Water scarcity is a problem that affects the entire world. In Brazil, despite 12% of the planet's fresh water being concentrated in our country, the water crisis is a concern that affects Brazilians as well.
The situation seems contradictory, considering that we have all learned that most of planet Earth is made up of water (75%).
However, what people really need to know is that more than 97% of this water cannot be consumed or used in cleaning and personal hygiene, for example. That's because it's salty.
Of the remaining fresh water, a large part is frozen and a substantial part is underground.
Meanwhile, the water that exists in reservoirs and enters the distribution networks to be used by people corresponds to less than 1%.
And little is left for own consumption, as agricultural production requires a large amount of water to develop satisfactorily. In addition, a good percentage of this water is also required by industries.
Unfortunately, that's not all. There is water that could be used, but ends up being contaminated by industrial waste and waste from landfills and dumps, among others.
Learn more at Water pollution.
What are the Causes?
There are several factors that motivate the lack of water, including: drought, pollution and poor distribution of this resource, just to name the most common.
When we talk about bad distribution, we are referring to the fact that the region where the population concentration is higher is not always the one with more water.
Furthermore, water distribution is a power issue. That is why there are world conflicts over the possession of water, such as the waters of the Jordan River.
And the Consequences?
The more people, the more water consumption.
Thus, in a few years' time, the increase in population signals a serious water crisis.
Because if water is an essential good, the lack of it will have social, economic and environmental impacts. Examples are emptying of cities, low agricultural and industrial production, lack of employment, among many others.
Learn more about Water crisis in Brazil.
What to do?
It is necessary to make people aware that despite the amount of water on the planet, not all of it can be consumed.
Therefore, water must be seen as a good that needs to be preserved. Its use must be rational.
Read:
- Importance of Water
- Tips to Save Water
- Waste of water
In Brazil
What can become a serious problem in Brazil regarding water, has emerged since 2014. At that time, precipitation levels began to drop a lot. This stems from drought as well as natural resource management.
Water is poorly distributed in our country. The richest regions in water are not the ones with the highest population concentration.
This is the case of the city of São Paulo, which has the largest number of inhabitants in Brazil. The city is supplied by the Cantareira reservoir.
The Amazon River Basin, in turn, is the region that concentrates the most water in Brazil. However, transporting water from this region to others would be a very expensive process.
Furthermore, the removal of water from this location could pose a serious environmental problem.
In the world
Worldwide, there are more than 750 million people without access to potable water.
The problem is more prevalent in countries in the Middle East and Africa.
There are conflicts in the world arising from water scarcity, a problem that is often related to social inequalities.
Among the main conflicts over water possession, we can mention:
- Israel X Palestine and Jordan, which contest the waters of the Jordan River;
- Egypt vs. Sudan, who contest control of the Nile River flows;
- Libya X Chad, who contest the exploitation of aquifers in the Central Sahara.
