essay on water problem

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Water Stress: A Global Problem That’s Getting Worse

• Water scarcity happens when communities can’t fulfill their water needs, either because supplies are insufficient or infrastructure is inadequate. Today, billions of people face some form of water stress.
• Countries have often cooperated on water management. Still, there are a handful of places where transboundary waters are driving tensions, such as the Nile Basin.
• Climate change will likely exacerbate water stress worldwide, as rising temperatures lead to more unpredictable weather and extreme weather events, including floods and droughts.

Introduction

Billions of people around the world lack adequate access to one of the essential elements of life: clean water. Although governments and aid groups have helped many living in water-stressed regions gain access in recent years, the problem is projected to get worse due to global warming and population growth. Meanwhile, a paucity of international coordination on water security has slowed the search for solutions.

Water stress can differ dramatically from one place to another, in some cases causing wide-reaching damage, including to public health, economic development, and global trade. It can also drive mass migrations and spark conflict. Now, pressure is mounting on countries to implement more sustainable and innovative practices and to improve international cooperation on water management.

What is water stress?

• Food and Water Security
• Energy and Environment
• Infrastructure

Water stress or scarcity occurs when demand for safe, usable water in a given area exceeds the supply. On the demand side, the vast majority—roughly 70 percent—of the world’s freshwater is used for agriculture, while the rest is divided between industrial (19 percent) and domestic uses (11 percent), including for drinking. On the supply side, sources include surface waters, such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, as well as groundwater, accessed through aquifers.

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But scientists have different ways of defining and measuring water stress, taking into account a variety of factors including seasonal changes, water quality, and accessibility. Meanwhile, measurements of water stress can be imprecise, particularly in the case of groundwater. “Any numbers out there have to be taken with a grain of salt,” says Upmanu Lall , a Columbia University professor and water expert. “None of these definitions are typically accounting for groundwater usage, or groundwater stock.”

What causes water scarcity?

Water scarcity is often divided into two categories: physical scarcity, when there is a shortage of water because of local ecological conditions; and economic scarcity, when there is inadequate water infrastructure.

The two frequently come together to cause water stress. For instance, a stressed area can have both a shortage of rainfall as well as a lack of adequate water storage and sanitation facilities. Experts say that even when there are significant natural causes for a region’s water stress, human factors are often central to the problem, particularly with regard to access to clean water and safe sanitation. Most recently, for example, the war in Ukraine damaged critical infrastructure, leaving six million people with limited or no access to safe water in 2022.

“Almost always the drinking water problem has nothing to do with physical water scarcity,” says Georgetown University’s Mark Giordano , an expert on water management. “It has to do with the scarcity of financial and political wherewithal to put in the infrastructure to get people clean water. It’s separate.”

At the same time, some areas that suffer physical water scarcity have the infrastructure that has allowed life there to thrive, such as in Oman and the southwestern United States.

A variety of authorities, from the national level down to local jurisdictions, govern or otherwise influence the water supply. In the United States, more than half a dozen federal agencies deal with different aspects of water: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces regulations on clean water, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares for and responds to water disasters . Similar authorities exist at the state and local levels to protect and oversee the use of water resources, including through zoning and rehabilitation projects.

Which regions are most water-stressed?

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the worst off in terms of physical water stress, according to most experts. MENA receives less rainfall than other regions, and its countries tend to have fast-growing, densely populated urban centers that require more water. But many countries in these regions, especially wealthier ones, still meet their water needs. For example, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imports nearly all of its food, alleviating the need to use water for agriculture. The UAE and other wealthy MENA countries also rely heavily on the desalination of abundant ocean water, albeit this process is an expensive, energy-intensive one.

Meanwhile, places experiencing significant economic scarcity include Central African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo , which receives a lot of rain but lacks proper infrastructure and suffers from high levels of mismanagement.

Even high-income countries experience water stress. Factors including outdated infrastructure and rapid population growth have put tremendous stress on some U.S. water systems , causing crises in cities including Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey.

How is climate change affecting water stress?

For every 1°C (1.8°F) increase in the global average temperature, UN experts project a 20 percent drop in renewable water resources. Global warming is expected to increase the number of water-stressed areas and heighten water stress in already affected regions. Subtropical areas, such as Australia, the southern United States, and North African countries, are expected to warm and suffer more frequent and longer droughts; however, when rainfall does occur in these regions, it is projected to be more intense. Weather in tropical regions will likewise become more variable, climate scientists say.

Agriculture could become a particular challenge. Farming suffers as rainfall becomes more unpredictable and rising temperatures accelerate the evaporation of water from soil. A more erratic climate is also expected to bring more floods, which can wipe out crops an overwhelm storage systems. Furthermore, rainfall runoff can sweep up sediment that can clog treatment facilities and contaminate other water sources.

In a 2018 report , a panel consisting of many of the world’s top climate researchers showed that limiting global warming to a maximum 1.5°C (2.7°F) above preindustrial levels—the aim of the Paris Agreement on climate—could substantially reduce the likelihood of water stress in some regions, such as the Mediterranean and southern Africa, compared to an unchecked increase in temperature. However, most experts say the Paris accord will not be enough to prevent the most devastating effects of climate change.

What are its impacts on public health and development?

Prolonged water stress can have devastating effects on public health and economic development. More than two billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water; and nearly double that number—more than half the world’s population—are without adequate sanitation services . These deprivations can spur the transmission of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, polio, hepatitis A, and diarrhea.

At the same time, because water scarcity makes agriculture much more difficult, it threatens a community’s access to food. Food-insecure communities can face both acute and chronic hunger, where children are more at risk of conditions stemming from malnutrition, such as stunting and wasting, and chronic illnesses due to poor diet, such as diabetes.

Even if a water-stressed community has stable access to potable water, people can travel great lengths or wait in long lines to get it—time that could otherwise be spent at work or at school. Economists note these all combine [PDF] to take a heavy toll on productivity and development.

Living in a Water-Stressed World

A housing development lies on the edge of Cathedral City, a desert resort town in southern California, in April 2015.

Eleven-year-old Chikuru carries water in a plastic jerrican, which weighs about forty pounds when full, to her home in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, in September 2019.

The water level at Camlidere Dam in the Turkish capital of Ankara is low due to seasonal drought and high water consumption amid the COVID-19 pandemic, November 2020.

A young boy washes a cooking pot in a pool of rainwater outside a slum where members of the Muhamasheen minority group live in Sanaa, Yemen, July 2020.

Abdel-Shaheed Gerges, a farmer, touches water flowing through a government-developed irrigation channel in Esna, Egypt, in October 2019.

Summer Weeks bathes her two-year-old daughter, Ravynn, outside their home in the Navajo Nation in Arizona, September 2020.

A worker waters turf at a sprawling horse-racing facility in Dubai in March 2021.

A woman collects water from a well dug in the Black Umfolozi Riverbed, which is dry due to drought, outside of Durban, South Africa, in January 2016.

The shadow of a girl who fled Raqqa is cast on the wall of a water spigot at a camp for internally displaced people in Syria, August 2017.

Kevin Dudley carries his daughter, Katelyn, and bottles of water to his apartment amid weeks-long water outages across Jackson, Mississippi, in March 2021.

A woman uses swamp water to wash clothes in northern Jakarta, Indonesia, in March 2018.

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the need for safe water access. Handwashing is one of the most effective tools for combating the coronavirus, but health experts noted that three in ten individuals —2.3 billion people globally—could not wash their hands at home at the pandemic’s onset.

How has water factored into international relations?

Many freshwater sources transcend international borders, and, for the most part, national governments have been able to manage these resources cooperatively. Roughly three hundred international water agreements have been signed since 1948. Finland and Russia, for example, have long cooperated on water-management challenges, including floods, fisheries, and pollution. Water-sharing agreements have even persisted through cross-border conflicts about other issues, as has been the case with South Asia’s Indus River and the Jordan River in the Middle East.

However, there are a handful of hot spots where transboundary waters are a source of tension, either because there is no agreement in place or an existing water regime is disputed. One of these is the Nile Basin, where the White and Blue Nile Rivers flow from lakes in East Africa northward to the Mediterranean Sea. Egypt claims the rights to most of the Nile’s water based on several treaties, the first dating back to the colonial era; but other riparian states say they are not bound to the accords because they were never party to them. The dispute has flared in recent years after Ethiopia began construction of a massive hydroelectric dam that Egypt says drastically cuts its share of water.

Transboundary water disputes can also fuel intrastate conflict; some observers note this has increased in recent years , particularly in the hot spots where there are fears of cross-border conflict. For example, a new hydropower project could benefit elites but do little to improve the well-being of the communities who rely on those resources.

Moreover, water stress can affect global flows of goods and people. For instance, wildfires and drought in 2010 wiped out Russian crops, which resulted in a spike in commodities prices and food riots in Egypt and Tunisia at the start of the Arab uprisings. Climate stress is also pushing some to migrate across borders. The United Nations predicts that without interventions in climate change, water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions will displace hundreds of millions of people by 2030.

What are international organizations and governments doing to alleviate water stress?

There has been some international mobilization around water security. Ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , a sweeping fifteen-year development agenda adopted by member states in 2015. Smart water management is also vital to many of the other SDGs, such as eliminating hunger and ensuring good health and well-being. And while the Paris Agreement on climate does not refer to water explicitly, the United Nations calls [PDF] water management an “essential component of nearly all the mitigation and adaptation strategies.” The organization warns of the increasing vulnerability of conventional water infrastructure, and points to many climate-focused alternatives, such as coastal reservoirs and solar-powered water systems.

However, there is no global framework for addressing water stress, like there is for fighting climate change or preserving biodiversity . The most recent UN summit on water, held in March 2023, was the first such conference since 1977 and didn’t aim to produce an international framework. It instead created a UN envoy on water and saw hundreds of governments, nonprofits, and businesses sign on to a voluntary Water Action Agenda, which analysts called an important but insufficient step compared to a binding agreement among world governments.

Some governments and partner organizations have made progress in increasing access to water services: Between 2000 and 2017, the number of people using safely managed drinking water and safely managed sanitation services rose by 10 percent and 17 percent, respectively. In 2022, the Joe Biden administration announced an action plan to elevate global water security as a critical component of its efforts to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives. But the pace of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have presented new challenges. Now, many countries say they are unlikely to implement integrated water management systems by 2030, the target date for fulfilling the SDGs. 

Still, some governments are taking ambitious and creative steps to improve their water security that could serve as models for others:

Green infrastructure . Peruvian law mandates that water utilities reinvest a portion of their profits into green infrastructure (the use of plant, soil, and other natural systems to manage stormwater), and Canada and the United States have provided tens of millions of dollars in recent years to support Peru’s efforts [PDF]. Vietnam has taken similar steps to integrate natural and more traditional built water infrastructure.

