact, located in Bushehr Province which lies in a vast plain running along the coastal region on the Persian Gulf coast of southwestern Iran.
Latetly I saw a video in which someone was drinking camel piddle. Unimaginable for most of us. Would you drink piddle from a camel because you cannot afford a bottle of evian? Such a shame in the so called globalized world. People were laughing about that. And my first reaction was that I felt totaly disgusted. But now I think: Before answering such questions everyone should be forced to walk arround with a camel in the desert and drink piddle first to survive. Just to create the appropriate experience which is necessary to understand that value is not price. It is more than fair to ask someone for paying when water gets treat. But it is really unfair to sell water from the beginning which should be a free good. In my country I have a choice. I can say "Naaah! I don't want to drink water from the water faucet. I do prefer evian for me and my baby."... but what choices do people have in countries without constant water? Obviously there is a difference. So solutions must be different.
Dear @Carmen. Thank you for commenting on this topic. Unfortunately, we can not compare the two! You are lucky to have option among water faucet, evian, rain, snow, as you live in a rich country, ... We don't have such luxury here. All we have here is a rising temperature, global climate change, no precipitation, drought, plus a country under heavy unjust sanction, ... My question was not to get sympathy from other members, rather I am interested to know what we can do about it. I want to get feedback on how we can make a sound public awareness among people, scientist, government officials, etc on the severity of the situation on water scarcity and come up with new ideas, innovation, ... to combat the situation. I believe this problem is not only in my country and in the near future we must help others too. To be honest I learned a lot from the answers so far, and want to get more educated on this subject. I thank you and all participants who had great role in my better understanding and importance of the issue.
Dear @Shanker, Thank you for the reference. although it is a bit old (2002) publication, It contains very good information. It also provides action plans at individuals and communities, governments as well as private industry and nongovernmental organizations levels. For the later group it suggest more efforts in the following areas:
• Exchanging information among and between industry and nongovernmental organizations on relevant and novel methods and strategies.
• Focusing on sociological factors that may have an impact on the most suitable technologies and programmes for a given region/ community.
• Ensuring equity in both services and benefits.
• Involving communities in all aspects of water harvesting, recycling, storage, purification and supply.
• Coordinating efforts among governmental and intergovernmental sectors for the purposes of achieving harmonious processes and results.
It concludes nicely by saying: "The proverbs “waste not, want not,” “little drops of water make the mighty ocean,” and “what is saved is what is earned” represent simple truths. Water is plentiful. What is needed is to ensure that it is not wasted but treated, purified and made available in a fair and safe manner. The task is doable, thanks to the earth’s hydrological cycle. The earth does not let a drop of water escape but wraps it tightly within and around itself. We who live on earth can – and should – do so too.".
As water is consumed by each individual, everybody needs to be made aware of the numerous efforts undertaken towards solving the problem of water scarcity by various agencies. This has been and can further be done by advertising the issue in all possible manners and try educating everyone in using water judiciously. Attempts must be made to publicize the known preservative approaches as well as the the newer innovative techniques among the masses.
Dear @Shanker, Thank you for your new posts. The link has few good and relevant information on water crises. In one of them it says "In every sector, the demand for water is expected to increase and analysis suggests that the world will face a 40% global shortfall between forecast demand and available supply by 2030." Furthermore, and because of the interlinked global economy, accelerating stress on the world’s water will affect food and energy systems around the world. Within the next 15-20 years, the worsening water security situation risks triggering a global food crisis, with shortfalls of up to 30% in cereal production.
So much water goes to lawns. Lawns are a holdover from hundreds of years ago when the wealthy would create them for such sports as lawn bowling. Today, they waste huge amounts of water---needlessly!
The biggest waster of water, tho, is Big Ag. They also ruin the land with their poisonous chemical practices (chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, etc.). We can save billions of gallons of water by getting back to organic gardening and farming via methods such as permaculture, which uses comparatively little water.
Creating large Monolithic Dome greenhouses (www.Monolithic.com) can feed whole towns and small cities with fixed amounts of water (no waste).
People can be encouraged to catch and use rainwater at home. Businesses can also create catchments that hold drinkable water.
By eliminating the practice of fracking we can help save underground water supplies.
Integration of Rivers can handle problems such as incessant rain and inflows from catchment areas affecting many people distressed and disrupted with overflowing river waters, and vast areas of crops being damaged under cover of water.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/jk-likely-to-get-respite-from-rain/article6389485.ece
Good points dear Florin. Water resource protection typically forms a key component of waste disposal, storage and recycling activities. The aim of sustainable land management or agri-environmental management long-term is to slow climate change. Therefore, it is important to manage farms in an environmentally friendly way to reduce its impact on the environment, including air emissions, land contamination, waste production and water pollution.
