| Water
shortages : Are we doing enough? |
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A shortage of
clean water is one of the most serious challenges facing the world this millennium,
according to the United Nations. Some argue
privatisation is the best way to ensure everyone gets access to clean water, but others
argue that water should be provided by the state. Do you live in a
water-scarce region? How do you think this most precious of resources should be managed?
Send us your views and experiences. We will be
discussing the issue of water in a special series of interactive debates between Monday 2
and Sunday 8 June. Join us throughout the week, and please include your phone number if
you would like to take part. Your details will not appear online. The following
comments reflect the balance of views we have received: This most
precious and basic of resources should be managed by the state I live in an area
which has very definite wet and dry seasons. The monsoons set in from June to September
each year. We rely on artesian water which generally lasts all through the dry season
during which we see no rain for up to 5 months. Each house has its own deep well but
commercially piped water is available. I think that this most precious and basic of
resources should be managed by the state, exclusively. It cannot be privatised and left to
the voracious private sector for profit. The majority of
countries affected by such shortages are governed by corrupt regimes that can not be
trusted to run a bath. Ploughing money into their infrastructure is money down the drain. Why should Africa
be drought-ridden when it is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian oceans? I live in the
South East of England and most of us are well aware of the problem of managing water
resources - both flood and drought. Whether or not we can recall it, most of us have been
advised at one time or another as to how to conserve water. Unfortunately, Africans in
particular do not have our resources. Or do they? Why should Africa be drought-ridden when
it is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian oceans? If oil companies can build huge
refineries and trans-continental pipelines, then why can't they build huge desalination
plants and trans-continental pipelines? Problem solved. There is enough
water if it is equally shared. The IMF and the World Bank should give loans or grants for
water development projects. How we use water
in Massachusetts will make no difference to people in Arizona or India Kenley Donaldson
complains that we don't think of water as "one great whole". That's because it's
not. How we use water in Massachusetts will make no difference to people in Arizona or
India. Attempts to make suburbanites watering their lawns in developed nations feel guilty
because Ethiopians suffer from drought are ludicrous. I am pretty fed
up with having to answer for my way of life just to justify it. I live in a society that
is peaceful, pretty well off, and resourceful. Why then am I being quizzed as to the
recourses of the Third World? The West has been putting trillions into Africa which was
used to enrich those in power and buy weapons. This needs to stop so that the people of
the continent can then learn to help themselves! Water is
classified with adjectives such as renewable, ground or surface. This disingenuous system
supports the concept that this life-giving liquid is not part of one great whole.
Underwritten by the greedy developer-government complex, the balance of natural life,
farming and family life is fractured. When will common sense and a spiritual dimension of
life triumph over greed? People make far
too much of the "water wasting" issue. Wasted water is not lost. After going
down your drain, soaking into your lawn, or whatever, it rejoins the eco-system and is
recycled naturally. The perceived water shortage problem is caused by the fact that the
people who are short of water are not where the eco-system distributes it. That, I fear,
comes with living on a planet which has no sense of altruism and doesn't care how thirsty
you are. The UN system has
just produced a World Water Development report. It was claimed that this report is one of
the most comprehensive documents on water. As a citizen of one of the poorest countries in
the world, I want to know if this publication was a one off, soon-to-be forgotten piece or
will the UN produce similar reports in the future and keep water at the top of the
development agenda? A great emphasis
should be placed on efficient water distribution and usage The problem with
technological options is that the ecological damage caused by, for example, dam
construction is considerable, most notably the three gorges dam in China. And river
diversions destroy entire ecosystems, while desalination is not an effective option
because of the high energy input required to produce potable water. A great emphasis
should be placed on efficient water distribution and usage. The city of Windhoek in
Namibia, through necessity, recycles 100% of their waste water with the minimal use of
technology. The answer is to
fix the local resource problems, not worry about how much water we use here. No-one is
going to start shipping UK water to Africa anytime soon. Let's get aid to these countries,
but not in cash that can be diverted. Why not just use our money on water and sanitation
projects for cities and towns that need them?? No grant and corruption, positive benefits. Shock tactics
might be the only way Having grown up
in drought conditions in South Africa, I was amazed upon arriving in England to see how
much waste goes on. Taps are left running unnecessarily to give just one example. I think
that people in regions with an abundance of water need to be re-educated. Shock tactics
might be the only way. Little attention
is paid to the devastation caused in the natural world by excessive water consumption A great deal of
emphasis is placed on the human aspect of any water resource problem. Yet, little
attention is paid to the devastation caused in the natural world by excessive water
consumption. Other living things need water to survive, and it is almost obscene to
