Climate Change and water: an overview

Water- the single most important element that allowed for life to spring on our planet. It is so important that in just 3 days a human can die if they do not drink it, compared to surviving for weeks/months without food. Life and water go hand in hand and rarely do you get a lot of animals in an area without it.

71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, that includes the oceans, rivers, lakes, small streams etc. However, only 3% of these 71% is fresh water.

Why is fresh water important?

Fresh water has been one of the key components for ancient civilizations and modern-day life. Imagine the Ancient Greeks and Romans without their baths, aqueducts, viaducts that allowed for water to be transported from far and wide and deliver it to your doorstep. Usage of water has evolved as we have evolved from irrigation to hygiene, to its’ usage as decoration via fountains. Throughout history water was seen as a public good-free to use and manage as the state pleases. However, what has worked in the past will not work in the future as water resources are coming under increasing strains.

Water under threat

The life cycle of water is complicated but also interesting. As you can see there is a very intricate relationship between how water evaporates and then how it gets deposited back to the earth- either via rain, snow, hale, underwater etc.

However, places that had plentiful of rain and water are now running dry or are on the brink of being desolate due to water disappearing.

For example, in South Africa the city of Cape Town, a city of 4 million residents, has been under severe threat for several years of running out of water. This has been brought about by unusually long spells of drought, coupled with using more water that was being replaced put the city to the brink of running out of water. To avert the crisis the local government limited water usage significantly to 50 liters per person per day as well as sharing a myriad of water saving tips. In addition, the city started removing non-indigenous trees such as pine trees, which require a great deal more water than native species, thereby limiting the potential for water usage in an extreme situation. Luckily, after an extensive program aimed at water conservation the crisis has been averted so far.

Another interesting example is Las Vegas, USA- a city built in the middle of the dessert. In recent years authorities have been forced to assist citizens in removing thirsty grass from the front yards of houses. Grass requires huge amounts of water to survive in this harsh climate. That is why the Nevada Legislature has required nonfunctional grass to be replaced or removed by 2026, which would reduce consumption by 9.6 billion gallons (approximately 43 billion liters) per year. Also given the dessert climate the plan is to introduce more resilient plants that do not require huge levels of irrigation and can withstand the harsher climate. The city has gone so far as to even handing out fines or banning irrigation during the day, installing more efficient water systems.

Not only that but communities across the globe are feeling the effects of less water in certain areas, especially in areas that never had such problems.

California is another interesting example, where the state experienced several dry years from 2012 onwards that put the focus on how water is utilized and waste at the forefront of public policy. Due to the way the water system was created it is dependent on water from other places (around 50%) and the rest is coming from ground water. Some areas of California are more severely impacted by others but overall, there is an extreme scenario developing over the last few years with dire consequences.

Causes

There are many causes for this situation:

Over usage of available water resources
Changing climate patterns due to global warming
Pollution of water resources, which means non-polluted ones come under increased strain
Limited usage of modern water management methods to limit the damage
Wastage of water due to poor pipes and insulation

The main reason is climate change as it is responsible for ever changing climate patterns, which means that extreme water patterns that used to be rare in the past are now becoming more common- from intense rains, where areas get flooded to extreme droughts, where areas that used to provide agricultural produce cannot do so anymore.

Possible solutions

Now climate change is on focus in many countries, but it will take some time for the combined efforts of every country in the globe to take effect. Meanwhile, there are several ways to combat water wastage and improve how our current water resources are managed:

Strict laws that limit the usage of water for specific purposes and the amount that should be used; This would affect residential areas, where sometimes water is overused for trivial purposes.
Installing water efficient showers, toilets, and sinks
Improving existing underground pipe system to decrease spillage and possible failures of the system
Reduce water usage to essential areas for society; limit usage for decorative purposes such as fountains, lawns, golf courses, etc.
Improving current irrigation systems that would lead to less usage for growing different harvests
Maintain better control of strategic ground water reserves

Summary

Fresh water is a very precious resource that usually tends to be overlooked in the grand scheme of things. This has finally caught with society and decades of mismanagement have finally come to bear. Our rivers, lakes, aquifers, streams, and many other freshwater resources are vital for our whole eco-system and way of life. Better oversight, improved technology, and public awareness are making a change, but more is needed to limit potential long-term consequences, or we risk having previously fresh, green, abundant with harvest areas becoming destitute and desert areas.

References(not an exhaustive list):

Main Photo - Photo by Claudio Carrozzo on Unsplash

Bringing water to Africa’s poor | Africa Renewal

Addressing Africa’s extreme water insecurity

Water | WHO | Regional Office for Africa

Water Scarcity in Africa | The Water Project

Water Scarcity | Threats | WWF

Clean Water Crisis Facts and Information

Which Country Has the Most Fresh Water? - WorldAtlas

4. WORLD WATER RESOURCES BY COUNTRY

Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters) | Data

- EA-2008_International-Comparisons-of-Domestic-per-Capita-Consumption.pdf