Wastewater recycling . More and more cities around the globe are recycling sewage water into drinking water, something Namibia’s desert capital has been doing for decades. Facilities in countries including China and the United States turn byproducts from wastewater treatment into fertilizer.

Smarter agriculture . Innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence and genome editing are also driving progress. China has become a world leader in bioengineering crops to make them more productive and resilient.

Recommended Resources

The Wilson Center’s Lauren Risi writes that water wars between countries have not come to pass, but subnational conflicts over the resource are already taking a toll.

CFR’s Why It Matters podcast talks to Georgetown University’s Mark Giordano and the Global Water Policy Project’s Sandra Postel about water scarcity .

The World Economic Forum describes the growing water crisis in the Horn of Africa, while National Geographic looks at how the prolonged drought is pushing wildlife closer to towns.

The World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct maps the areas facing extremely high water stress.

The United Nations shares facts about water and its role in all aspects of life.

BuzzFeed News interviews residents of Jackson, Mississippi , who lost access to safe water after freezing temperatures wreaked havoc on the city’s decaying infrastructure.

• Sustainable Development Goals (UN)

Emily Lieberman contributed to this Backgrounder. Michael Bricknell and Will Merrow helped create the graphics.

• What are its impacts on health and development?
• What is being done to alleviate water stress?

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Essay on Water Crisis 500+ Words

Water, a life-sustaining resource, is essential for all living creatures on Earth. However, a water crisis is emerging as one of the most significant challenges humanity faces today. In this essay, we will explore the water crisis, its causes and consequences, and the critical need for sustainable solutions to ensure a better future for our planet.

The Growing Water Crisis

A water crisis refers to the scarcity of clean, fresh water needed for various purposes, such as drinking, agriculture, industry, and sanitation. It’s a global problem that affects people, ecosystems, and economies. According to the United Nations, by 2030, nearly half of the world’s population could be facing water scarcity.

Causes of the Water Crisis

a. Overpopulation : The world’s population is rapidly increasing, leading to higher water demand for drinking, irrigation, and industrial use.

b. Climate Change : Changing weather patterns, including prolonged droughts and more frequent extreme weather events, are affecting water availability.

c. Pollution : Water sources are often polluted by chemicals, sewage, and industrial waste, making water unsafe for consumption.

d. Wasteful Practices : Water wastage in agriculture, industry, and households contributes to the crisis.

Consequences of Water Scarcity

a. Health Issues : Lack of clean water leads to waterborne diseases like cholera and dysentery, affecting millions, especially children.

b. Food Insecurity : Agriculture heavily relies on water, and water scarcity can lead to crop failures and food shortages.

c. Conflict : Scarcity can trigger conflicts over limited water resources, leading to tensions between communities and even nations.

d. Ecosystem Damage : Wildlife and ecosystems suffer as water sources shrink, impacting biodiversity.

Sustainable Solutions to the Water Crisis

a. Water Conservation : Responsible water use, fixing leaks, and using water-saving appliances can make a significant difference.

b. Improved Infrastructure : Building and maintaining water supply and sanitation systems can help reduce water losses.

c. Rainwater Harvesting : Collecting rainwater for household use and agriculture can mitigate scarcity.

d. Desalination : Technology to turn seawater into freshwater is an option for regions with limited freshwater sources.

The Importance of Education

Education plays a vital role in raising awareness about the water crisis. Schools and communities can educate people about responsible water use, conservation, and the importance of preserving our water resources. Students can become water ambassadors, spreading the message about the need to protect our water.

Global Efforts to Combat Water Scarcity

International organizations like the United Nations and NGOs are working to address water scarcity on a global scale. They provide funding, expertise, and resources to implement sustainable water management practices in affected regions. Collaboration between countries and communities is key to finding solutions.

Conclusion of Essay on Water Crisis

In conclusion, the water crisis is a pressing global issue that affects people, ecosystems, and economies. Understanding its causes and consequences is the first step in finding solutions. It is essential for individuals, communities, and governments to take action by conserving water, improving infrastructure, and supporting sustainable practices. Education and global cooperation are vital in our fight against water scarcity.

By working together, we can ensure that future generations have access to the life-sustaining resource of clean, fresh water. Water is precious, and its conservation is our collective responsibility. As we address the water crisis, we are not only securing our own future but also safeguarding the health and well-being of our planet and all its inhabitants.

Also Check: The Essay on Essay: All you need to know

Residents queue to fill water bottles at a natural water spring in Cape Town, South Africa, a city that may soon have to shut off its taps due to a severe water shortage.

From Not Enough to Too Much, the World’s Water Crisis Explained

Many more cities than Cape Town face an uncertain future over water. But there are emerging solutions.

“Day Zero,” when at least a million homes in the city of Cape Town, South Africa, will no longer have any running water , was originally scheduled for April. It was recently moved to July . The three-year long drought hasn’t ended, but severe water rationing—limiting people to a mere 13 gallons (50 litres) per person per day—has made a difference. (To put this into perspective, an average U.S. citizen uses 100 gallons (375 liters) per day .)

“No person in Cape Town should be flushing potable water down a toilet any more.… No one should be showering more than twice a week now,” said Helen Zille , the premier of the Western Cape province, where Cape Town is located.

Like many places in the world, Cape Town and the surrounding region has likely reached “peak water,” or the limit of how much water can be reasonably taken from the area, says water scientist Peter Gleick , president-emeritus of the Pacific Institute. Gleick, who has spent substantial time in South Africa, says the country generally has good water managers.

“Two years ago, I would not have predicted Cape Town would face day Zero,” he said in an interview. However, climate change has disrupted the Earth’s hydrological cycle (water cycle), changing when, where, and how much precipitation falls. That has made water management planning far more challenging, he said. Yet our water systems were largely built based on the more stable climate of the past.

“What’s happening in Cape Town could happen anywhere,” says Gleick.

Global Risk

Brazil’s São Paulo, a megacity of 20 million, faced its own Day Zero in 2015. The city turned off its water supply for 12 hours a day, forcing many businesses and industries to shut down . In 2008, Barcelona, Spain, had to import tankers full of freshwater from France. Droughts have also become more frequent, more severe, and affecting more people around the world.

Fourteen of the world’s 20 megacities are now experiencing water scarcity or drought conditions. As many as four billion people already live in regions that experience severe water stress for at least one month of the year, according to a 2016 study in the journal Science Advances . Nearly half of those people live in India and China. With populations rising, these stresses will only mount.

Disaster data compiled by the U.N . clearly shows floods are also getting worse. They are happening more frequently, especially in coastal regions and river valleys, and affecting more people. Of all major disasters in the world between 1995 and 2015, 90 percent were weather-related events, such as floods, storms, heatwaves, and droughts. Flooding accounted for more than half of all weather-related disasters, affecting 2.3 billion people and killing 157,000 in that 20-year period. Last year, the costs of extreme weather—floods, droughts, wildfires, storms—in the U.S. reached a record-topping $300 billion . These events displaced more than one million Americans from their homes.

Humanity is facing a growing challenge of too much water in some places and not enough water in others. This is being driven not just by climate change, but by population and economic growth and poor water management, experts warn.

“Water scarcity and flood problems are primarily due to quick growth, increasing vulnerability, and insufficient preparation,” says Arjen Hoekstra , a professor of water management at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. “Climate change, however, is and will worsen the situation in most cases.”

The Roll of “Embedded Water”

Cape Town, where nearly four million people live, has a dry climate much like southern California. It is facing it’s Day Zero due to increased water demands from population and economic growth in combination with a three-year drought that’s severely limited the water supply. Yet what many people don’t realize is that typical home use of water—for washing, flushing, and cooking—represents only about three percent of humanity’s total water consumption, says Hoekstra. Agriculture uses the lion’s share, 80 to 90 percent, followed by energy production and industry.

Rivers Run Dry

The Cape Town region is the heart of South Africa’s wine country, which exported 113 million gallons (428.5 million litres) of wine in 2016 to Europe and the U.S. Yet this export represents a much bigger amount of water that was used to grow and process the grapes. Most of that water is no longer available for human consumption, according to Hoekstra, who is the creator of the water footprint concept. He and colleagues at the Water Footprint Network have worked out that it takes between 26 to 53 gallons (100 to 200 liters) of water to grow the grapes and process them into one five-ounce (125 ml) glass of wine.

In other words, the net amount of water used to grow or make something, be it a lemon, cellphone, or glass of wine, is the product’s water footprint. Most of the water used to make a typical glass of wine is lost to evaporation, with a small amount stored in the grapes, and the rest unsuitable for reuse. While the evaporated water will eventually become rain, it is unlikely to fall over the same vineyards, or even in the Western Cape province, meaning it is effectively “lost” to the region.

So that means a typical 25-ounce (750 ml) bottle of wine has a water footprint of nearly 200 gallons (750 liters). That means the region’s 2016 wine exports involved the net consumption of 113.2 billion gallons (428.5 billion liters) of water. This is water that is lost to the region.

South Africa already has 7 million people without access to water . Meeting their needs would require 33.3 billion gallons (126 billion liters) per year, one third of the amount the wine industry consumes. On top of that, the Western Cape exported an estimated 231,000 tonnes of citrus fruits , mostly oranges, in 2017. The water footprint of one orange—the net amount of water used to grow it—averages 21 gallons (80 liters). Using that basis, those citrus exports used up 30 billion gallons (115 billion liters) of the province’s water.

Not only does it take water to grow anything, it also takes water to make most things: cars, furniture, books, electronics, buildings, jewelry, toys, and even electricity. This water, which often goes largely unseen, is often called “virtual water.” What gets forgotten is that virtual water is as real as the water you drink.

South Africa, a water-stressed country, also exports oil products, minerals, and metals, all of which require enormous amounts of water. For example, it exported 211 tonnes of platinum in 2012. That’s like an export of 45 billion gallons (170 billion liters) of water—the estimated amount of water needed to mine and process the metal .

Other large countries with growing populations, such as China and India, also export staggering volumes of virtual water, often while facing considerable water scarcity problems at home. “This simply can’t continue,” says Hoekstra.

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Seeking solutions.

All of those exports could be produced using far less water, Hoekstra says. It starts with what he calls the most important water management strategy: grow and produce things in the right place. In other words, water-intensive crops like rice and cotton should be grown in water-rich regions.

