4.2 Water access, use and security

Water Security

having access to sufficient amounts of safe drinking water,

Water Security (2)

having reliable access to safe, sufficient, and affordable water to meet human and ecosystem needs, it is a key component of sustainability, clean water is essential for health, agriculture, industry, and economic sustainability

Water Insecurity

700 million people displaced by extreme water scarcity, half of world’s largest cities experience scarcity

Water Scarcity

limited availability of water in human societies

Key Aspects

Availability (sufficient to meet daily needs), Accessibility (physically and economically accessible to all), Quality, (free from pollution and safe for consumption), and Sustainability (water sources managed to ensure long term supply)

Challenges

Water Present (physical scarcity, low abundance), Economic Scarcity (availability of storage and transport systems), Climate change, Population Growth, Pollution, Over extraction

Factors impacting water availability

Social, cultural, economic and political factors all have an impact on the availability of, and equitable access to, the freshwater required for human well-being

Social

population growth, urbanisation, inequalities, impacts water access. Ex. India, in rural areas women and girls walk long distances to collect water, affects education and employment, Overpopulation increased water demand in Jakarta leading to shortages.

Cultural

beliefs, tradition and religious practices shape use of water, Ex. Hinduism and Ganges River, sacred and used for rituals, but pollution and sewage impacts water quality and Pakistani communities avoid modern methods, using traditional water collection method, leads to health issues

Economic

country’s wealth, infrastructure, and investments into water management impact freshwater availability. Ex. Singapore, despite limited resources they use desalination, rainwater collection,e tc to ensure equal access or Sub Saharan Africa, where may countries rely on expensive bottled water and private vendors making clean water unaffordable

Political

government policies, corruption, and international water conflicts. Ex. EU enforces water quality laws, ensuring all citizens have safe drinking water, Ethiopia vs Egypt (nile River Dispute) building new dam, lead to reduced water flow

Human societies undergoing population growth or economic development must…

increase the supply of water or the efficiency of its utilisation

Water used for

domestic purposes, irrigation, raising livestock, industry, and agriculture

Water supplies can be increased by constructing

1) Dams and Reservoirs 2) Rainwater Catchment Systems 3) Desalination Plants 4) Enhancement of Natural Resources

Dams and Reservoirs

Dams are barriers built across rivers to control water flow, water is stored in reservoirs (artificial lakes) created behind the dam. Benefits: provides a steady water supply for cities and agriculture, generates hydroelectric power and prevents flooding. Challenges: floods land, displacing people and wildlife, alters natural river ecosystems.

Rainwater Catchment Systems

Rainwater is collected from rooftops and stored in tanks, used for drinking, irrigation, and daily use. Benefits: cost-effective and sustainable for small communities, reduces demand on existing water sources. Challenges: needs regular maintenance to prevent contamination, storage is limited in dry seasons.

Desalination Plants

Desalination removes salt and minerals from seawater to produce drinkable freshwater, reverse Osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane to filter out salt and impurities and high pressure forces water molecules through the membrane, leaving salt behind. Benefits: provides freshwater in coastal and desert regions where rivers and lakes are scarce, reliable during droughts. Challenges: expensive and requires a lot of energy, wastewater (brine) is salty and can harm marine life if not disposed of properly

Enhancement of Natural Resources

Wetlands (swamps, marshes) naturally filter and store water, they recharge groundwater and support biodiversity. Benefits: improves water quality by filtering pollutants, reduces flooding and supports wildlife.Challenges: wetlands are often destroyed for urban development, need protection and restoration to function properly.

Water conservation techniques can be applied at a domestic level, such as

metering, rationing, grey-water recycling, low-flush toilets, rainwater harvesting

Water conservation strategies can be applied at an industrial level in food production systems, such as

greenhouses that use and recycle harvested rainwater, aquaponics systems that combine production of fish and vegetables, drip irrigation systems, drought-resistant crops, switching to vegetarian food production

Mitigation strategies exist to address water scarcity, such as

Advanced Irrigation Techniques, Drought Management Policies, Cloud Seeding & Desalination