suggest that the human population is above other life. There is very little debate about
overpopulation in the developing world and in the West. It is the prime reason for water
shortage. We in the Middle
East, especially in Jordan, suffer from a shortage of clean water. We depend totally on
rainfall, and on the water that comes in from other countries by way of assistance. We do
not have rivers or enough ground water resources. Desalination seems to be the solution. Water supply is
still a big problem in most of our rural areas in Cameroon where most people live. In some
parts, people don't realise that water is a prime necessity for good health. Some of the
rural areas are fortunate to have enough streams and springs, but these in most cases
provide unclean water. In others, water is scarce and women or children have to travel
long distances to fetch water from rivers, streams or springs. It would cost billions of
francs to provide pipe water to every village. China is finally
doing something about its poor water distribution problem. The new dam will provide flood
control and a reliable water source for centuries. The rest of the world should learn from
them and the Third World should stop wasting money on corruption and military hardware and
start spending it on public works. The water
situation is far more serious than we'd like to admit and will take more than platitudes
from a couple of meetings to fix. Firstly, we need to get real about cutting back on our
appallingly wasteful use of water. Secondly, we need to educate everyone, not just the
kids, about the consequences if we carry on at our current levels of consumption. Thirdly,
governments must take more responsibility for the environment. The Murray River fiasco is
a perfect example of government reluctance to take action in time. Never in my life
have I experienced this level of drought or water scarcity in my area. The Indian
government and the world should do more to prevent a major disaster. At least, the West is
talking about this now. I live in Papua
New Guinea, which had a major drought in 1997. The lesson that should have been learnt,
namely the need for cooperation by the subsistence farmers in the bush, passed over the
heads of everyone as clan and tribal rivalries continued. Another lesson not learnt was
that a developing nation needs government-sponsored hydrological surveys to develop and
manage groundwater programmes. Water is too precious resource to let it fall into the
hands of private enterprise. There is no water
crisis. There is a people crisis, that's all. Let's face reality: why shouldn't people in
countries which have water use 10 times more than people in poor countries? It's tough,
but it's their water, after all. Everyone should
have the right to use clean water. Water is one of our most important needs and when I
find out that a lot of people don't have it I feel a bit guilty. In my region people use
about 17 litres of water every day. But we don't realise it! Many industrialised countries
have water problems. Maybe we waste too much water but I think that the major cause is
that world population is increasing too much. In order to avoid the problem the solution
could be the desalination of sea water. Does anyone agree? How much water
British people use has no effect on the amount of water in, say, Ghana. Britain is
water-rich and Ghana isn't, and that's an issue of climate not economics. The "water
crisis" boils down to over-population. There is no way that water-rich countries can
ever pipe enough water to the water-poor. The only solution for people in arid countries
is to drastically reduce their populations so that there is enough water to go round. This
lies in their hands, not in the hands of the West. Most of the
people in the powerful countries carelessly throw water away, whereas some of the people
in the poor countries long for one drop of water before they meet their parched death. I'm tired of
every nation expecting something for nothing. If people are dying in your nation for lack
of water, pick up a shovel and dig a well. Maybe if you try to help yourselves, other
nations will help more. While water
scarcity can be an economic inconvenience in wealthier countries, the developed world has
sufficient money to enact vast conservation schemes as well as giant water-moving projects
(like the aqua ducts of California). The real concern is in the developing and
underdeveloped countries. This is where the United States, the EU and the United Nations
must work in harmony to alleviate the situation. The solution is
to use different sources of water for different purposes Kalyan Reddy, Visakhapatnam,
India The coastal city
where I live doubled it's population double in the last ten years. The effects in terms of
the depletion of natural water resource are clear for everyone to see. The solution is to
use different sources of water for different purposes. We could save the ground water for
drinking and use alternate sources like desalinated sea water for other activities. But
the challenge lies in enforcing it and changing our habits, which although difficult is
certainly achievable. Seems to me
people have this all backwards. The world's water supply cannot sustain the growing
population of the planet, so we look to solutions centred on water. Why aren't we looking
for solutions centred on population in water-poor areas? Certain parts of the world will
always be water-poor, yet people still try to live and breed there. It doesn't make sense
to me. Blaming golf
courses in the west does not help Is it any
surprise that a population of 900 million people will experience water scarcity in a
country such as India? Countries with scarce water resources should limit either their
population or water consumption per person. Blaming golf courses in the west does not
help; because golf courses or excessive residential water usage in the west do not
obstruct the natural recycling process of water in our planet. It's all very
well plotting graphs and producing reports. If someone can come up with a way to supply
clean water to everyone on this planet then they should be awarded the key to the world.