In a global economy, drought can be a big issue even in water-rich countries, because of a growing dependence on imports. Around 38 percent of the European Union’s water consumption is reliant on water availability in other countries, to grow soybeans, rice, cotton, and other products that it imports. “That makes Europe vulnerable to increasing water scarcity and drought,” says Christopher Briggs , executive director of Water Footprint Network.

A coastal city, Cape Town hopes to solve its problem by getting a new water source: the ocean. It is building its first desalination plants . However, these are expensive and energy intensive. Gleick says it would be more cost effective for the region to shift to less-water intensive crops and to reuse treated wastewater. Currently, Cape Town reuses just five percent of its treated wastewater, compared to Israel’s 85 percent. Israel has also eliminated water-thirsty crops like cotton and made major improvements in water efficiency to free up more water for population growth.

California, which recently suffered through four years of drought and water restrictions , also needs to shift its agricultural production to less water-using crops, says Gleick, who is based there. And the state could increase its wastewater reuse from the current 15 percent, using the surplus to recharge depleted aquifers and use on crops.

A reservoir can be seen at a low level in Cape Town in February. Many other cities could suffer similar fates in the near future, experts warn.

When There’s Too Much Water

Perhaps ironically, too much water too fast was California’s most recent water problem. Following its worst wildfire season in history, heavy rainfall this winter produced mud slides that killed more than 20 people and destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes. Hurricane Harvey , which hit Texas and Louisiana last August, causing $125 billion in damage, dumped more water out of the sky than any storm in U.S. history. Some 890,000 families sought federal disaster aid, most often from flooding in the Houston area—in large part because many homes were built on flood plains . At the start of March, five states were under a state of emergency (Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, and Michigan) due to heavy rainfalls and flooding.

Rapid population growth, building on floodplains or low-lying coastal regions, and climate change are the biggest reasons why flooding is affecting more people and causing ever greater damage, warns Gleick.

Climate change is the result of burning fossil fuels and has added 46 percent more heat-trapping carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. But even if fossil-fuel used ended today, that additional heat in the atmosphere will put 10 times more Americans at risk of being flooded out by rivers over the next 20 years, a new study reveals .

“More than half of the United States must at least double their protection level within the next two decades if they want to avoid a dramatic increase in river flood risks,” says lead-author Sven Willner from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).

Rainfall changes caused by global warming will increase river flood risks across the globe, the study found. In South America, the number of people affected by river flooding will likely increase from 6 to 12 million. In Africa, the number will rise from 25 to 34 million, and in Asia from 70 to 156 million.

It bears repeating that these findings are based on the current level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In reality, humanity added 45 billion tons in 2017, and will likely add that much or more in 2018. Without limiting human-caused warming to well below 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees Celsius), the river flood risk in many regions will be beyond what we can adapt to, Willner and team’s study concludes.

Climate change is also causing sea levels to rise, resulting in substantial coastal flooding during high tides and storms. More than 13 million Americans living on the coasts will be forced to move by 2100 because of rising ocean levels, according to a 2017 study by Mathew Hauer, a demographer at the University of Georgia. About 2.5 million will flee the region that includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. Greater New Orleans loses up to 500,000 people; the New York City area loses 50,000, the study estimated. These coastal migrants will likely go to cities on high ground with mild climates, such as Atlanta, Austin, Madison, and Memphis. ( See what would happen if all the ice melted .)

“If people are forced to move because their houses become inundated, the migration could affect many landlocked communities as well,” said Hauer in a statement.

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Writing an Essay on Water: Outline, Topics, & Samples

Environmental problems will stay a burning issue for a long time!

Well, they already are. Global warming is getting worse, the ozone layer is becoming thinner, and water worldwide – more polluted.

In this article, we are considering one of the most sensitive subjects. We discuss water pollution and shortage.

You will have a clear idea of how and what to write in your water pollution essay. Also, we’ll provide you with a set of great topics and essay examples for inspiration. Get down to reading now and get the highest score!

• 👣 Essay on Water Writing Guide
• 💧 5 Water Essay Prompts
• 🌊 130 Water Essay Topics
• 📝 2 Water Essay Samples

👣 Essay on Water: Writing Guide

We all know very well that it’s crucial to save water. But how to elaborate on this thought in a water essay most properly?

In this section, we are analyzing the structure of your future essay step-by-step. Having a plan will make the process very simple, we promise!

Essay on Water – Step 1: Choose the Topic

The water pollution subject is pretty broad, although it’s only a part of an environmental topic. You have a vast field for creativity.

For instance, you can write about the environment, nature, and natural resources. It’s easy to find something unexplored there. A much more challenging task is to come up with an authentic topic .

Here are the tips on formulating a good topic for an essay on water pollution:

• Avoid trite mainstream.
• Put your topic in the form of a question.
• Conduct a mini-research to make sure there is relatable information on your case.
• Estimate its relevance.
• Add some specifying context.

Now, look at these two examples of water essay topics.

✘ How not to do:

There was more water in the medieval period because people rarely washed.

✓ How to do:

How did the use of water change over time, and what is the water crisis we face today?

Essay on Water – Step 2: Research

With any written assignment, you are supposed to state an opinion or draw solid arguments. To accomplish it, you are going to need some foundation.

The fundamental constituent of a water essay (or any other paper) is relatable data. Choosing trustworthy sources with quality information makes you able to speak on your topic

At the same time, unreliable sources decrease your work level.

We don’t want it to happen!

So, here’re the examples of websites where you can find all the information you need:

Essay on Water – Step 3: Outline

Now, let’s make out how the water pollution research paper or essay should be structured.

• An introduction with a catchy hook, a clearly defined problem, and background information. The first thing for you to consider is how to introduce your topic to the readers. It is crucial to attract readers’ attention from the very beginning.
• A thesis statement is another part that should be included in your introduction. It’s a central idea of your essay: a brief but consistent claim of an issue. Check out our free thesis-maker to get an excellent thesis statement.
• A literature review. You will especially need it if you’re working on a research paper. Make a small digest of what has already been written on your topic.
• Solid arguments . Make sure they are valuable and go along with the thesis statement. Keep in mind that all arguments have to be backed up with reliable proof.
• A conclusion is a final touch . It should address the problem in the introduction and cover it up logically.

Essay on Water – Step 4: Write

Alright, you have analyzed the sources and created a draft of your essay on water. Still don’t know what to start with?

When you define your topic and thesis statement, move on with writing arguments. As we have said, they are the pillars of your work. After it’s done, you can switch to the introduction and conclusion

Remember that each case is individual. The only universal piece of advice is: proofread everything you write at each stage. Make sure you follow the logical structure and don’t make critical mistakes.

💧 Water Essay Prompts

Realizing the vastness of the subject opens up a perspective of options. Let’s get straight to the point!

Below, you can see the topics that can be used in the essay on water.

Water Pollution Essay

Here we elaborate on themes you can touch upon in the water pollution research paper.

• Highlight the global acuteness of the water pollution problem: draw the facts that prove that pollution is rapidly spreading.
• Speak on the contaminants: what substances make water polluted?
• Name some industrial factors contributing to water pollution. Check out the information about the most contaminating plants.
• Mention the sewage issue: there’s a lot of information on how they impact water resources in some countries.
• Tell about nutrients and what effects they have on the water. Show their connection to the eutrophication subject.
• It also makes sense to discuss different kinds of water contamination, its effects on human health, and measures that are being taken to improve the critical situation.

Importance of Water Essay

• Everything on Earth needs water to function: plants, human beings, mushrooms, insects, animals – for all of them, water is vital.
• Speak on how the natural cycle is essential. For example, biological processes allow water to circulate in the world – without them, there wouldn’t be enough water for living.
• Destroy a myth about the abundance of water in the world. Fresh drinking water is minimal.
• Mention the connection of water with oxygen and weather conditions.

Water Cycle Essay

• It’s good to introduce your readers to the essence of the water cycle. What is it? The water cycle means that water is circulating between the atmosphere and all the water reservoirs.
• How does it happen? Define and explain the main constituents of the process: evaporation, transpiration, and sublimation . Water on Earth turns into gas when it gets heated by the sun. The next stage includes vaporization. This process is non-stopping.
• Condensation is another part of the hydrologic cycle. It’s the phenomenon when vapor turns back into a liquid state.
• Finally, reveal the essence of precipitation. Your readers want to know how rain occurs.

Water Scarcity Essay

• Water scarcity is the shortage of drinking water available. The problem is enormous and brings damage to millions and millions of people globally.
• Water stress can lead to such negative consequences as deterioration, droughts, and depletion. Plants and agriculture suffer badly from these factors.
• Why does it happen? There are two significant reasons: intense water usage due to overpopulation and lack of sufficient freshwater reservoirs.
• Tell about preventive measures that help stop or slow the process down. For example, introduce eco-friendly habits, search for new water resources, and build strategies to slow down global warming.

Mineral and Water Function Essay

• Our health directly depends on what we consume. To support our well-being, we need to get enough high-quality fresh water and minerals.
• The most vital minerals for our body are zinc, magnesium, iron, and calcium. They contribute to our teeth health, muscles and blood condition, and other factors.
• The presence of nutrients in the water means a lot to the human body. Due to water contamination, we might lack the necessary minerals, which leads to various dysfunctions.
• It is essential for water to be filtered appropriately to make it drinkable and healthy.

🌊 130 Topics for an Essay about Water

If you have any difficulties choosing an essay subject, we’ve prepared this set of topics. We guarantee they are relatable, acute, and fruitful to discuss!

