Water scarcity and pollution are growing global crises

Water is life, and indeed it is. Of all the costliest resources, water has become ironic; it is ever so scarce and polluted. Imagine having to struggle more to get clean water than to get gold; that's just about the scary direction we are heading towards. This paper shall shed light on the problem, causes, impacts, solutions, and what our contributions toward saving the future generation from this torrid polluted world shall be.

What is Water Scarcity and Pollution?

Scarcity of water elaborated a little may be elaborated as a condition wherein available water is not able to meet the requirements of human beings, industry, or the ecosystem, whereas contamination can be regarded as infusion of unwanted substances that renders water incapable for drinking, agriculture, or life on Earth.

Take these two together, and it's like a serious one-two punch: not only is clean water becoming scarcer, but a lot of the existing water is unusable, to boot. This issue impacts billions of people around the globe, and there is no indication that this will decelerate anytime soon.



Reasons for Water Scarcity

1. Climatic Change
Ever notice how some places seem to get super drier and others are getting flooded with record flooding? That is because of climate change messing with the water cycle. While it is heating up, more water is evaporated into the air. Rainfall decreases in the arid regions. The sources of water coming from the glaciers and the rivers are in return reduced.

2. Overpopulation
More people=more water demand. It doesn't get much simpler. Unfortunately, the earth's supply of water isn't endless. As global population grows, water supplies are getting stretched thinner worldwide but most especially in those areas where water was already in short supply.

3. Unsustainable Use of Water
From over-irrigating crops to grossly excessive industrial use of water, man is really not known to be too wise with the resource of water. About 70% of the total fresh water used globally goes to agriculture alone. Taking in more than what nature can replace is a call for disaster.

4. Poor Water Management
Ever hear the phrase, "Don't waste what you can't replace"? Unfortunately, through bad planning and inefficiencies, there is a lot of waste even before it reaches the faucet. It is in the leakages in piping systems, high levels of antiquated infrastructure, and poor management that the major losses are taking place.

Sources of Water Pollution

1. Industrial Waste
It is here that the different types of chemicals, heavy metals, and such other pollutants find their way, either directly or from factories into the rivers and lakes. It is through this process that we poison the very water on which we survive so that the ends of production may be met.
 

2. Agricultural Runoff
These end up in the water-usually bodies-to cause nutrient pollution. They promote the growth of algae that is basically responsible for consuming oxygen that culminates into aquatic death due to asphyxiation.
3. Domestic waste
Consider various ways in which detergents, plastics and various other garbage make it to our water bodies. Domestirotection might be very minute, but then billions of people occupy earth hence accumulating.
4. Oil Spills
These tragic incidents kill sea life and render hundreds of thousands of liters of water unusable for many years.

Effects of Water Scarcity and Pollution

On Humans
It also points out that water is required for drinking, cooking and hygiene thus preventing cholera and dysentery. The poor living standards in most developing nations due to lack of clean water are very fatal to the millions of their inhabitants thus giving them generally short life expectancy.

Agriculture
No water, no food. Without proper irrigation of the crops, neither will the plants grow nor the livestock. This directly impinges on the food security situation, and immediately the prices start blowing up so that families can barely put meals on the table.

On Ecosystems
Aquatic life needs waters in their purest form to survive. The polluted body of water disrupts the ecosystem kills fishes and hence affects the biodiversity. Whole species have turned into extinct due to our oblivious practices.

Solutions to Reduce Scarcity and Pollution of Water

1. Save Water
Save gallons of water with simple action: fix the leaks, using water-efficient appliances, and shutting off the taps. After all, every drop counts!

2. Recycle and Reuse
Wastewater Treatment: Many industries are into treating wastewater and making use of it for irrigation purposes. This relieves freshwater bodies from stress.
 
3. Better Policies
This would require the government to necessitate far better regulations with regards to usage and pollution of water. Even the industries and farmers can also be incentivized in tune with best practices based on environment to go greener as well.
4. Creating Awareness
Educate the masses why water conservation is a grim concern, how the water body is getting destroyed by the pollution. Knowledge will lead to performance.

5. Innovate
The continuation of research and development in this respect would logically be to bridge this gap by offering various technologies like desalination, water purification systems amongst others.

Your role need not be that of a scientist or policymaker. Small changes in everyday life will do. Begin with responsible water use, reduced plastic wastes, and supporting all those organizations working for solutions to water problems.

Conclusion

That is one problem which can't be resolved just by one particular government or even some particular group of scientists; that's a problem for each of us. Now, there is one thing good: there does exist a solution, and all helps are needed-it costs nothing and is never trivial. What were needed now were acts no matter how minute, coz that's what the futureless planet demands now.