There is growing evidence that dams could be phased out in favor of natural power sources. This would help reverse the trend of environmental damage caused by dams. Who knows? Maybe we could someday even be able to drink out of streams, just like in the past. Wouldn't that be nice!? And, of course, the fish would enjoy that, too. I can imagine it. Can you?
Absolutely "renewable". We're past the time when we can entertain the notion of continuing with resources that are not replaceable (oil) and that are potentially horrendously damaging (nuclear). There are so many excellent ideas available to us now. We just need to get everyone on the same page: jobs will be switched, not lost. We need to allow the natural environment to resort back to something truly "Natural", to let Nature take its course. Removing dams is just one way to do this. Creating cooperative communities is another.
An humble effort:
http://www.bluemountainproject.org/Clean%20Water?gclid=CK2Zh4vs0sACFQKSjgodbSoAhg
See the link:
http://thewaterproject.org/world_water_week.pdf
UN-Water's Activities:
http://www.unwater.org/activities/en/
UN-Water Activity Information System
http://www.unwater.org/other-resources/activity-information-system/en/
10 Things You Need to Know About Sanitation:
http://www.unwater.org/downloads/media/sanitation/10Things.pdf
Benefits of recycling:
http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/importanceofconservationofwater/
See this link:
http://www.greenfacts.org/en/water-resources/l-3/6-sustainable-management.htm
Read this article:
http://www.sustainability.com/library/evaporating-asset#.VA5OEKNv_MQ
See the link:
http://www.dow.com/sustainability/stories/operations/member.htm
see the link:
http://www.unep.org/PDF/Clearing_the_Waters.pdf
Increasing the awareness:
http://www.wbcsd.org/work-program/sector-projects/water/overview.aspx
Awareness:
http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/fileadmin/world_water_council/documents/programs_hydropolitics_sdgs/2-3%20%282%29.pdf
Awareness:
http://www.royalhaskoning.com/nl-NL/NieuwsEnDocumentatie/Documentatie/Documents/watersensitivecity_LR.pdf
see this link:
http://www.ourplanet.com/imgversn/83/serag.html
Dear Shanker, Thank you so much for introducing many relevant links and documents on this thread. The previous answers as well as these links and much more awareness campaign around the world about water management and related issues about it, show the vital role of water in everyday life. Water and energy are two most precious sources of life and prosperity and our use of water and energy makes life possible and life worth living. We should use them wisely.
Dear Dr. Mahmoud,
You have highlighted a very important issue that the world is facing. Numerous efforts are going on worldwide to tackle the vital problem.
Dear Dr. Shrivastava,
Thank you for your answers and compliments. I wish I could do more in this direction. More has to be done and that would require both public and scientists (students, researchers, ...) help. They must be aware of the facts (and crises) and do their best to help countries to solve the problem of water scarcity. We should remember that our students in today's classrooms are the scientists of the future that we will need to meet this challenge.
Today, there is an increasing attention across the world to explore how world’s water resources can be managed in a more sustainable way. Pressures on water resources are unprecedented that are posing a serious and urgent challenge for communities and societies around the world. This warrants recognising basic principles that underpin good water management and developing a stronger enabling environment of policies and laws, institutional frameworks and management tools, securing continued political commitment and mobilising collective action for better management of water and in the context of the world’s new and emerging challenges. It is well recognised that the conventional, compartmentalised approach to water management incongruous or counter-productive to desired outcomes. Water management planning needs a holistic approach that better integrates water into socio-economic development planning in order to simultaneously achieve the 3Es i.e. economic efficiency, social equity and environmental sustainability. Further public should be made aware and accountable for judicious use of water, rain-water harvesting, and other austerity measure concerning use of water. A large quantity available in the form of sea water is unusable due to salinity. Therefore innovative approach to water desalination is the definitive solution to make the water available for all.
Dear Yogesh,
Thank you for mentioning the importance of 3Es as well as asking the researchers for coming up with new innovations w.r.t utilizing sea water as a sustainable solution for water scarcity.
It would be very interesting to hear any other expert in hydraulics or hydrology, from an Iran University or from other any part of the world. Nevertheless, certainly all know that DESALINISATION of water and nuclear power are very different things. Also certainly everybody knows what a kWh is, at least when we pay (annually or in every month) the energy of our homes. Please see for example what it is in VIKIPEDIA about "desalinization".
I do not know the situation in Iran. 2 kWh to 4 kWh per cubic meter of water requires nuclear energy? You do not have renewable energies as solar or wind? What is the current price of the kWh in Iran?
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination
Dear Antonio,
We have established renewable energies sites (solar as well as wind) in some parts of the country. I dont have exact statistics right now. But here I can give some answer to your last question (current price for generating each kilowatt hour of electricity in Iran) from published data:
In late September 2013, the managing director of Iran's Power Generation Transmission and Distribution Management Company (TAVANIR), Homayoun Haeri said that electricity production in Iran costs three times more than its income.