• Elaborate on the importance of the water cycle: How it affects life on the planet.
• Water resources in the United Arab Emirates.
• Magical 80%: What is the general meaning of water for the human body?
• Soft drinks country market in Kenya: Marketing plan.
• Classify the most water contaminating industries in the world.
• Is bottled water better and safer than tap water?
• How does the lack of minerals affect our body condition?
• Aseptic packaging lines in the food and drink industry: Analysis.
• Plain soap and water or antibacterial soap: Which is better?
• Why in the 21st century is there still an issue of ill-curated sewage?
• Wastewater treatment using membrane filtration.
• Water is life: Compare the impact of the high and low-quality water.
• Women involvement in water management.
• Write a five-paragraph essay on water wars in Africa.
• How to protect the Egypt Nile River from pollution?
• The water cycle: Reveal in detail how the precipitation occurs.
• What is the connection between our health and water quality?
• Describe the importance of nutrients contained in the water for the human body.
• Jeddah floods and adaptation strategies in the City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• What health dysfunctions can low-quality water cause?
• Water distribution system in Virginia state.
• The role of nutrition science and water in gastronomy.
• Describe in detail the essence and process of the hydrological cycle.
• Flooding due to urban development.
• Speak on the interrelation between global warming and the water crisis?
• Connection between asthma, respiratory disease, and climatic variables.
• Describe measures that people can take to avoid water shortage.
• Is switching off the tap while brushing teeth reasonable?
• Canada and the future of water.
• How can the authorities get information about the water crisis?
• The water-energy-food nexus and problem mitigation.
• Describe and analyze different kinds of water contamination.
• Food security promotion: Energy, water, and food.
• Use of natural products and mineral water for osteoarthritis treatment.
• What methods of water purification do you know?
• What would be the consequences if we ran out of water?
• Tell about the most dangerous substances that poison water.
• Victorian desalination project: Building and process.
• What do such diseases like cholera have to do with the water crisis?
• How nutrition and water drinking is related to fitness.
• Methodologies in wastewater minimization.
• Deterioration and depletion: Which problems are hidden under these terms?
• In Arizona, collaboration averts water disaster.
• Droughts issue: Why is it bad that desserts become larger?
• Challenges faced by the Victorian Desalination water plant.
• Why is water so vital for all living creatures?
• What role does water play in maintaining human health?
• Sweat analysis: A painless alternative to real-time vital signs.
• Reveal how the instant growth of the population affects water quantity.
• Victorian Desalination Project: Water management strategy in Australia.
• Does it make sense to take a shower instead of a bath?
• Can hot water freeze faster than cold water?
• Water wars: Speak on the problem different societies face to water shortage.
• How important for people is the right to water?
• How does agriculture suffer from water shortage?
• Oil exploration effects on soil and underground water.
• Why can’t we just obtain enough freshwater out of glaciers?
• Recycling gray-water as a water conservation effort.
• Speak on the problem of acid rain.
• Analyze the problem of water in your home region.
• What impact do pesticides have on freshwater quality?
• The shortage of water and human population growth.
• Do washing machines and dishwashers save or waste water?
• Water-energy-food nexus in the Himalayan region.
• Can rainwater be collected for usage?
• Water distribution system in Maryland.
• How to avoid the risk of cardiovascular diseases by consuming good quality water?
• Solar ponds in sea water desalination: Feasibility study.
• Describe the simplest methods of water conservation.
• Water pollution is a problem we need to face.
• Share your opinion on water conservation: Why is it essential?
• Molybdenum in ground waters in carbonate aquifers.
• Should the government start controlling the use of pesticides more?
• Western Water Corporation’s management analysis.
• Why do business owners fail to provide proper disposal facilities?
• Soft-path water management study in Abu Dhabi.
• Why is it so important to drink at least two liters of water daily?
• Global warming and rapidly rising sea levels.
• Tell about the composition and qualities of water.
• Water resources: Their beneficial uses.
• How is the importance of water presented in different cultures and art?
• Ocean wave energy technologies.
• Write about the different states of water: Liquid, ice, and vapor.
• Climate change and its impact on freshwater.
• Speak on the ways to conserve water outside.
• Acid rain: Definition and causes.
• What methods of water conservation work in agriculture?
• Role of water in human health.
• Water resources and water quality problems in Sabah.
• Describe the essence and process of groundwater absorption.
• Healthcare: Salmonella enteritidis.
• How does humanity use water for electricity?
• Oil-water-gas flows: An experimental system.
• Has the hydrological cycle changed over the years, and why?
• Water drinking patterns in eating disorders .
• How do the cleanup technologies for water function?
• Oil leaks as a massive factor in seawater pollution.
• How is the drinking water produced and transported?
• Comparison of water-soluble vitamin C levels in different vegetables .
• A proverb in English says: “Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” How can we interpret it?
• Water shortage and contamination in South Florida.
• What industries use water for their producing activities?
• Acid rain: Effects and reduction.
• Explore the phenomenon of floods: How does it happen?
• The importance of water in hand hygiene and hand washing .
• Are there any ways we can reuse water?
• What are mineral water companies’ marketing strategies?
• Why do children and women especially suffer from water issues?
• Absorption of food and water in the digestive system.
• Eutrophication: What is it, and why is it so bad?
• Dubai electricity and water authority: Case study.
• How do invasive species contribute to water shortage?
• Water as a source of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in India.
• What water protection programs exist now?
• Water supply system: Maryland.
• Describe the methods and models of water research.
• Hepatitis A as a water-borne disease.
• Why is the high concentration of nutrients disastrous?
• Comparison of microbiological water quality standards for swimming beaches.
• Can we catch diseases from water while swimming?
• Can plastic use reduction contribute to saving water?
• Sustainable water management: An example from Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• What are the proper methods of disposing of waste?
• Acid rain’s effect on plant growth.
• How does water affect the climate and weather?
• Water depletion causes overview.
• Life on Mars: Analyze the information about water on Mars.
• Poor sanitation in slum areas: Effects on water and health .
• What are the regions that suffer from water scarcity most of all?
• Water supply and the plumbing system in California.

📝 Water Essay Samples

Go through these short examples to understand how your essay on water can look.

Get inspired and move on with your paper!

Are you sure that the water you consume every day is of decent quality? Water contamination is one of the most acute ecological problems. People just prefer not to discuss it much. But that doesn’t mean this issue will disappear one day. On the contrary, the situation is getting worse and needs immediate decisions. One thing is clear: water is vital for the whole planet. And we should never forget about it The list of reasons why water becomes polluted is vast. They include ill-curated sewage, pesticides, acid rain, industrial waste, and many others. Have you ever noticed people throwing litter on the streets or in rivers? Probably, you have. It happens all the time, which is one of the reasons we might run out of freshwater. There are also many other factors leading to low water quality. Industrial waste plays a starring role in this process. For many factories and plants, it’s “too expensive” to build qualitative disposal facilities. That’s why they barbarically use rivers and lakes to get rid of waste. Several massive catastrophes took place just this year. Oil leaks occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, and it was no good for the environment, indeed. Such cases should bring us to take measures. It’s clear that humanity very likely might face a severe water crisis globally. We need to invent methods of water purification and find new sources of water. But we also must try to protect the water we have from contamination.

How Can Failing to Conserve Water Contribute to Greater Water Contamination Essay

More than a billion people all over the world suffer from water shortages. Even more, they are risking their health by consuming low-quality water. Others just irresponsibly use tons of water in vain causing endless water waste. Such a state of things can lead to a fatal outcome for everything that lives on the planet. If we don’t learn to spare water, we won’t be able to exist at all. Humanity keeps exploiting water resources intensely. With overpopulation, the question of water scarcity became even more acute. Each year our current freshwater resources become dirtier due to contaminants of all kinds. There is water conserved in ice sheets and glaciers, but it’s not accessible yet. Water conservation is the sensible use of water. It includes various techniques that make this process possible. In times of growing water crisis, it’s vital to be aware of this concept and its methods. The decision to this problem is spreading awareness of the ways to save water. Such simple things as turning off faucets, taking showers instead of baths, using water sparingly can help. The government should control pesticides and oblige factory owners to construct advanced disposal facilities on a larger scale. There’s a proverb in Hindi saying that there are both lotuses and crocodiles in the water. One of humanity’s most significant challenges and goals is to make water free of “crocodiles”: waste, litter, pesticides, and other contaminants.

really need it urgently,thank you.

61 Water Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best water issues topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ most interesting water issues topics to write about, 📌 good essay topics on water issues.

• Water Scarcity as a Global Issue: Causes and Solutions Common causes of water scarcity include overpopulation e in regions that have limited water resources, global warming, destruction of water catchment areas by human activities, and pollution of water sources.
• Thames Water Company’s Pollution Issue and Ecocentrism Fines can be treated as a strong solution to this issue even though it is not presupposed by the ethical theory discussed, as they ensure that some funds can be spent on protecting the environment.
• Coca-Cola India and Water Pollution Issues The first difficulty that the representatives of the Coca-Cola Company happened to face due to their campaign in the territory of India was caused by the concerns of the local government.
• Water & Air Pollution and Health Issues in Brazil The main environmental effects of pollution include the destruction of marine habitats, water scarcity, and anoxia. The conclusion is informative because the writer includes strategies to alleviate the problem of air and water pollution in […]
• The Issue of Bottled Water Consumption The steady rise in the demand for bottled water is causing hips of unnecessary garbage and resulting in the consumption of vast quantities of energy according to the report by Earth Policy Institute.
• Water Quality Issues in Developing Countries According to WHO, the quality of drinking water is a foundation for the prevention and control of waterborne ailments, thus water quality is a critical environmental determinant of health for populations using the water.
• Water Contamination Issue in Medical Anthropology The role of water is so important that any economic or political disturbance can result in the worsening health problems of the population. The most recent and evident example of the failure in disease management […]
• Water Quality Issues: Case Study Analysis The quality of water is an essential part of the infrastructure of a city or state, which affects the health of the population and the level of well-being.
• Waterborne Infections: Policy issues and Individual Input The government should ensure that there is no further ingestion of contaminated water or food in the event of an outbreak of water-borne infections.
• Modern Global Issues: Drinking Water Shortage The situation is closely linked with the lack of water, and the offered technology to cope with this problem. This is the only way to use naturally filtered and sprang water.
• Water and Soil Resources Issues in the Middle East The political and communal discontent of the individuals in the Middle East has taken the attention away from the continuing trials facing the Middle East.
• The Jordan River Water Issues and Hydropolitics As a result, the Dead Sea does not receive the amount of water required for sustaining it, which leads to major alterations in the local environment.
• Water Control Issue in the United Arab Emirates The second considerable consumer of the water supplies in the United Arab Emirates is the domain of the private household. The fundamental problem, which brings some serious problems to the household management of water, is […]
• The Nile River: Water Issues and Hydropolitics As of recent times, the tensions still thrive in the region because of Egypt’s dominance over the water and some treaties the country holds purporting to control the river.
• Water Crisis, Oceans and Sea Turtles Issues In the case of Mexico, it appears that the past regimes have never put a lot of focus on the utilization of water resources.
• Water Resources Ecology: Current Issues and Strategies The article hence tries to find out the factors underlying the shortage of fresh water in Alaska, even as it is a region with fewer water problems compared to other states, and also identifying the […]
• Jordan River’ Water Issues and Hydropolitics The importance of the Jordan has led to cooperation between Israel, Palestine and Jordan to promote the protection of the river.
• Trend Analysis: Water Scarcity Issue This is a worrying aspect for the scarcity of water will lead to greater conflict for water. As agriculture is the sector that uses maximum water resources, with increase in population will face a dual […]
• Environmental Justice Issues Affecting African Americans: Water Pollution Water pollution in the 1960s occurred due to poor sewage systems in the urban and rural areas. Unlike in the 1960s, there are reduced cases of water pollution today.
• Virginia and Michigan’s Air and Water Pollutant Issues
• Water and Air Pollution Issues in Dayton, Ohio
• Global Issues Water Shortage and Child Mortality
• Economic Issues With Water Distribution
• Charging for Irrigation Water: Issues and Options, Case of Iran
• Cooperative Game Theory Application to Natural, Environmental, and Water Resource Issues
• Water Issues Between Urbanization and Agriculture
• Current and Emerging Water Issues in Agriculture
• Desalination Plants and Renewables Combined to Solve Power and Water Issues
• Economic Efficiency and Property Rights Issues in the Rural Water Management
• Efficiency and Regulatory Issues in the Brazilian Water and Sewage Sector
• Water Pollution and the Biggest Environmental Issues Today
• Estimating Water Quality Benefits: Theoretical and Methodological Issues
• Water Pricing: Conceptual and Theoretical Issues
• Ethical Issues Over Contaminated Ground Water
• European Union Water Policy: Key Issues and Challenges
• Exploring the Institutional Impediments to Conservation and Water Reuse
• Water and the Issues Surrounding the Natural Resource
• Global Issues: Obesity, Inactivity, and Water Crisis
• Hydrological and Environmental Issues of Interbasin Water Transfers in India
• India’s Water Futures: Drivers of Change, Scenarios, and Issues
• Water Quality Issues and Its Negative Effects
• Information and Modeling Issues in Designing Water and Sanitation Subsidy Schemes
• Integrated Water Management: Emerging Issues and Challenges
• Water Resources and Irrigation Policy Issues in Asia
• International Policy Issues Regarding Solar Water Heating
• Issues Surrounding Water Resources in England
• Key Issues for Thames Water Over the Next Five Years
• The Importance Of Water Scarcity In China
• Policy Issues Confronting Australian Urban Water Reuse
• Water Scarcity: Causes and How to Overcome it
• Emerging Issues Facing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in the Middle East and Asia
• Simulating Residential Water Demand and Water Pricing Issues
• Some Enforcement Issues for Water Pollution Control in India
• Sustainable Water Pricing and Demand Management Issues in Romania
• Agriculture and Water Quality in the Cornbelt: Issues and Approaches Overview
• The World’s Water: Emerging Issues in an Era of Growing Scarcity
• Water Rights and Markets in the U.S.: Efficiency and Equity Issues
• Issues of Water Management in Albania in Light of Climate Change
• How to Tackle With the Problem of Water Scarcity
• Hygiene Essay Topics
• Climate Change Titles
• Agriculture Essay Ideas
• Environment Research Topics
• Archaeology Research Ideas
• Green Building Questions
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• Air Pollution Research Ideas
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• The Water Crisis

