The Economic Importance of Water
WATER IS CRUCIAL FOR HUMAN EXISTENCE, BUT DOES IT INFLUENCE ECONOMIC OUTCOMES? THE QUALITY OF WATER AND ITS ACCESSIBILITY ARE MAJOR FACTORS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. CERTAIN REGIONS SUFFER FROM A DEARTH OF CLEAN WATER AND REQUIRE BROADER ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER SO AS TO PROMOTE HUMAN HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH.
Why everyone should care about water
Water is essential for all life on Earth, and it is a limited resource. Though water covers 70% of the planet's surface, only 2.5% of that is fresh water that is suitable for human consumption. Access to clean drinking water is a major problem in many countries, especially those in arid climates where drinking water supplies are being depleted by human demand. The United Nations estimates that by 2025, nearly half of the world population will be living under conditions of severe shortage. Increasingly scarce resources lead to conflict and violence. Conflicts over water sources have been documented as far back as 500 BC when Greek historian Herodotus wrote about a battle between two regions over irrigation rights from the Euphrates River. More recently, this dispute led to war between Israel and Lebanon in 2006. All sides want access to water because they know that without it there can be no agriculture, industry or civilization. In parts of India and Africa, people need to walk miles just to find enough clean water for their families' daily needs. Conflict arises because communities compete for access to the few remaining available rivers or wells that have not yet dried up; meanwhile underground aquifers are being depleted at alarming rates. It takes an average of 700 years for rainwater to filter down into the earth and replenish aquifers. These reserves are drying up at a rate faster than nature can replenish them. Soil, land quality, food production and health of farm animals also suffer from overexploitation.
At any given time, more than 700 million people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water - including one-third of all children worldwide who die every year from diseases linked to unsafe water such as diarrhea and typhoid fever.
What we need
Making sure everyone has access to clean drinking water
Clean water is essential for human life and health. It is also critical for industry and agriculture. According to the World Health Organization, Water is essential for human life. An adequate supply of clean water is necessary to maintain health and to support economic development. The lack of access to clean drinking water or poor quality water affects many aspects of society, including health, education, sanitation and hygiene. Lack of access can lead to malnutrition because without clean drinking water it is difficult to prepare safe food or wash hands before eating. Lack of access may lead to disease outbreaks such as cholera, typhoid fever or dysentery due to contaminated drinking water sources like lakes and rivers. Without sufficient quantities of potable (drinkable) water, people are forced into a cycle where they spend their days trying simply not to die from thirst and their nights trying not die from malaria. Along with this, women and girls are at greater risk for violence when gathering water because more time is spent away from home and vulnerable to attack. Lack of access also makes it harder for businesses to operate effectively, which in turn reduces employment opportunities in communities around the world. Clean water enables agricultural production and industrial processes. Major crops require large amounts of irrigation, while industrial processes use significant amounts of water.
The United Nations estimates that by 2025 nearly 1 billion people will live in areas with absolute scarcity of fresh water; an additional 2 billion will live in areas under stress conditions. Women bear a disproportionate burden, accounting for 80% of those collecting drinking water worldwide and 60% have no other daily activity apart from providing household needs. With an increasing population on Earth and shrinking supplies of fresh water- clean or otherwise- these issues are only going to get worse if action isn't taken now. Solutions include increased desalination plants, reusing wastewater and conservation. Some countries are already taking steps towards cleaner water sources: Singapore plans to reduce its total volume of surface water usage by 50% through its Newater program by 2060, while Oman has reduced its consumption per capita per day by 34%. Action should be taken sooner rather than later to prevent global problems like the recent shortage in Cape Town South Africa that resulted in water being shut off during certain hours each day. One solution could be improved water management in order to create a surplus when droughts happen. There's a lot that can be done to make sure everyone has access to clean drinking water, but it must start with recognizing the importance of this issue. This is something the United States and all of the other countries in the world need to work together to solve.
