Water Crisis-The next world war

Water crisis

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink...," Though the line is not written in the context of lack of drinking water in general, but the sense conveyed would become a reality if the depletion of fresh water supplies continues at the current pace. War experts believe that the next world war would not be for land, nor for oil, but for water. Water crisis is now a day's one of the most glaring problems that has been staring at us and is becoming more and more piercing day by day. Today, scarcity of water is the most excruciating problem in the face of the earth after global warming.

Water crisis is the world's water resources relative to human demand. The term has been applied to the worldwide water situation by the United Nations and other world organizations. The major aspects of the water crisis are overall scarcity of usable water and water pollution.

The Earth has a finite supply of fresh water, stored in aquifers, surface waters and the atmosphere. Sometimes oceans are mistaken for available water. Statics reveal that 97% of the total amount of the water in the earth is salt water and is thus of no use to support human or animal life (excluding marine animals). Out the remaining 3% of the avaialable fresh water, more than half of it is locked in glaciers and lesss than 0.01% is accessable fresh water in lakes and rivers. So that leaves us with little but not insufficient water for our disposal. However with an alarming rate of increase in the global population the utilization of water too has augumented. These are just some of the startling figures which highlight the existing water crisis. However, this is the crisis which ‘exists', in the present. What's going to come in the future is much more scary and grave. Experts warned today that half of the world's population could face a severe shortage to water by 2040, all due to climate change,

There are several principal manifestations of the water crisis.

• Inadequate access to safe drinking water for about 884 million people
• Inadequate access to water for sanitation and waste disposal for 2.5 billion people
• Groundwater overdrafting (excessive use) leading to diminished agricultural yields
• Overuse and pollution of water resources harming biodiversity
• Regional conflicts over scarce water resources sometimes resulting in warfare 

Today, over 1.1 billion of the world's total population use potentially harmful sources of water every year to meet some of their very basic needs, including quenching thirst. In clearer statistical terms, almost two in every 10 persons on this earth have no source of safe drinking water.

Vegetation and wildlife are fundamentally dependent upon adequate freshwater resources. Marshes, bogs and riparian zones are more obviously dependent upon sustainable water supply, but forests and other upland ecosystems are equally at risk of significant productivity changes as water availability is diminished. In the case of wetlands, considerable area has been simply taken from wildlife use to feed and house the expanding human population.

Ideally, atleast 15 liters of water is mandatory per person per day. Surprisingly people in some parts of Africa and missle easthave at thheir disposal the same quantity of water for the entire month.

Resent studies have revealed that about one - third of the worlds population lives in water stressed countries. Africa and Asia are already hard hit by water stress. There are palces in africa like Ghana and Somalia where people walk miles to get some water. Places in Ethopia and Kenya are even worst hit. Murder of friends and neighbours is not unusual in some parts of west africa for allegedly stealing water. Not too far away, we here in India are not lagging behind as there are places in Gujrat and Rajisthan that feature high in the list of "severe paucity of water".  Stretching the discussion a bit further, people in most of the developing and underdeveloped countries have resorted to the use of unsafe water for the domestic purpose which has given way to several water born diseases.  With an estimate 80% of illness and deaths in the developing world are the result of water born diseases. The studies reveal that 2.1 million people die every year from diarrhoea and cholera. Waterborne diseases and the absence of sanitary domestic water are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. For children under age five, waterborne diseases are the leading cause of death. At any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from waterborne diseases. According to the World Bank, 88 percent of all diseases are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.

The billion dollar question now is what can be and what should be done. To begin with, it is the time for me, you and hence for all of us to wake up to the problem. A 2006 United Nations report focuses on issues of governance as the core of the water crisis, saying "There is enough water for everyone" and "Water insufficiency is often due to mismanagement, corruption, lack of appropriate institutions, bureaucratic inertia and a shortage of investment in both human capacity and physical infrastructure. Tus the Governments in eac of the country must take the initiative to educate the people on all the issues related to safe water usage. Steps must also be taken to harvest and conserve rain water by whatever possible means. Dams can also be an effective measure of intillegent management of water.

So the next time you leave that tap running unnecessarily, do remember that there will be a day wen you would soon run out of this option to use water so frivolously, and the day I not a distant leap year away.

Dr. Ashiq Hussain

R/O Kakoo, Bhalessa, Doda J & K

C/O Deptt of Cemistry Govt Degree College

Kishtwar

Email. drashiqhussain@rediffmail.com