The power of water

Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential – empowering people with time for school and work, and contributing to improved health for women, children, and families around the world. 

Today, 2.2 billion people – 1 in 4 – lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people – 2 in 5 – lack access to a safe toilet. These are the people we empower.

Learn more about the global water crisis >

Learn more about the global sanitation crisis >

A women's crisis

Women are disproportionately affected by the water crisis, as they are often responsible for collecting water. This takes time away from work, school and caring for family. The lack of water and sanitation locks women in a cycle of poverty. 

Empowering women is critical to solving the water crisis. When women have access to safe water at home, they can pursue more beyond water collection and their traditional roles. They have time to work and add to their household income. 

Learn how the water crisis affects women >

Women and children bear the primary responsibility for water collection.

A health crisis

The water crisis is a health crisis. More than 1 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases which could be reduced with access to safe water or sanitation. Every 2 minutes a child dies from a water-related disease. Access to safe water and sanitation contributes to improved health and helps prevent the spread of infectious disease. It means reduced child and maternal mortality rates. It means reduced physical injury from constant lifting and carrying heavy loads of water. Now more than ever, access to safe water is critical to the health of families around the world.

Read why the water crisis is a health crisis >

A children's and education crisis

Children are often responsible for collecting water for their families. This takes time away from school and play. Access to safe water and sanitation changes this. Reductions in time spent collecting water have been found to increase school attendance, especially for girls. Access to safe water gives children time to play and opportunity for a bright future.

See how the water crisis affects children and their education >

Reductions in time spent collecting water increases school attendance, especially for girls.

An economic crisis

Time spent gathering water or seeking safe sanitation accounts for billions in lost economic opportunities. $260 billion is lost globally each year due to lack of basic water and sanitation. Access to safe water and sanitation at home turns time spent into time saved, giving families more time to pursue education and work opportunities that will help them break the cycle of poverty.

Learn more about how the water crisis is an economic crisis >

A climate crisis

Water is the primary way in which we will feel many of the effects of climate change. Millions of families in poverty live in regions where water access is limited, temporary, or unstable. They are less prepared to face the effects of climate change like temperature extremes, floods, and droughts. Access to sustainable safe water and improved sanitation solutions can support climate resiliency for the people who need it the most.

Read more about the connection between climate change and water access >

By 2025, 50% of the world’s population is projected to live in water-stressed areas as a result of climate change, with low-income families bearing the greatest burden of this crisis.

• World Health Organization and UNICEF. (2023). Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene 2000-2022: Special focus on gender.
• World Health Organization and UNICEF. (2020). Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools: Special focus on COVID-19.
• UN-Water. (2019). Policy Brief on Climate Change and Water.
• World Health Organization and UNICEF. (2020). State of the World's Sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies.
• Hutton, G., and M. Varughese. (2020). Global and Regional Costs of Achieving Universal Access to Sanitation to Meet SDG Target 6.2.
• World Health Organization. (2019). Burden of disease attributable to unsafe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene.
• World Health Organization, UNICEF, and World Bank. (2022). State of the world’s drinking water: an urgent call to action to accelerate progress on ensuring safe drinking water for all.
• WaterAid. (2021). Mission-critical: Invest in water, sanitation and hygiene for a healthy and green economic recovery.

The water crisis affects millions around the world. Make an impact today.

• Global Warming

Water Crisis

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Unlimited access to clean, safe water is taken for granted in many places, but water scarcity is a growing concern worldwide. Overuse, increasing demand, pollution, poor management, lack of infrastructure, and changes in weather patterns due to global warming are key stressors that affect the availability of fresh water. 

Water is essential to life.

Many major cities across the globe are at risk of a water crisis, and water stress is projected to increase in most countries in the coming decades, threatening regional stability and raising the possibility of forced migrations. In addition, the issue of water availability is not just a human problem—our demands on lakes, rivers, and streams can dramatically harm ecosystems and the natural processes that require water.

Learn about the problem of water scarcity and the major threats to our water, and dive deep into some of the diverse solutions that exist to conserve, protect, and equitably manage Earth’s water resources for human and nonhuman life.

Know the problem

Water scarcity is a growing concern worldwide. Unsustainable and ever-growing demands on our freshwater resources have taxed aquifers and surface waters in many places, harming ecosystems and threatening future economic growth. A regional water crisis, often triggered by drought, can result in famine, forced migration, and other humanitarian emergencies. Explore the critical problem of water scarcity and some of its associated effects.

Drought is often a driver of serious water crises that can result in famine, forced migration, and regional conflicts over remaining water resources.

Water scarcity can affect local food production and cause devastating famines. Learn more about their causes, effects, and relief efforts.

7 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Lakes can be sensitive to changes in precipitation and water withdrawals from human activity. Learn about seven lakes that are drying up.

Complex Humanitarian Emergency

A water crisis can potentially escalate into a complex humanitarian emergency. Read about these complicated disasters.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO LACK ACCESS TO SAFE AND RELIABLE DRINKING WATER AT HOME

ONE-THIRD OF THE WORLD’S LARGE AQUIFER SYSTEMS ARE IN DISTRESS.

Know the Causes

There are numerous threats to our water resources. Human demands often exceed sustainable water consumption levels, and the pollution we generate harms aquatic systems and renders the contaminated water unsafe to use. In addition, global warming increases the likelihood of extreme weather events, including drought and excessive heat, and is expected put additional stressors on water availability and global distribution. Read more about the causes of our global water crisis.

Water Pollution

Water pollution interferes with the functioning of ecosystems and the human uses of water.

Fracking for natural gas and crude oil consumes and dirties large amounts of water and can contaminate aquifers.

Environmental Infrastructure

Aging and mismanaged environmental infrastructure wastes and contaminates precious water resources.

Industry claims vast amounts of freshwater resources and is also responsible for significant amounts of water pollution.

Editor's Answers

Popular questions.

Have a question of your own? Britannica's Beyond question and answer platform is ready for your questions.

Agriculture, industry, and municipalities are the three largest water consumers worldwide.  Read more.

Less than one percent of Earth’s water is available fresh water.  Read more.

Overuse, water pollution, lack of infrastructure, and changing weather patterns due to climate change are some of the drivers of water scarcity.  Read more.

Rainwater can be used for non-potable uses, including watering plants, which reduces the demand on municipal systems.  Read more.

Domestic sewage is a major source of plant nutrients, mainly nitrates and phosphates. Excess nitrates and phosphates in water promote the growth of algae, sometimes causing unusually dense and rapid growths known as algal blooms. When these blooms die, the process of decomposition uses up dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats.

Did you know?

About 2.6 billion people around the world have gained access to clean water in the last 25 years!

Know the Solutions

One of the best ways to address water scarcity is to conserve water and treat it as something truly precious. Beyond that, there are a number of technological, ecological, and economic solutions that can help ensure that humans and natural systems have sufficient access to safe water. Dive into some of the solutions, and get inspired by the possibilities!

Desalination

Desalination renders salty, unusable waters fit for human consumption, irrigation, industrial applications, and various other uses.

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting systems can supply households and businesses with water for use in dry seasons and lessen the demand on municipal water supplies.

Ecological Restoration

The restoration of ecosystems that naturally collect, filter, store, and release water, like wetlands, is a key strategy in reducing water scarcity.

Contour Farming

Contour farming has been proven to reduce fertilizer loss and erosion, increase crop yields, and help absorb the impact of heavy rains.

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• Water Pollution Essay

Water Pollution and How it Harms the Environment

Global pollution is a problem. Pollution can spread to remote areas where no one lives, despite the fact that urban areas are typically more polluted than the countryside. Air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution are the three main categories of pollution. Some contaminated water has a terrible smell, a muddy appearance, and floating trash. Some contaminated water appears clean, but it contains dangerous substances that you can't see or smell.

Together, developed and developing nations must fight to conserve the environment for present and future generations. Today, we dig deep into the subject of Water Pollution. This article can be an introduction to water pollution for kids as we will read many things such as the causes of water pollution further in the article.