This is an impossible task, we have no control over the global climate. Water should be
provided by the state but like everything else, water provision will fall into the hands
of the regimes that plague Africa. Solve the world's problems and smash every dictatorship
and military regime. Did you know that
in Belgium they want to tax you on the rain water you collect? Next they'll make us pay
for sunlight. Only solidarity will fix global problems. Enough? No way.
Most people I know are unaware that there is a problem. On private v government, I say no
to privatisation. I am shocked that the world is putting control of the most important
resource in the hands of commercial entities interested only in profit. Backward and
oppressive governments cause most of the problems. The UN will not do anything because
they are too weak and too bureaucratic. The US will not help because we are getting tired
of giving grant money to dictators and watching them spend it on palaces, nukes, and shoes
for their wives. Since the only way to help the people is to first remove their
governments, we probably won't be doing much more of that because of the anger generated
by merely liberating Iraq. Sorry Third World, but if you want help, change your
governments. Two words:
population control. To those in the
developed world who smugly say that overpopulation is the main reason for water shortages:
The simple fact is the developed world consumes more than its fair share of water. On any
given day here in Austin, I encounter sprinklers watering lawns during the day when most
of the water evaporates. The US is a net water importer. If it wasn't for Canada, the
entire western US would be running dry by now. Ezra Teter, Austin, Tx. USA Having worked
with water rights issues in arid portions of the US, I say it takes coordination to
stretch your water budget further. It also requires people living in water-poor areas to
give up their green lawns and other frivolous water-hungry pursuits. The only thing the UN
can do is encourage coordination across international boundaries and TEACH people how to
be better stewards of the Earth. The city of
Lahore is not currently facing water scarcity as such, but it is a fact that the
groundwater table is being reduced very rapidly. To increase the level of the water table
in Lahore, the government should monitor illegal water connections. Secondly, water can be
conserved by imposing water restrictions on users. Thirdly, we will have to look into
injecting sewage, after initial treatment, into groundwater sources as it is successfully
being done in Israel and South Africa. We also need to increase the level of expertise of
officials working on water management. No! We are not
doing enough to conserve the world's water supply. While people are dying throughout the
Third World due to lack of water, we in the West are using perfectly clean drinking water
to flush our toilets. In the future water will become more valuable than oil. Water is scarce.
There is already a war between the southern states in India. Conserve water; when there is
rain, collect and save it. The question of
sustainability of global water resources hinges on the question of sustainable irrigation.
Today, more than 70% of global fresh water resources are used for irrigation. It is now
time to think seriously (and urgently) about research on irrigation management and how to
export cheap but efficient irrigation technologies to developing countries. Time is
running out fast. In poor countries
underground water is the main source of drinking water. But in many cases underground
water is used for cultivation. In a country like India there are many "unauthorized
deep tube wells", used for cultivation. This makes the entire region water-scarce.
Pollution is also an important reason. Call me cynical
if you will, but perhaps if we poured less water onto golf courses and more onto arable
land, wouldn't this help to alleviate the water-shortages that developed nations are
starting to suffer from more and more each year? A global crisis
in clean water can be averted First of all,
fresh water rights should be given to everyone. This lack of easy access to clean water is
perhaps the greatest cause of death and hardship in our world today. Denial must be
confronted. There are criminally wasteful water practices that are widely accepted today.
