“No more than one-half of the world`s major rivers are being seriously depleted
and polluted,degrading and poisoning the surrounding ecosystems, thus threatening
the health and livelihood of people who depend upon them for irrigation, drinking
and industrial water”
World Commission on Water for 21st Century.
There is a water crisis currently plaguing the world in terms of quality and quantity for agricultural, domestic and industrial use and this has led to the avoidable premature death of countless millions and forces many more to drink from sources contaminated with human waste and polluted with lethal substances.Hence there is an alarming desire globally for enough clean and safe water to drink , but the golden question is when will this be, in the face of the current climatic changes, regional conflict and warfare, pollution and ultimate destruction of biodiversity.
The earth has a finite supply of freshwater stored in aquifers, surface water and the atmosphere.Ocean water is not really available water because the amount of energy needed to convert saline water to portable water is prohibitive.More than one billion people lack access to safe drinking water,2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation, 1.8 million people die every year from diarrheal diseases including 90 per cent of children under five.This situation is no longer bearable.According to an adult South Africa female in Water Voice project 2003, she said “Our main problems in rural communities are the following: walking long distance about 2 to 3 kilometers daily to public tap;carrying heavy containers on our heads 20 to 25 liters per trip; long ques at the point of tap, should there be contamination at the point of taps the whole village is at risk”
In the face of the aforementioned problems it may seems that it may take eternity for the world to afford adequate clean, safe and portable water however if certain principles are obeyed and factors comply with we may be able to improve and manage our freshwater resources with good result.Firstly the decision makers world wide on issues of water crises should go back to the drawing board and design time-tested polices and pro grammes that practicable, gaol oriented and result producing. In addition such policies should include preserving the ecosystem because growth in human population, increasing consumption, infrastructural development, land conversion, poor land use and massive use of pollutants in water all threaten the ecosystem function that produce our freshwater resources.Ecosystem evolve far too slowly to adapt to quick and brutal changes, ad can not play their purifying and regulating role anymore thereby resulting in water scarcity.
Secondly regional conflict over scarce water resources can sometimes result in warfare hence they should be properly addressed. Also water recycling technology should be improved and made affordable with no side effects.
In conclusion our dream of sufficient supplies of clean , safe water to drink is realistic if the proper principles and factors are put in place.
