I am a little curious if some water conservationist or earth science expert can throw some light on my following observations and queries:
1. The total water on our globe is essentially conserved – no body can take a drop from the earth unless somebody exports it to a different planet.
2. Whatever we “waste” or “withdraw” from underground is going down the drain but is replenishing and accumulating elsewhere. Sure we loose quality potable water which will take time to filter and go back underground at a different location.
3. The problem apparently is that too much of urbanization is depleting the local underground water at a rate which is much faster then it is being replenished.
4. I believe it is being replenished as the underground level can not sustain different levels over a period of time because of gravity. Seems to me the water underground must be nearly the same averaged over a long period of time.
5. Gravity holds our water on the globe as whatever evaporates falls back at some locations where optimum conditions get created for rainfall.
6. It seems therefore strict guidelines need to be in force on how much density (people/area) we must allow if we know the rate of replenishing underground water in comparison to its consumption based on some data of individual average consumption.
7. Harvesting or holding water locally seems very strange to me as we seem to be working against the principles of natural water flow.
8. Can someone enlighten?
Water loss results from excessive use. Loss of water means loss of life.
Is a worldwide issue, but you are focussing on urbanization. It is important to find out how intensive agriculture is affecting water sources and water courses both in terms of volume and purity. Mega irrigation projects that involve dams and transposition have unprecedented effect... see Colorado River and in Brazil Xingu river and Belo Monte and São Francisco transposition.
Ever increasing population and urbanization along with deforestation and other land-use practices are causing water scarcity. This factor is widely recognized all over the world and the solution is water conservation; and water management in every sector of water use (domestic; industrial and irrigation). It is estimated that about 80% of the water use is in the agricultural sector. Watershed management and public participation are the key parameters for sustainable growth.
Your statement "Harvesting or holding water locally seems very strange to me as we seem to be working against the principles of natural water flow" at the outset appears to be correct. This is something like rivers are meant for flowing, so let it flow. But just think of the situation without dams (large or small) as they are required for production of electricity; irrigation water requirement in the non-rainy period or during drought periods, etc. If I extend your idea/concern, then we should not even drill wells and extract groundwater !! otherwise we will be disturbing the natural events within the hydrological cycle.
Are we loosing water because of excessive use? - Yes, it is so. The crisis of potable water is a fact at several places across the world.
Are We Running Out of Water?
https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2012/03/14/are-we-running-out-of-water/
Regards
Yes, it is right up to some extent that we are loosing water because of excessive use.
For big heads, money and power is the most important thing. Water and its problems are the last of the worries of this people. Same things for renewable energies
Water is the great secret of life on the Earth, so we have all yo save this gift.
To some extent it is true. Large scale water shortage is coming due to disturbance in hydrological cycle.
The problem of potable water is due to over dependency on ground water resources and pollution problem in surface water resources.
Dear Emad for you and me
' Water is the great secret of life on the Earth '
but for ..................................
' Money and power is the great secret of life on the Earth'.
Yes, we are loosing water because of excessive use.
The amount of fresh water resources is nearly constant since the start of life on earth. On the other hand, the world population has increased more rapidly over a period of less than 200 years. Inspection of the global map shows clearly the extent of desert and arid zones. Desertification occurs across the globe and at a very rapid rate and it has strong effect on the weather pattern, rainfall, and the environment. Desertification is primarily caused by unregulated humane activities that result in the destruction of delicate habitats, such as woodlands, rainforests, swamps, and Savannah. The combined effect of the continuous increase in the world population, changes in life style and the limited natural resources of fresh water cause water shortage.
The excessive use comes from the increasing demand, also improper usage of water due to lack of awareness can be considered as a reason for water scarcity, but it is not the only one.
Dr. Kenneth - Then, what's the solution? How can we mitigate the problem of potable water crisis?
We can recall the quote of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner):
"Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink".
Are we approaching to that situation? Due to the rapidly increasing population, urbanization and industrialization, the quality of water is deteriorating. I think the cost effective technologies for recycling and conversion of seawater into fresh water may solve the problem.
Regards
I never stopped to think about this. However, the question has generated interesting discussions. nice question!
"Loosing out water" seems to me as not correct. According to me the available water on the Earth's surface remains to be constant. This factor has been already stated by Dr. Vijay "The total water on our globe is essentially conserved – no body can take a drop from the earth unless somebody exports it to a different planet". It is only the quantum of water per head is decreasing because of increasing population. So it is a combination of increased use and excessive use (misuse) of water which is resulting in the water scarcity. The more dangerous problem of today is that even this limited fresh water is deteriorating in its quality due to pollution from various quarters.