A global crisis in clean water can be averted - simply instruct the political leadership
on the value of conserving water, and respecting ordinary people. Poorer nations
have a duty to limit the size of their population While the
wealthier countries have a moral duty to help poor nations obtain and maintain water
supplies, the poorer nations themselves, have a duty to limit the size of their
population. It is not up to
the world to fulfil the obligation of feudal governments to their own people The Arab
countries that own the oil are wealthy enough to provide desalination plants for their
people to have drinking water. But they don't. It is not up to the world to fulfil the
obligation of feudal governments to their own people. Israel, with the help of a fraction
of its $4bn US aid, can easily provide the Palestinians with fresh water. It is more
difficult in Africa where violent dictatorships help only their tribal kin. In these
places the 'civilised' West really should direct much of its UN resources. Chris Hollett:
The oil-rich Arab states (which are a small minority of Arab countries) all use
desalination extremely intensively, to the extent that it accounts for most of the water
needs of places like Kuwait; but desalination is rather expensive for most Middle Eastern
countries and Israel does not "provide" the Palestinians with water, it takes
most of the contents of the West Bank's aquifers and leaves the barest pittance for
Palestinian farmers. The real water problem of the Middle East is not the amount of water
- it's the fact that many of the major rivers, notably the Euphrates and Jordan, run
through mutually hostile countries. The only solution is greater regional peace. We need rain
water harvesting and to use sea water to flush toilets in coastal areas. 60% of the world
population live in coastal areas. We also need an efficient use of water in agriculture. Why don't the
rich Arab countries try to help each other more? I saw some gorgeous green golf courses
and green lawns during my years in the wealthy Gulf Arab states. Mind you it rains very
little in these countries, so the water must be coming from somewhere. Why are the western
countries always criticized for not doing more? Many billions of dollars live in the
Middle East. Hold these countries more accountable. People in rich
countries may use more water but it is then mostly recycled The problem with
the UN "doing something" about the water shortage (or anything else) is that it
would involve the UN, or more specifically the so-called West, taking control of aspects
of life in sovereign countries. Also, people in rich countries may use more water but it
is then mostly recycled through sewage plants and pumped back out into the original water
source, so it is not really wasted. There are only
two problems: too many human beings and too much waste of water - everywhere. Solve these
basic problems and there will be no need for water to ever be scarce. No! With the
trillions of dollars spent to kill people, we should really be looking at spending
trillions of dollars to save people. The rich are too rich and the poor are too poor. This
must change in order for humanity to prevail. We are
experiencing our worst drought, yet Las Vegas has 63 golf courses Las Vegas is a
desert, with a high yesterday of 109 degrees. We are experiencing our worst drought on
record, yet Las Vegas has 63 golf courses. Americans are oblivious to how precious water
is. This most
precious of resources should be managed by each state, and not by avid (thirsty?)
multinationals. Why don't you investigate why some powerful countries are trying to
convince Uruguay to privatise its water resources? Is it because this little country sits
on top of one of the biggest aquifers in the world? As most commentators say, "Water
is tomorrow's oil" and wars will be fought over it. Industrial
dumping in rivers and a lack of a monitoring system to regulate water resources... make
this situation worse In the case of my
country Bangladesh, we have enough water but we don't have access to safe water because of
mismanagement and a lack of proper sustainable policy. Industrial dumping in rivers and a
lack of a monitoring system to regulate water resources, coupled with a lack of social
awareness and weak and corrupt institutions make this situation worse. Add to this the
international dimension, namely that we don't get our proper share from international
rivers which run through India. Mohammad Haroon, Dhaka, Bangladesh When is it going
to be made absolutely clear that water is a finite resource? There is only so much fresh
water on this planet, much of it locked up in sources unavailable to us. We in the West
are horribly wasteful of a limited resource. Every civilised country should have water
meters installed in homes. We can't live without water; it's priceless and we should pay
for every drop we use. Water should not
be a commodity obtainable in exchange for money. Right now, it is not Third World nations
that are using water the most, it is first world nations. Yes, we certainly
live in a water-scarce and a water wasting region. We are hoping to use the fog that
gathers off the Peruvian coast, which then blows inland and eventually just vanishes into
space. Just think of the "oceans" of water lost daily by not using simple
methods. We also intend to harvest good clean water from condensation. Our efforts should
be of interest to the forthcoming World Environment Day. Let us hope that this time,
someone somewhere will be listening to our call for a helping hand. We are already
witnessing the use of water as a weapon. The destruction of Iraqi water purification and
treatment plants followed by 10 years of sanctions and the Israeli occupation of the water
rich areas outside its borders are two very clear examples. Allowing the capitalist model
to gain control of the world's most precious natural resource is the fast track to
slavery. Provide people with the means to meet their own water needs and never allow a
corporate entity to control the essence of life. I live in an area
that has been in a drought for five years, yet the area has supposedly been getting wetter
over the past 30 years. Why? The reason is population. What is happening in Utah is a
small example of what is happening all over the world. The problem is not necessarily
scarcity of water or poor management (though that is a problem), but overpopulation. The
UN should be looking at ways to implement zero population initiatives around the world. Companies
involved in the provision of water and sewerage should be privatised Living in a
water-scarce with rationing being a common feature in our community, I firmly believe that
the companies involved in the provision of water and sewerage should be privatised. I
advocate this because of several reasons, corruption being at the top of the list. The
state should, however, provide a subsidy to the citizens in terms of connectivity and per
unit consumption. It amazes me that
every time there is a mention of scarce resources, the blame falls on America and the UK.