What is Water Pollution?

Water contamination occurs when pollutants pollute water sources and make the water unfit for use in drinking, cooking, cleaning, swimming, and other activities. Chemicals, garbage, bacteria, and parasites are examples of pollutants. Water is eventually damaged by all types of pollution. Lakes and oceans become contaminated by air pollution. Land contamination may contaminate an underground stream, a river, and ultimately the ocean. As a result, trash thrown on an empty lot can eventually contaminate a water source.

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Water Pollution

The water cycle, called  the hydrological cycle, involves the following steps:

Evaporation- Because of the sun's heat, the water bodies such as oceans, lakes, seas etc., get heated up, and water evaporates in the air, forming water vapours.

Transpiration- Like evaporation, the plants and trees also lose water from them which goes to the atmosphere. This process is called transpiration.

Condensation- As the water evaporates, it starts to become cool because of the cold atmosphere in the air and because of this cooling down of water leads to the formation of clouds.

Precipitation- Because of the high movements of the wings, the clouds start to collide and then fall back to the earth’s surface in the form of rain. Sometimes they also fall back in the form of snow, hail, sleet etc., depending upon the temperature.

Runoff or Infiltration- After precipitation, the water either flows to the water bodies called runoff or is absorbed into the soil, called infiltration.

Causes of Water Pollution

There are many reasons for water pollution. Some of the reasons are directly affected by water pollution and some indirectly. Many factories and industries are dumping contaminated water, chemicals, and heavy metals into major waterways as a result of direct water pollution. 

One more reason for water pollution is the use of modern techniques in farms. Farmers apply nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium in the form of chemical fertilizers, manure, and sludge. It causes farms to discharge large quantities of agrochemicals, organic matter, and saline drainage into water bodies. It indirectly affects water pollution.

Pollutants can be of various types such as organic, inorganic, radioactive etc. Water pollutants are discharged either from one point from pipes, channels etc., which are called point sources or from various other sources. They can be agricultural areas, industries etc., called dispersed sources. 

Some of the major forms of water pollutants are as follows:

Sewage- Domestic sewage from homes contains various forms of pathogens that threaten the human body. Sewage treatment reduces the risk of pathogens, but this risk is not eliminated. 

Domestic sewage majorly contains nitrates and phosphates, and excess of these substances allows the algae to grow on the surface of water bodies. Due to this, the clean water bodies become nutrient-rich water body and then slowly, the oxygen level of water bodies reduces. This is called eutrophication or cultural eutrophication (if this step rapidly takes place by the activities of humans). This leads to the early death of water bodies.

Toxins- The industrial or factory wastes that are not disposed of properly and contain chemicals such as mercury and lead are disposed of in the water bodies making the bodies toxic, radioactive, explosive and cancerous.

Sediments- Sediments are the result of soil erosion that is formed in the water bodies. These sediments imbalances the water bodies ecologically. They also interfere in the reproductive cycle of various aquatic animals living in the water.

Thermal pollution- Water bodies get polluted because of heat, and excess heat reduces the oxygen level of the water bodies. Some of the species of fish cannot live in such water bodies with very low oxygen levels. The disposal of cold waters from the power plants leads to increased thermal pollution in the water bodies.

Petroleum oil pollution- The runoff of oil into the water bodies, either accidentally as happened in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, or intentionally, leads to an increase in water pollution.

As water is an important element of human health, polluted water directly affects the human body. Water pollution causes various diseases like typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, cancer, etc. Water pollution damages the plants and aquatic animals present in the river by reducing the oxygen content from the water. Polluted water washes the essential nutrients which plants need out of the soil and also leaves large amounts of aluminium in the soil, which can be harmful to plants. 

Wastewater and sewage are a by-product of daily life and thus produced by each household through various activities like using soap, toilets, and detergents. Such sewage contains chemicals and bacteria which are harmful to human life and environmental health. Water pollution also leads to an imbalance in our ecosystem. Lastly, it also affects the food chain as the toxins in the water bodies are consumed by aquatic animals like fish, crabs etc., and then humans consume those animals forming turmoil. 

Sometimes our tradition also becomes a cause for water pollution. Some people throw the statues of deities, flowers, pots, and ashes in rivers.

There are various standards to define water quality standards. Water meant for swimming may not be clean enough for drinking, or water meant for bathing may not be good for cooking. Therefore, there are different water standards for defined:

Stream standards- Standards that define streams, lakes, oceans or seas based on their maximum use.

Effluent standards- Define the specific standards for the level of contaminants or effluents allowed during the final discharge of those into the water bodies.

Drinking water standards- Define the level of contamination allowed in water that will be supplied for drinking or cooking in the domestic areas.

Different countries regulate their water quality standards through different acts and amendments.

While many of the solutions for water pollution need to be applied on a broader macro-level for that individual, companies, and communities can have a significant and responsible impact on the water quality. Companies, factories have to dispose of leftover chemicals and containers properly as per the product instructions. Farmers also have to reduce the use of nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers, pesticides, and contamination of groundwater. 

The Swachh Bharat Mission of the government had led to reduced groundwater contamination. Under the Namami Ganga program, the government has initiated several major projects to clean Ganga. Along with all these steps, conservation of water is the very basic and important step towards water conservation and should be followed globally, treatment of sewage before their disposal in the water bodies and using environment-friendly products that do not form toxins when dissolved in water. These are some small steps that have to be taken into consideration by every human being.

As we all know, “Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” We have to save water. We must keep the water clean. If everyone will follow their responsibility against water to protect it from getting polluted then it will be easy to get clean and healthy drinking water. Clean water is a must for us and our kids' present, future, and healthy environment. 

We cannot just live with contaminated waters filled with toxins and no oxygen. We cannot see our wildlife being destroyed and therefore, immediate steps have to be taken by groups of people to first clean the already contaminated water bodies and then keep a check on all the surrounding water bodies. Small steps by every individual can make a huge difference in controlling water pollution.

Water Pollution Prevention

Conserve Water 

Our first priority should be to conserve water. Water wasting could be a big problem for the entire world, but we are just now becoming aware of it.

Sewage Treatment 

Cleaning up waste materials before disposing of them in waterways reduces pollution on a large scale. By lowering its dangerous elements, this wastewater will be used in other sectors or in agriculture.

Usage of Eco-Friendly Materials

We will reduce the amount of pollution produced by choosing soluble products that do not alter to become pollutants.

Water contamination is the discharge of pollutants into the water body, where they dissolve, are suspended, are deposited on the bottom, and collect to the point where they hinder the aquatic ecosystem's ability to function. Water contamination is brought on by toxic compounds that easily dissolve and combine with it and come from factories, municipalities, and farms.

Healthy ecosystems depend on a complex network of organisms, including animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi, all of which interact with one another either directly or indirectly. In this article, we read about water pollution, its causes and prevention. With this, we have come to the end of our article, in case of any other doubts, feel free to ask in the comments.

FAQs on Water Pollution Essay

1. What are the effects of water pollution?

Water pollution has a great impact on human health. Water pollution kills. It's been recorded that in 2015 nearly 1.8 million people died because of water pollution. People with low income are exposed to contaminated water coming out from the industries. Presence of disease causing pathogens in drinking water are the major cause of illness which includes cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Water pollution not only affects human health but also our environment by causing algal bloom in a lake or marine environment. Water pollution also causes eutrophication which suffocates plants and animals and thus causes dead zones. Chemicals and heavy metals from industrial and municipal wastewater contaminate waterways and harm aquatic life.

2. What are the causes of Water pollution?

Water being a universal solvent is vulnerable to pollution as it dissolves more substances than any other liquid on earth. Therefore, water is easily polluted. Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories readily dissolve into water and mix with it, resulting in water pollution. Agricultural pollution is one of the major causes of contamination in rivers and streams. The use of excessive fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste from farms and livestock operations lets the rain wash the nutrients and pathogens—such as bacteria and viruses—into our waterways. The other major cause of water pollution is used water,  termed as wastewater which comes from our sinks, showers, toilets and from commercial, industrial, and agricultural activities. It's been reported that the world's 80% wastewater flows back into the environment without being treated or reused. Oil spills and radioactive waste also cause water pollution to a great extent.

3. How to prevent water pollution?

It is important to keep our water bodies clean so we can take the following preventive measures to prevent from water pollution:

Chemicals like bleach, paint, paint thinner, ammonia, and many chemicals are becoming a serious problem. Dumping toxic chemicals down the drain or flushing them down the toilet can cause water pollution. Thus, proper disposal is important. Also, household chemicals need to be recycled.

Avoid buying products that contain persistent and dangerous chemicals. Buying non-toxic cleaners and biodegradable cleaners and pesticides cut down on water pollution.

Prevent from pouring fats or greasy substances down the drain as it might clog the drain resulting in the dumping of waste into yards or basement which can contaminate the local water bodies.

4. What is the role of medical institutions in polluting the water?

Pharmaceutical pollution affects aquatic life and thus there is a need to take preventive measures. Consumers are responsible for winding up pharmaceutical and personal care products in lakes, rivers, and streams. There's a lot of unused and expired medication that can potentially get into the water if not disposed of properly.

5. What are the major kinds of pollution?

The three main types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution or soil pollution. Some artificial pollution is also there, such as noise pollution. Factors leading to such pollution include:

Air Pollution: Industrial emissions, fires, traffic and transportation, burning of chemical waste, etc.

Water Pollution: No proper sewage disposal, pesticides in farms leaking into water bodies, industrial waste dumped into water bodies, etc.

Soil Pollution:  Oil spills, acid rains, irresponsible disposal of trash, chemical waste, etc.

Noise Pollution: Honking of horns, construction activities, loud parties, etc.

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Essay on “Water Problem” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Water Wisdom

Water Problem

Synopsis:  Water is an essential ingredient of all kind of life. Earth is a unique living planet because eat has water.  There is water and water and yet not enough to drink and May towns, cities and villages often face acute shortage of water.  To alleviate the drinking water situation a mission was started in 1986 but man of the schemes under the project remain non-functional and thousands of localities use contaminated water.  Maintenance and operation of water mission is a main problem to be solved.  Another major problem to be tackled is water harvesting.  India is one of the wettest counties of the world but the water harvesting is very poor.  Experts say that traditional and local water harvesting is very purr.  Experts say that traditional and local water harvesting system should be revived and encouraged as in that lays the water wisdom.

            Water is one of the essential ingredients of life.  Water is life and without water there cannot be life at all;  The each is the only living planet because there is water   The other planets like Mrs., Jupiter, etc, are dead, deserted and lifeless because there in no life-supporting water.  Presence of water-means also the presence of other ingredients of life.  The total replenishes able, ground water resources in the country have been estimated at 45.22m.ha. Per year. 