Agreed Dr Prasad. Per head can be a problem of the population is increasing on the globe. The quality and quantity of potable water goes down yes. Is not it that now global warming is allowing more water from the frozen glaciers to be released too adding to more flow into rivers of quality water?
"Loosing out water" may be considered as '"shortage of water for per head use" and this is related to the increasing population. Many have mentioned the reason (increasing population), but what's the solution? Regards
Kenneth I have read your earlier answer carefully and it seems very nice to correlate population no with CO2. That seems beautiful curve. But let us also see how much does it add to glaciers melting. I believe melting snow releases quality water and is it not a nature's balancing act to compensate for increasing population? If we could check the excess water from melting snow flowing into the sea we can have quality water enough for increasing population.
It is not from excessive use of water but we could not save environment around us. Like Deforestation, global warming has increased drought, heave rainfall, landslide and also invited disaster.
Kenneth nature does care in the sense it is automatic. More the population more global warming and more melting if snow and ice. This will continue for a while till the balance is disturbed and then may be the end of present era will begin.
As already mentioned in my earlier answer "the solution is water conservation; and water management in every sector of water use (domestic; industrial and irrigation)." JUDISIOUS USE of the available water. Every year through World Water Day celebrations, the importance of water and the responsibility of every citizen in protecting and conserving water sources is highlighted, but this may not be reaching all cross section of people. Any type of sustainable water conservation & management requires full cooperation and participation of all the stake holders in the water sector. Though the suggestion is simple, practicing /implementing the same requires tremendous efforts from all concerned- Government/Industries/individuals, etc.
I agree with the remarks of Dr. Prasad. The primary measure is the conservation of water.
To cope up with the problem of fresh water crisis, a comprehensive long term plan is required starting from education to birth control:
Regards
This population rise and per capita consumption idea requires a little more in depth thinking. The number of people and animals and plants all consume water but not they keep consuming they also give out water. They hold the water about 70% of their body weight and that also gets returned when they die. The equilibrium is disturbed temporarily and saturates. The extra lives will lead to global warming as a net result and therefore more melting of frozen sources of water. Ultimately a situation will arise when all frozen sources are gone and we have a beginning of dooms day. Is it right way to conclude?
And then Kenneth holding on to your interesting Co2 vs population curve I think we can only control it by balancing out with vegetation and trees. The trees must also rise to keep this curve flat. And that hypothetically if happens will stop global warming. But then where will water come from as required per capita which now is further impaired because the trees also require it per count. So this call for more trees is not going to help the cause. Only thing that might help is just the population control.
Dr. Kenneth - Yes, it is fact; population growth has great role in the water scarcity.
In a study 'World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)' by UNESCO it is reported that about 90% of the 3 billion people who are expected to be added to the population by 2050 will be in developing countries, many in regions that are already experiencing water stress and in areas where the current population does not have sustainable access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/facts-and-figures/all-facts-wwdr3/fact-31-population-increase-water-stress/
Regards
Well said Kenneth - humans can not change the climate at most they can learn to adapt to it. What nature does humans can't - the scale of devastation or creation by nature is very high on scale humans can not reach it. They can not also destroy the environment so very much - it may be only a small fraction. The floods, the earthquakes, the landslides, the hurricanes etc change things massively and humans seem to be looking like saving pennies while nature plays with pounds. So let us be cool and enjoy life and live it where it is livable. Some pieces of land on the globe are so wonderful with all blessings from nature be it climate, weather, vegetation whereas at other places life is very hard. Strange though nature has not distributed its resources equally. But then life is finite and that is a solace. Seems like our philosophy of life (Hindu) divided into many lives and it depends on what you really did good or bad in the present life determines your next destination might be wise thought . Nothing stays for ever and also this dirty environment. But since we know and learn and we have to do to make whatever little we can to improve upon.
@Dhiaa Neema Jabbar you provided a concise answer in the beginning. But as it is it seems we have no control over the situation. The population grows out only from the globe using the material of the globe too. Anything which is created here is from te sources existing here. So if population consumes it delivers too.
We are running out of water - The problem is mainly related to water management and increasing population.
WE ARE MISUSING WATER, NOW ARE NOT VALUING WATER BUT IN FUTURE WE VALUE WATER
Water loss results from excessive use. Loss of water means loss of life.
Yes it's true, we destroyed our planet not only water, but also the whole nature
Yes it is true.
Pipeline are broken but government is in sleep mode.
Water conservation is must for the future
Excess amount of water use as well as over population with uncontrollable technology development cause fresh water contamination
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