Iran should increase an electricity price, he said, adding that reviewing the electricity power price is necessary for saving the country's electricity power industry.
Haeri went on to note that generating each kWH of electricity costs 680 rials (about 0.027 cents based on an official rate of 24,800 rials per each USD), while it is being sold for 430 rials (about 0.017 cents). Some 266 rials (some 0.010 cents) of that amount is being paid to TAVANIR.
Iran's Subsidies Organization receives 166 rials (about 0.006 cents) of the figure, he added.
You also mentioned that "certainly all know that DESALINISATION of water and nuclear power are very different things." I did not get your point. We had two answers about this issue before: Dr. Kamal suggested " Iran can use its nuclear power to desalinate water which is a cheaper option than traditional energy" in his earlier posts and he also pointed out " Jordan's government is planing to build a nuclear station for generating electricity and for water desalination" Do you thing it is feasible? Or you want to tell us something else?
Dear Mahmoud. Unfortunately I cannot help you on the matter of nuclear energy. I do not know anything about nuclear energy (at least by now). I prefer renewable energy for my country (hydraulic, wind, sun, waves ...). I respect other preferences, and I do not live in Iran. Your original question was about scarcity of water. I suggest you make later a new RG question about this new concern of yours.
Dear Antonio,
You said "I do not know anything about nuclear energy (at least by now). I prefer renewable energy for my country (hydraulic, wind, sun, waves ...)." So do I. I am not interested about nuclear energy neither.
For your information, Iran is rich in energy resources. Its proven oil and natural gas reserves are estimated 89.7 billion barrels and 26.6 trillion m3, respectively. Such an abundant supply of fossil fuel resources tends to discourage the pursuit of alternative renewable energy (RE) sources. We are very rich in RE resources, too. We had completed a number of wind, solar, geothermal, ... energies projects. Fulltexts to many of my publications in these areas are available in RG.
As you said this question is about scarcity of water and we should focus of water issues only. I am not concerned about nuclear energy here nor I will ask any question about it in RG. Since you mentioned about nuclear energy in you previous post I wanted to know why you asked and what is your opinion about its feasibility to solve water crises.
If Iran is so rich in energy resources, I do not see any reason for your concerns with the energy that desalinisation requires. Perhaps you were badly informed about desalinisation, or you did not understand my answers. As I told you before, I do not know nothing about nuclear energy (is not my area). I prefer write about water (I liked very much the answer of Andras, it is a good example to follow). Kamal may be right when he says that nuclear energy may be cheaper. I already heard several arguments in favour and against nuclear energy. As I told you before (at least for my country) I PREFER RENEWABLE ENERGY (nuclear energy may be dangerous, see the accidents that already occurred), but I am not an expert in this subject. Perhaps you should ask to the experts in your country, or in other part of the world. I suppose this is not a personal quarrel. I already wasted too many time with your nuclear energy problem.
Dear Antonio, You are the one started asking about nuclear energy in this topic and now you say something else. What you mean by saying "I already wasted too many time with your nuclear energy problem." How? Why you keep talking about it even no one is interested about such alternative. Maybe you did not read my last two answers.
Let me change the subject to something more useful for current question in order to stop wasting our precious time. I heard that there is few innovations in water infrastructure, because It is more difficult to change water infrastructure than most. This observation is the essence of the argument put forth in a recent paper by Kiparsky et al. (2013) for Reinventing their Nation's Urban Water Infrastructure. In "The Innovation Deficit in Urban Water", the authors conclude that water infrastructure is systemically resistant to innovation. Could it be due to water authorities being slow to adapt, and officials are not rewarded for taking the risks required for innovation as much as they are punished for failure or there are some other reasons behind it.
Michael Kiparsky, David L. Sedlak, Barton H. Thompson, Jr., and Bernhard Truffer (2013). The Innovation Deficit in Urban Water: The Need for an Integrated Perspective on Institutions, Organizations and Technology. Environmental Engineering Science, 30(8) : 395-408.
Researchers at the United Nations University [see link below] anticipate that wastewater treatment will be a crucial technology in water-scarce regions in the coming years, and have found that only one-third of the world's countries have the relevant expertise on the subject.
http://www.citylab.com/tech/2013/09/why-there-so-little-innovation-water-infrastructure/6883/
Dear Mahmoud. I gave already 6 answers about WATER; and 2 answers about ENERGY because you asked me directly. Sorry I have no more time for you now, because I have too much work to do now.
Dear Antonio,
Thank you for your comments and answers. My main question and my last post on "Innovation in Water Infrastructure" was not for you only. It was general and I was seeking others experts opinion, too. Good luck.
Water scarcity is among the main problems to be faced by many societies and the World in the 21 century. Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and, although there is no global water scarcity as such, an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water.