The impact of pollution on ecosystems and humans
Water pollution is one of the leading causes of death and disease in the world. Every year, it claims the lives of 1.8 million people – mostly children under the age of five. And it’s not just humans that are affected. Pollution is also responsible for the deaths of fish, birds, and other animals. But water can be an asset, too. More than a billion people rely on water from surface sources like lakes and rivers for their daily needs. It can help develop local economies by providing irrigation for crops or generating electricity through hydropower plants. It provides clean drinking water to more than 2 billion people every day, according to UNICEF. In developing countries, clean water supports livelihoods through agriculture as well as income-generating activities such as small-scale fishing and livestock rearing (pigs). People who have access to improved drinking water facilities use 16% less fuelwood per day to cook food than those without access - meaning they spend less time gathering wood and have more time available for work or school. The World Bank estimates that improvements in water supply alone could reduce extreme poverty by 25%. So what's stopping us? Governments and policymakers need to invest in basic infrastructure including pipes, treatment plants, wells, pumps, reservoirs, and storage tanks. Providing these services could save up to 7 percent of GDP per capita annually. Furthermore sustainable development goals call for universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030. Progress towards this goal will require $22.6 billion each year. Many developing countries have limited resources, which is why partnerships with international donors and private companies will be crucial to provide much needed funds for investments in water supply and sanitation. For example, during the last 10 years China has increased its spending on water projects from $1 billion to $4 billion annually by partnering with foreign entities for construction loans, technical expertise, project management training programs and equipment donations. And this investment has had positive impacts: a 22% increase in life expectancy between 1990 and 2013. With support from the United States Agency for International Development, Zambia expects to increase household water coverage rates from 50% to 85%. As part of Africa's Scaling Up Clean Energy initiative, Morocco will install 20 wastewater treatment plants with wastewater recycling systems and establish incentives to promote rainwater harvesting. Local governments should take responsibility for improving standards in their own communities by investing in better waste disposal systems and encouraging households to use water-saving technologies such as low flow shower heads. And NGOs can contribute with programmes that teach farmers about environmentally friendly agricultural practices or help businesses understand how climate change affects their industries so they can adapt accordingly. All of these measures can make a difference. And they will have to, because water scarcity is on the rise. Countries in arid and semi-arid regions depend on declining underground water reserves that are difficult to replenish. By 2050, we could see a 40% drop in groundwater levels due to overuse and global warming. Climate change is projected to cause a 0.5°C temperature rise by 2020 and as much as 4°C by 2100, causing greater droughts and more intense storms, both of which deplete water resources further. It's estimated that by 2025 two thirds of the world's population will live in areas with high water stress; by 2050 the figure could be close to three quarters. And with an ever-growing world population, this will only become more acute. If the present course continues, many countries risk running out of water altogether. But it doesn't have to be that way. We can change our water-using habits and start conserving resources today. And in order to do that, we'll need government leaders, policy makers, entrepreneurs and NGOs to play their parts as well.
Water has become a scarce resource around the world. Global populations continue to grow as natural sources for clean water decrease in availability. As of now, it is predicted that by 2050 there will be almost three quarters of the world's population living in places with severe water shortages. This is not good news for everyone involved.
We should think more carefully about using our planet’s precious resources
Water is essential for life and is a key driver of the global economy. Nearly half of the world’s workers are employed in water-related sectors, and it is estimated that water shortages could cost the global economy $63 billion per year by 2030. The World Bank estimates that safe water would add an additional 1% to 2% to economic growth rates for developing countries. Poor access to clean drinking water has been identified as one of the main causes of poverty worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, many children spend at least two hours each day collecting dirty water from distant sources, which can lead to stunted growth and health problems including diarrhea and other infections. As these children grow up, they often lack the skills needed to find better jobs because they never had access to education while they were young. Without this necessary resource many people go without food or shelter; their only hope lies in a steady income from laborious work such as farming or mining (or being paid just enough money for someone else's labor). But even those lucky enough to have access to stable incomes still have high risks of sickness, chronic illness, and early death. A report by WHO notes that the indirect impacts on well-being include higher rates of unemployment, reduced physical activity levels due to ill health... and social isolation. The scarcity of water also means severe limitations on agriculture production: farmers cannot irrigate their crops or feed animals leading to malnutrition for both humans and animals. And women often lose out most when there is not enough water: in places where women need more time than men to collect water from distant sources, girls' schooling suffers the most when girls miss days at school because they need to carry out the household chores like fetching clean water for their families
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