            There is often scarcity of drinking water.  There are droughts and famines causing untold misery, death and destruction.  Today there are thousands of villages and towns acing an acute drinking water-shortage.  Even in cities item huge water-supply plants there is not sufficient water and their supply is often limited to a very short period of the day…  With the rapidly increasing pressure of population on our water resources, more and more villages, towns and cities are facing the problem. The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had to launch a dirking water mission and programmed in 1986 to meet the drinking water requirements.  Then drinking water was available to only 30 per cent of the country’s population and today theoretically it is available to 91 per cent.  But the investigations have shown that a large percentage of drinking water schemes remain non-functional for a very long time of the year and so the safe and potable water in no available to the people.

            A team of scientists and researchers of Centre for Sconce and Environment, New Delhi ha shade detailed study of the problem, its dimensions and solution.  They have emphasized the need to traditional wisdom of water harvesting.  They have given many details and data nod proved how useful it can be to make use of our time-tasted, age-old and traditional water harvesting system. These traditional methods of water harvesting have been in constant practice form time immemorial in the country, among various communities and villages.

            Heavy showers are not uncommon in the country.  It receives rain for about 100 hours each year spread over about 50 days in a year.  Cherapunji in India is the wettest place in the world which receives annual rainfall of about 15,000 mm and yet the village often faces drinking water shortage because of side spread deforestation resulting in drying up of water sources soon after torrential rainy season is over.  On the other hand, Jaywalker in Rajasthan has just about 100 mm of annual rainfall and yet this desert town was able to collect enough water for its use.  But it too has started facing the drinking water shortages of late since government water supply system has begun bass on tapping of limited ground water neglecting traditional wisdom of water.

            The problem of over-exploitation and pollution of our water resources is really grave.  According to a UN report two-thirds of mankind will suffer moderate to severe water crisis within next 30 years if remedial steps are not taken.  World Bank report estimates 5 million deaths from unsafe drinking water and investments to the tune of $ 600 billion worldwide to repair and improve water delivery system. 

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Braid: City's mushy messages are causing high water use. Talk straight for a change

Calgarians deserve clear descriptions of the failure scenarios

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Eight city councillors lined up with Mayor Jyoti Gondek Monday to plead for cuts in water use; a morose crew who know the city is tiptoeing around disaster every day.

Braid: City's mushy messages are causing high water use. Talk straight for a change Back to video

If the overworked Glenmore water plant suddenly fails, 70 per cent of the remaining water supply goes offline.

It’s the truth, no matter what the don’t-comply agitators say.

But consumption is still about 10 million litres per day above the limit because many Calgarians aren’t convinced.

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Gondek was asked why this is, when public compliance was so much stronger after the Bearspaw South Feeder line exploded on June 5.

She said the first round was more dramatic because the rupture was so visually riveting.

“This time around, because it’s maintenance and repair work, I think some folks are feeling this only affects Montgomery and Bowness,” Gondek said.

Maybe so, but it’s not the main problem.

City hall itself let the sense of crisis fade away when they called a weeks-long hiatus and Gondek went to Europe. (She was attending the World Energy Cities Partnership’s annual general meeting in Stavanger, Norway.)

Now they’re trying to reboot the original mood with the bureaucratic language that never calls a thing by its name.

We’re flirting with “crisis,” Gondek says, without describing the crisis in detail.

If the Glenmore plant shuts down, what exactly does that mean for people across the city?

Do we have to boil water at that point? Would there be any water at all? Would the whole system fail?

The mayor and officials are vague about all those crucial points. And they’re getting a vague response from Calgarians.

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Personally, I think we’re on the edge of a disaster here. Continuing to miss daily targets for water cuts could lead the whole city into shortages or worse.

Calgarians deserve clear descriptions of the failure scenarios.

Tell us exactly what happens if that Glenmore plant breaks down during the final weeks of Bearspaw repairs.

That could cut water use in a hurry. But city hall offers the usual gushing thanks for all we’ve done, followed by assurance that repairs are going well.

They aren’t telling us the whole story. This is hardly new. I’ve talked to former city water officials who say they were routinely shut up by communications staff.

“They’re just awful,” says retired water engineer Roy Brander. “They don’t want you to explain things clearly to Calgarians and tell the whole truth.”

That happened at public meetings when he wanted to lay out clear facts but was shushed by staff.

The mayor and councillors also fail to talk about the long-term problem. The city does not have enough water pipeline capacity to service an area of 1.6 million people.

After the Bearspaw work is done, more failures with citywide impact are almost inevitable. (The main Glenmore pipe hasn’t had a major breakdown – not yet — since it was installed in 1932.)

The answer to all this is a new water facility at Bearspaw, combined with a 22-kilometre line to service the city’s north side.

As I’ve written before, this line is approved by council and some work is already underway.

But the mayor and officials never talk about this hugely expensive project. It’s not even mentioned in the city’s most recent progress report.

Talking about this north line would raise questions about major blunders at city hall.

As outlined in a private report written by a retired official, which I’ve read, reorganization during the 2010s split up veteran water project teams and made their reporting lines incomprehensible. Focus shifted from doing the job to system survival.

This north project was stalled and finally cancelled in 2021. It was later replaced with the new design.

Even if this pipeline proceeds on schedule, which is unlikely, it won’t be in service until 2029. Until then, Calgary will be vulnerable to failures in the water supply.

For free, here’s the simple message we should be hearing right now: Using too much water means disaster for Calgarians, businesses and the economy.

Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald

X: @DonBraid

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The ‘biggest problem the world’s ever faced’: Bill McKibben talks climate in Bozeman

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BOZEMAN — Nationally renowned environmentalist and climate activist Bill McKibben described the atmosphere-warming effects of fossil-fuel combustion and innovations driving a shift to cleaner technologies during a public talk in Bozeman this week.

McKibben is credited with introducing a general audience to climate change’s mechanisms and impacts in his 1989 book, “The End of Nature.” 

McKibben quipped for the 100-plus Bozeman residents in attendance that “The End of Nature” could be described as “the least successful book ever written” given that its warnings went largely unheeded for decades. More fossil fuel combustion-related emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas, have been produced since the book’s release than in all of human history prior, he said.

McKibben then described some of the temperature records that have been broken in the past 18 months as indicative of a kind of “jump” that’s happening in response to increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. Recent months have wrought the hottest day that’s ever been recorded on Earth — July 22, 2024 , which replaced global temperature records set the year prior — and a 101-degree Fahrenheit reading that a National Park Service buoy located off the coast of Florida recorded last year .

“The things that scientists were warning us about [in 1989] are now coming true, and they’re becoming true in dramatic, horrifying, painful fashion,” McKibben said. “We are living on a hotter planet than any human beings that we would recognize as human beings have ever lived on.”

‘This changes everything’: Experts respond to Held v. Montana climate ruling

The ruling by Lewis and Clark District Court Judge Kathy Seeley is the first legal opinion of its kind, spelling out the environmental harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions as well as the effects of climate change on the physical and mental well-being of young people.

Humanity’s reluctant transition away from fossil fuels effectively means that, instead of 35 years, we have five years to make a decisive switch to renewable energy, said McKibben, who founded 350.org, a grassroots climate activism nonprofit, with that goal in mind.

The good news, McKibben said, is that “we have a pretty good idea now what we need to do if we want to avert the worst, in a way that we didn’t, really, even a few years ago.”

He said scientists have played their part over the past 35 years by making a case for a response to climate change, and now the intellectual work rests largely on the shoulders of the engineers developing technology for renewable energy.

Evidence of their willingness to rise to the challenge can be found in the dramatic decreases in cost for clean energy projects and innovations in storage technologies — batteries — that provide grid operators with the flexibility to increase renewables in their portfolios, he said. 

“I think we still think of alternative energy as if it was the Whole Foods of energy,” he said, referencing the boutique grocery common in affluent communities. “It is not. It is the Costco of energy. It is the cheap stuff available in bulk, ready to go.”

McKibben noted that Texas — a deeply red state hardly regarded as an incubator for progressive environmental causes — is leading the country in battery and wind energy deployment. 

“I think we still think of alternative energy as if it was the Whole Foods of energy. It is not. It is the Costco of energy. It is the cheap stuff available in bulk, ready to go.” 350.org Founder Bill McKibben

“Which might be a salutory lesson because Texas is an oil and gas state, too. But they have managed to get it together to do some pretty remarkable things,” he said.

In a subsequent conversation with Montana Free Press, McKibben pointed out that clean energy and battery deployment “gets easier with literally every month that passes” as we continue to apply our collective intelligence to the task. Renewable deployment in Texas has been a boon for the state’s energy consumers, he added, noting that Texans have some of the lowest power bills in the country.

In his talk Tuesday night, McKibben described climate change as the “biggest problem the world’s ever faced,” and wondered aloud whether the big brains our species developed as a result of our ability to harness fire and cook food will ultimately support an effective response to this particular problem.

“We’ll find out if it gets us out. My intuition is that the real answer to that question depends on the size of the heart that the brain is attached to,” he said. “And I’m counting on all of you to have big hearts enough that we can get all that we can done in the time that we have.”

‘Running in the wrong direction’

Annual emissions associated with the extraction, transportation and combustion of fossil fuels from Montana are greater than comparable emissions from more than 100 countries, an environmental consultant with the Stockholm Environment Institute told Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Kathy Seeley during the fourth day of a climate trial over Montana’s energy policies. Another expert for the 16 youth plaintiffs said the state is “running in the wrong direction to address the climate crisis.”

Wind power set to overtake coal generation capacity in Montana

With coal plants encountering tough market conditions and two big wind projects slated to come online, U.S. Energy Information Administration data indicates that Montana-based wind plants will soon provide more ‘nameplate capacity’ than their coal-fired counterparts.

The League of Women Voters, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Montana Environmental Information Center, Moms Clean Air Force and MSU’s Ivan Doig Center sponsored McKibben’s appearance in Bozeman. McKibben visited Montana as part of a larger tour of swing states he’s making around the country ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Other stops include Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan, as well as a stop in Missoula Sept. 28, he said.

Other engagements during McKibben’s visit to Montana this week included a similarly themed talk in Billings hosted by Billings Climate Week and meetings with Northern Plains Resource Council and Protect Our Winters, two nonprofits active on climate issues. While in Bozeman, McKibben also met with Montana State University students and a handful of young Montanans who successfully sued Montana over its energy-permitting policies.