Everyone bemoans the fact that Africa in particular suffers the most. Why should the USA
and UK pay? Time for Africans to face their own problem. According to some
estimates, the cost of implementing the Kyoto protocol each year will be as great as the
one-off cost of providing clean drinking water and sanitation to every single human being,
forever. The problem is not one of water scarcity, but of the availability of
infrastructure to store and deliver it. While politicians continue to be diverted by the
global warming fallacy, this issue is unlikely to be addressed. The best thing
that could happen is the privatisation of water companies Having lived in
Kenya the best thing that could happen is the privatisation of water companies. Government
run institutions can't be held accountable in these corrupt countries. Privatisation will
bring in the element of competition and raise standards. Simple schemes eg rain water
collecting tanks can be built in deprived areas. Laws need to be introduced to prevent the
pollution of the already scarce water resources in these countries. I do not believe
that water had been a scarce commodity in India in the past, but it is the poor management
that has led to major crises. Time and again, there has been extensive discussions about
managing the resources in a more subtle and economical manner, but these matters are
simply forgotten once the Monsoon sets in. The gullible people have to once again look to
the skies whenever the crisis restarts, but the cycle of officialdom and the Monsoon (good
or bad) continues. Mahesh Chandra Somani, Oulu, Finland Governments in
these regions must just learn to get their priorities right and so must the UN which
claims to represent the world. I am totally
disgusted when I see a river or any water source polluted in the name of industry and
business. I am from a clean green country but since I started travelling (as a backpacker)
I have seen a lot of pollution in many countries. I love the outdoors and so see a lot of
inexcusable pollution. Something really needs to done on an international level. The UN does
predict acute water shortage, but what is it doing about it? Third World countries are
again there to suffer. Our existence depends on natural sources of water and conventional
sources of energy which we are depleting at a tremendous rate. Can we not invent a better
method of converting sea water into usable water? Can we not use greatly untapped solar
energy? Surely, not enough is being done in these directions because the developed world
is not yet feeling the heat from environmental catastrophes. I do not think
that we are doing enough at a global level to avert the looming water crisis. Not many
countries have recycling facilities and only a few have efficient management and
distribution systems. A recent report on water resources predicts that many of the
glaciers will melt by 2040 and many subcontinent rivers will dry up permanently causing
mass movement of people. Alarming. Wasting water is
a common practice since it is a free commodity. For city dwellers, governments try all
sorts to keep them in good humour, while those living in villages walk miles to collect
some water and the media hardly mention it.
While visiting
the West Bank town of Beit Jala in the summer of 2000, I witnessed first hand how
invaluable water supply can be to thousands of people. My aunt and her family were without
running water for 16 days. We, the people,
can do much more to combat the shortage of water. Even if there was no shortage of water,
it should not be wasted. If water prices
were higher in the US there would be more appreciation of that resource Precisely. The
politics and economics are the major obstacles in the way of a more equal or just
distribution of water resources. Look at the US for instance; water is wasted, taken for
granted to an immense degree because it is too affordable. If water prices were higher in
the US there would be more appreciation of that resource. A very simple
answer, no. We as a global community are not doing anywhere near enough. These countries
have a ready supply of salt water and sunshine. The simple solution is solar powered
desalination plants. Unfortunately, it would mean having to pay a much higher cost for
water, but considering we've plundered and polluted the earth resources for years it is
payback time. Unless
sustainable development is embraced, water shortage will persist The problem of
water is the biggest challenge African governments face. There is a serious need to
address the issue of water shortage in the world. This can only be done with the
cooperation of the various stakeholders and communities, through sustainable development,
to tackle the shortage. Unless sustainable development is embraced, water shortage will
persist. They should make
everyone pay the water rates I was paying when I lived in Plymouth. That would bankrupt
most Third World nations. Since being in Yorkshire I've had a hosepipe ban when York was
under twelve feet of water! I think water companies are to blame for any shortage,
especially in this country. As for the rest of the world, the Institute of Civil Engineers
highlighted this problem as a source of conflict a long time ago but did any of the
governments listen? The UN, other
nations and local governments should understand and underscore the significance of water As a high-school
teacher in an African country in the late seventies, I once lived in a rural area with no
running or piped water within a radius of about 15 miles. It was easier to give away food
than water. Water was borrowed, and had to be repaid. It took years before an artesian
