Environmental Issues

It is estimated that up to 70 percent of the earths surface is covered by water (National Geographic, para 4). Nevertheless, only a small percentage of this water is fresh water with most of it being unreachable. The only usable percentage of water is less than one percent of the fresh water portion. Clean water is not accessible to a significant majority of the worlds population with about 17 percent of the global population lacking access to clean water. Despite the fact that the earths surface is covered with a lot of water, it is amazing to note that not as many people are able to access clean water. As such, it is important to look into how this resource is used, the activities threatening its sustainability and the measures that can be taken to preserve clean water.

Clean water is being used for primarily three purposes domestic use, industrial activities and agricultural activities (irrigation). As at 2000, 8 percent of the worlds fresh water went into domestic, 22 percent into industrial use whereas 70 percent went into agricultural use (New Internationalist, para 6). The great percentage of water going into agricultural activities is attributed to increasing irrigation schemes in the last 40 years.

Availability of clean water is under threat mainly due to human activities. Pollution for instance is posing a great threat considering that most human and animal wastes are being released into the clean water in the aquifers. There have been more than 100 million synthetic chemicals that find their way into our clean water sources in addition to the many naturally occurring toxins (New Internationalist, para 15). More land has been put under irrigation over the last 40 years and this has resulted to more water being channeled into these activities. In addition, water use has also increased with a rising world population and it is estimated that water scarcity will hit up to 1.8 billion people by 2025 (National Geographic, para 8). Water aquifers have been disturbed through underground mining activities which disturb the water table whereas deforestation has disturbed the hydrological cycle. In essence, despite the high percentage of water on the earth, human activities have been contributing to the threats facing others who are not able to have enough water. Therefore, despite the fact that human beings are using water to better their lives, they are the ones again threatening their own lives by misusing the available clean water.

Even with the small percentage of water available for human use, the water can be enough if used carefully. First it would be important to stop water pollution so as to increase the amount of clean water available. This can be done by putting up good structures for disposing human and industrial wastes. It is also wise for individuals to be made aware of the facts regarding importance, availability and threats to clean water. With such a background, individuals can be challenged to take personal responsibility of using water efficiently and preserving water towers. Individuals and governments should take the responsibility of planting more trees (especially tropical forests) and regulating mining activities.

Clean water is a world crisis. It should be considered that only less than one percent of freshwater is available for use while the other percentage is far from reach (New Internationalist, para 2). Even though there is enough clean water, its distribution is very uneven. There has been wasteful use of water with the average U.S. citizen using 450 liters per day in excess of the recommended per day (New Internationalist, para 11). Furthermore, clean water is hardly available to the rural and urban poor. Rural poor walk for many miles looking for the water whereas the urban poor have to pay excessively high for water as compared to well off citizens. Pakistan urban poor for instance pay 83 percent more per liter the price from a standard water connection.