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Amanda Eggert studied print journalism at the University of Montana. Prior to becoming a full-time journalist, Amanda spent four years working with the Forest Service as a wildland firefighter. After leaving the Forest Service in 2014, Amanda worked for Outside magazine as an editorial fellow before joining Outlaw Partners’ staff to lead coverage for Explore Big Sky newspaper and contribute writing and editing to Explore Yellowstone and Mountain Outlaw magazines. Prior to joining Montana Free Press’ staff in 2021 Amanda was a freelance writer, researcher and interviewer. In addition to writing... More by Amanda Eggert

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EPA says Vermont fails to comply with Clean Water Act through inadequate regulation of some farms

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says flaws in a Vermont program are preventing the state from adequately controlling phosphorus discharges from certain farms, which contribute to severe water quality problems in Lake Champlain and other bodies...

Flaws in a Vermont program are preventing the state from controlling phosphorus discharges from certain farms, contributing to severe water quality problems in Lake Champlain and other bodies of water, according to a letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to state officials.

The Monday letter to the secretary of the Vermont Natural Resources Agency says the program is failing to comply with the Clean Water Act. It directs the state to make significant changes in how it regulates water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, which raise animals in confinement.

There are 37 large and 104 medium CAFOs in Vermont, along with 1,000 small farms that might be considered such operations, according to the EPA.

Two state agencies — Natural Resources and Agriculture Food and Markets — regulate agricultural water pollution in Vermont, which is where the problem lies, the letter states. The division of responsibilities "is interfering with the regulation of Vermont’s CAFOs and preventing Vermont from adequately addressing agricultural water quality,” wrote David Cash, EPA administrator for Region 1 in Boston.

Excess phosphorus runoff from farms, roads and urban areas has fueled toxic algae blooms Lake Champlain, sometimes forcing the closure of beaches. Sources of excess phosphorus into lakes and waterways include fertilizers, leaking septic systems or discharges from wastewater treatment plants, according to the EPA.

The EPA mandated that the state clean up Lake Champlain and in 2016 released new phosphorus pollution limits for the water body.

In Monday's letter, the EPA concluded that the Agency of Natural Resources must be responsible for CAFO permitting, monitoring, and enforcement, which includes doing routine farm inspections, enforcing management plans for the placement of manure and other nutrients on fields, and administering discharge permits.

Vermont Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore said Tuesday that the agency takes its obligations under the Clean Water Act very seriously.

“At the same time I think it’s really important to reflect that this is sort of about the operation and administration of government and should not be taken as a reflection on the work being done by farmers,” she said.

The state has regulated farms through no-discharge permits issued by the Agriculture Agency, “so nothing is allowed to leave the farm," Moore said. The EPA is showing that there is evidence of occasional discharges from farms, often in response to severe weather, she said.

The Conservation Law Foundation, the Vermont Natural Resources Council and the Lake Champlain Committee, an advocacy organization, petitioned the EPA in 2022 to take corrective action or withdraw its authorization of the program related to the regulation of CAFO farms. The foundation released EPA's letter on Monday, and Elena Mihaly, vice president of Conservation Law Foundation Vermont, said it's a step in the right direction.

Similar concerns were raised in a 2008 petition filed by the Vermont Law School Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic that resulted in a corrective action plan in 2013 in which the state agreed to take steps to improve parts of its program, including its dealings with CAFOs, the letter states.

It's clear that Vermont has not adequately addressed deficiencies in its CAFO program or complied with the requirements of the 2013 plan, Cash wrote in the letter to the state.

“EPA has closely observed program operations in Vermont for well over a decade and despite having had ample time and opportunity to cure longstanding program deficiencies, many of which were outlined in the 2008 withdrawal petition, ANR has failed to do so,” Cash wrote.

Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts said the issue “really only deals with a handful of farmers” and “is more like a regulatory box that hasn’t been checked.”

Farmers and the agency are and have been doing tremendous work in keeping pollution out of the lake and waterways, he said.

“The evidence proves through some of the science, the people that are helping to solve the problem over the last decade or so are coming from the farm community,” Tebbetts said. “So the program with education, technical assistance, enforcement, inspections is working.”

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Water Pollution — Water Pollution: Causes, Consequences, Solutions

Water Pollution: Causes, Consequences, Solutions

• Categories: Water Pollution

About this sample

Words: 801 |

Published: Jan 30, 2024

Words: 801 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
• Study published in the journal 'Nature'.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
• World Health Organization (WHO).

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The Mississippi River is running low again. It’s a problem for farmers moving beans and grain

FILE - Barges float in the Mississippi River as a portion of the riverbed is exposed, Sept. 15, 2023, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — The water level of the Mississippi River is unusually low for the third straight year , forcing barge companies to put limits on how much cargo they can carry and cutting into farm profits.

It was just two months ago that much of the Mississippi River was above flood stage north of St. Louis. Since then, the river level has dropped steadily. The area south of St. Louis has been hit especially hard, mirroring low-water concerns that began around this same time of year in both 2022 and 2023.

As part of the fallout, barge companies are forced to limit the soybeans, grain and other cargo they carry to prevent barges from potentially getting stuck. That means less profit for farmers.

About 60% of U.S. grain exports are taken by barge down the Mississippi to New Orleans, where the corn, soybeans and wheat is stored and ultimately transferred for shipment to other countries. It’s an efficient way to transport crops — a typical group of 15 barges lashed together carries as much cargo as about 1,000 trucks.

With cargoes limited, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent Grain Transportation Report showed that for the week ending Aug. 31, 480,750 tons of grain moved on barges — a 17% drop from the previous week.

Meanwhile, costs were up sharply. Freight rates originating in St. Louis were 8% higher than the same period last year and up 57% compared to the three-year average. Freight rates originating in Memphis were 10% higher than last year, and 63% higher than the three-year average.

Consumers won’t necessarily feel much impact, but farmers will, said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Iowa-based Soy Transportation Coalition.

“When you’ve got a transportation cost increase in any industry the question is, ‘Do I pass those costs onto the customer in the form of a higher price?’” Steenhoek said.

But farmers usually don’t have that option because their product that moves on barges is being sold internationally. If American soybean prices rise, the foreign buyer can purchase from another country, Steenhoek said.

It was just July when the Mississippi River reached major flood levels in places like Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, forcing some people to get around by boat.

All that water flowing down from the upper Mississippi River was offset by drought in states along the Ohio River, which feeds into the Mississippi at Cairo, Illinois. Rainfall in places like Ohio and West Virginia was minimal throughout the summer, worsening in August.

“That drought is growing,” Michael Clay, chief of the Hydraulics and Hydrology Branch of the Corps of Engineers’ office in Memphis, Tennessee, said at a news conference Wednesday. As a result, the Mississippi River south of Cairo is just a few feet higher than the record low levels reached in several places last year — and dropping.

Donny Davidson Jr., a deputy engineer for the Memphis District of the Corps, said dredging operations are being moved around on a frequent basis as worrisome spots pop up.

“Over the last few years, we’ve really got very good at looking ahead and applying those resources in a very strategic manner,” Davidson said.

Clay said Hurricane Francine is expected to bring several inches of rain to much of the lower Mississippi River, including up to 4 inches of rain in Memphis in the coming days.

Martin County, Ky., to apply for state grant to help troubled water system

by GILBERT McCLANAHAN

INEZ, Ky. (WCHS) — There's encouraging news in the works for Martin County’s troubled water system. County leaders plan to apply for a $28 million state grant from a program created by the General Assembly earlier this year. This isn’t the only grant the county hopes to receive.

Finding a remedy for Martin County’s decades-long water problems has been a continuous issue. Grants and other funding sources paid for the possible solutions.

"I wish there has been more accountability. I think we would have been farther down the road had there been," Martin County Judge-Executive Lon Lafferty said.

Lafferty said time and money was spent laying water lines to those without service, but efforts to ensure service was dependable has been lacking.

"Chief among those is a water leak rate of 70% and that leak rate has been in the past seven to eight years. We don’t seem to be able to get that under control," Lafferty added.

Ginny Quillen is an Inez resident hopeful for dependable drinking water running from her tap.

"It’s nasty," Quillen said of her water. "I’m hoping someone will do something to get us some good water in this county. We deserve it. I’m tired of spending money for drinking water."

Martin County finds out in April whether or not they will get the state grant. Officials are hopeful more financial assistance follows.

Importance of Water Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on importance of water.

Water is the basic necessity for the functioning of all life forms that exist on earth . It is safe to say that water is the reason behind earth being the only planet to support life. This universal solvent is one of the major resources we have on this planet . It is impossible for life to function without water. After all, it makes for almost 70% of the earth.

However, despite its vast abundance, water is very much limited. It is a non-renewable resource . In addition, we need to realize the fact that although there is an abundance of water, not all of it is safe to consume. We derive some very essential uses from the water on a daily basis.

Significance of water

If we talk about our personal lives, water is the foundation of our existence. The human body needs water for the day to day survival. We may be able to survive without any food for a whole week but without water, we won’t even survive for 3 days. Moreover, our body itself comprises of 70% water. This, in turn, helps our body to function normally.

Thus, the lack of sufficient water or consumption of contaminated water can cause serious health problems for humans. Therefore, the amount and quality of water which we consume is essential for our physical health plus fitness.

Further, our daily activities are incomplete without water. Whether we talk about getting up in the morning to brush or cooking our food, it is equally important. This domestic use of water makes us very dependent on this transparent chemical.

In addition, on a large scale, the industries consume a lot of water. They need water for almost every step of their process. It essential for the production of the goods we use every day.

If we look beyond human uses, we will realize how water plays a major role in every living beings life. It is the home of aquatic animals. From a tiny insect to a whale, every organism needs water to survive.

Therefore, we see how not only human beings but plants and animals too require water. The earth depends on water to function. We cannot be selfish and use it up for our uses without caring about the environment.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

A world without water

Water is not only required for our survival but for a healthy and happy life as well. Everyone has seen the scenario of water-deprived countries like Africa, where citizens are leading a miserable life. It is time for everyone to wake up and realize the urgency of conserving water.

In other words, a world without water would make the human race impossible to last. The same can be said for all the animals and plants. In fact, the whole earth will suffer without water.

Firstly, the greenery will soon diminish. When earth won’t get water, all the vegetation will die and turn into barren land. The occurrence of different seasons will soon cease. The earth will be caught in one big endless summer.

Furthermore, the home of aquatic animals will be taken from them. That means no fishes and whales for us to see. Most importantly, all forms of living organisms will go extinct if we do not conserve water right away.

In conclusion, unnecessary usage of water must be stopped at once. Every single person must work to conserve water and restore the balance. If not, we all know what the consequences are going to be.

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