well was located underground and had to be tapped through advanced engineering. At the
launching ceremony, it was like the arrival of a messiah; something that had not been seen
for generations. Water is so important that water rights to the Galilee is one of the
stumbling blocks to the Golan Heights talks between Israel and Syria. The UN, other
nations and local governments should understand and underscore the significance of water
through conservation, pollution control, irrigation and canalization. Igonikon Jack, USA Water
availability and use have affected both civilization and development in Africa. The global
efforts of sustainability can only be meaningful if leaders of most third world countries
are made to understand the centrality of water to any development and adopt policies
compatible with their socio-economic situations rather than the option of privatisation. Living in the
driest continent, though the least populated, water is in short supply, yet powerful lobby
groups such as irrigated agriculture, dominate and continue to with non-sustainable and,
frankly, stupid practices. We should know better, but don't. Water shortage is
the major concern in developing countries with high rates of population growth. The water
issue has been the cause for the construction of structures in the Terai region of Nepal,
which violate international dam treaties, submerging little fertile lands of the Himalayan
kingdom on the one hand and depriving many of the poor and the marginalised of the Terai
region of their land and housing. Rather than the Middle East, we see the water crisis as
the main issue. Let's hope water
does not become a priced commodity like oil. Water use has
been growing at more than twice the rate of the population increase during this century.
There remains no doubt about the fact that the pressure on the world's water resources
will continue to increase in the foreseeable future. Projections for the next 25 years,
based on present population growth rates, indicate a great increase in the number of
countries that will experience water stress and scarcity. Today, nearly half a billion
people don't have enough drinking water. That number is expected to increase to 2.8
billion people by 2025. It is the high time to act together before it's too late. I agree with
Mirek. Water is soon to be scarcer than oil. Oil can be replaced as a fuel. But there is
no replacement for water. I live in California. Here voters are exceptionally ignorant of
water issues and blindly mark ballots that vote in favour of private and mercenary bodies
that are literally 'selling us down the river'! There is not even local recognition of the
importance of water conservation and distribution. How can that kind of apathy and
ignorance equate to recognition of a global water crisis? The forests that
we rely on for soil and water conservation have been cleared with the approval of the
state thus leading to perennial water shortage Some governments
are doing enough but sadly not Kenya. I say that because the forests that we rely on not
only for soil and water conservation but also for water provision have been cleared with
the approval of the state thus leading to perennial water shortage. Frequent landslides,
flash floods, upsurge of both waterborne and water washed diseases here in Kenya have
burdened our health facilities with primitive and preventable diseases. Millions of
people die each year from water born diseases. These diseases are not just transmitted by
drinking contaminated water but also through the use of non-sterile medical instruments
and unclean utensils. Further there are thousands and thousands of people who have limited
access to water of any kind. Technology exists to address these issues, especially for
removing contaminants from water sources. The solutions are not expensive. The reality is
that wealthy countries lack the will to resolve this problem. Obviously some
ownership of the water supplies is needed, otherwise a "tragedy of the commons"
situation ensues. The real question is who should control it? The government agencies of
the developing world have proven themselves wholly incapable of effectively managing the
supply. It's time to introduce the market into the picture and privatise. Whatever happens
can't be worse than the situation as it stands. Jeremy, Edmonton, Canada There is going to
be a real shortage of drinking water in the whole world, not to mention third world
countries. Politicians should pay specific attention to this problem. Business will not
invest in this project because there is no profit. With shortages of
fresh water and rivers continuously getting polluted, the future seems to be very dark Governments are
not paying heed to the potential threat of water shortage. In India, there has been
continuous droughts in many states in recent years. With shortages of fresh water and
rivers continuously getting polluted by industrial and organic wastes - the future seems
to be very dark. Rain water harvesting may solve the problem of drinking water but serious
action has to be taken to tackle global warming and decide efficient ways to dump
industrial waste and check river pollution. No, not enough is
being done to conserve and preserve water supplies for future generations. Water may even
become a trigger for conflicts within nations. Just visit the American Southwest and you
will wonder how in the world there could be enough water to sustain such unbridled growth
in subdivisions, golf courses, etc. Where will the water come from? Some of these states
actually eye the Great Lakes as a potential resource, but we are not about to pipe our
greatest natural resource away. |
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