Water scarcity already affects every continent. Around 1.2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the world's population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this situation. Another 1.6 billion people, or almost one quarter of the world's population, face economic water shortage (where countries lack the necessary infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers).
While I was updating my information on water scarcity in Iran , I found this interesting UN site Water for Life Decade>>Water scarcity http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml
Water scarcity is both a natural and a human-made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for seven billion people but it is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed.
Some facts:
- Around 700 million people in 43 countries suffer today from water scarcity.
- By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world's population could be living under water stressed conditions.
- With the existing climate change scenario, almost half the world's population will be living in areas of high water stress by 2030, including between 75 million and 250 million people in Africa. In addition, water scarcity in some arid and semi-arid places will displace between 24 million and 700 million people.
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest number of water-stressed countries of any region.
For more information, please follow the link:
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml
I believe the intensity of action is guided by the urgency of the purpose. We say in Hindi: “Jal Hi Jeevan Hain”, means WATER IS LIFE”. Given the ever-aggravating problem of water scarcity globally, we can say the world is losing its life.
Human health and welfare is very much linked to water availability/scarcity. We in India maintain over 17% of the world population with merely 4% of the water resources; the possible implications for human health, agriculture, food security and overall welfare are obvious. The situation is expected to further worsen under the impending climate change.
The situation is more or less similar in many other parts of the world which underscores the need for innovative solutions to the world's water problems.
Thanks
Dear Manoj,
Thank you for your comments. As you correctly pointed out "Water is life.”. Let me re-phrase it by saying "There is no life without water."
Dear all, The problem of water scarcity can only be solved if businesses, governments and NGOs collaborate. I found some of these emerging technologies that could probably be adopted to overcome water scarcity:
Nanotechnology in filtration
Membrane chemistry
Seawater desalination
Smart monitoring
Intelligent irrigation
Wastewater processing
Mobile recycling facilities
For details of these new technologies I refer you to the original comments given by Will Henley in Guardian Professional on Monday 22 July 2013. Do you know where I can find more information on emerging technologies in water industry?
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/new-water-technologies-save-planet
Update: A picture appeared in Etemaad Newspaper today, about Iran's water scarcity situation. Thursday 18 Sep. 2014
http://etemadnewspaper.ir/Released/93-06-27/default.htm
Excess water is drained from the land in order to provide the right moisture conditions for crops to grow. Drainage technologies are well known and established across the world but drainage is one of the neglected areas which deserves more recognition. Lack of drainage and inadequate protection from flooding are major obstacles to agricultural development and constrain farmers from intensifying and diversifying their cropping.
Virtual Water and Water Footprint, What are these?
International trade in food and other products implies international flows of virtual water. Virtual water is the water that is virtually embedded in traded commodities. It refers to the water footprint of a commodity in the place of production.
For water-scarce countries like Iran it can be attractive to import virtual water (through import of water-intensive products), thus relieving the pressure on the domestic water resources.
Maybe these new ideas can help water scarcity to some extend. Looking for some references to know more about water footprint.
Source:
http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/VirtualWaterFlows
Dear All,
In order to make any improvements regarding the issue of water scarcity in our world today, more than one solution is necessary. While I was googling I found the following link with good news and ideas:
http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/experts-name-the-top-19-solutions-to-the-global-freshwater-crisis/
The 19 best solutions to the global freshwater crisis captured by a GlobeScan and SustainAbility poll of more than 1200 leading international experts in 80 countries. Here’s their final list:
For more details, plz see:
http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/experts-name-the-top-19-solutions-to-the-global-freshwater-crisis/
Dear All,
Did you know that you eat (NOT drinking!) 3496 litres of water everyday? Eating water might sound strange but it is true. Our domestic is only 137 per day litres! What we consume at home is visible to us, but it is only a small bit of what we use in total. There are two invisible parts:
The first invisible part is the water used for the production of the industrial products we consume everyday, such as paper, cotton, clothes. This part amounts to 167 litres per day.
The second big invisible part is associated with the production of the food we consume. This amounts to 3496 litres per day which means that 92% of the water we use is invisible and it is hidden in our food! This is where the "eating water" comes from.
To explore more see the link. Also, find out how you can make the world a little more water secure by "Enjoy a water sensible diet."
http://www.angelamorelli.com/water/
Hi Mahmoud Omid ;
Thanks for putting such an important question on this professional site. I also worked on use of poor quality water in agriculture and water management aspects. In India water resource seen is also not rosy. We are very close to be under water scare nation very soon. Everybody is aware of the water scarcity but awareness program towards water saving must be started at school level/village level/houselevel. That is only option left to each and every individual. Thanks
Dear Dr. Dubey . Thank you for your comments on my questions specially this one. Education and public awareness are certainly very important specialy in developing counties. However, government vision and planning must be toward a sustailablity in food, agriculture, water, energy, Thank you,
Best regards,
Mahmoud
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