For obvious reasons, more focus is being directed at the state of the worlds water supply. Water, our most valuable resource, has been misused and poorly managed for quite some time, resulting in shortages across the globe. The worlds population has doubled in the past sixty years, jumping from three billion in 1950 to about six billion today. Global water usage, however, is three times higher than it was in 1950, and about two billion people live in areas with significant water shortages today. The trend of moving from rural locations to urban areas has brought to light the fact that many of the worlds major cities have insufficient water and sewage infrastructures.
Most of the worlds fresh water is used for agricultural purposes. While it is obvious that agriculture needs its share of water, several conservation techniques can be employed to decrease the amount of wasted fresh water in this industry. Farmers in hot, arid locations lose irrigation water to evaporation, and farmers in moderate climates lose precious rainwater to run off.
There is a need for research into possible alternatives for safe crop irrigation water, specifically ways to process healthy non-potable water. With a growing need for more fresh water in urban areas, there is more emphasis today on finding ways to use less of this water for agricultural purposes so that the water can be diverted to urban locations. Current estimates are that the amount of water required for crops can be decreased by fifty percent.
The International Water Institute has reported that governments across the globe must take responsibility for saving the worlds water supply and preventing water shortages. Water management topics that need immediate attention from world leaders include the consequences of tourism on water supplies, water and sewage infrastructure improvement, saving the worlds remaining wetlands, water contamination, and prevalent practices that result in wasted water.
Notable progress has been made in countries where water shortages loom as populations continue to grow at a surprising rate. Saudi Arabia, China, and Algeria have all invested billions of dollars in contracts with water suppliers with the intention of improving their existing systems and solving water management problems. The Saudi Arabian government is concentrating on replacing aging water pipelines and instituting water management strategies, and China is focusing on adding or improving water services to its cities and developing treatment and water recycling processes. Desalination plants are the major water project for the Algeria government.
The criticality of solving water issues around the globe has been realised. Worldwide awareness of the growing fresh water availability problem is a step in the right direction for correcting mistakes that have continued for many years.
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