NAT 111

.docx

School

Seneca College *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

123

Subject

Geography

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by SuperHumanDog3781

Assignment World Water Issues Reading Assignment Student name- Vinayak Student id- 177192218 Professor - Ted Tom

Water Stress: A Global Problem That’s Getting Worse The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) article gives a general overview of the factors that contribute to water stress, which is the condition in which the demand for safe, useable water in each location outpaces the supply. The article makes the case that water stress is a widespread issue that poses major threats to international security, economic growth, environmental sustainability, and human health. The paper makes the case that population expansion and climate change will likely make water stress worse, and it urges more creative, cooperative, and sustainable approaches to alleviate water stress at the local, national, and international levels. The article starts off by describing the many methods for calculating water stress, taking into account elements like seasonal variations, water quality, accessibility, and groundwater use. The next section makes a distinction between two types of water scarcity: economic scarcity and physical scarcity. Economic scarcity occurs when there is insufficient infrastructure or resources to ensure access to clean and safe water. According to estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, 1.2 billion people live in regions with physical shortage and 1.6 billion people reside in economically depressed regions. Climate change affects water stress in many ways, such as:

 Altering the patterns and amounts of precipitation, leading to more frequent and severe droughts or floods in different regions.  Increasing the evaporation of water from land and water bodies, reducing the availability of freshwater resources.  Melting the glaciers and snowpacks that store water and provide runoff for many rivers and lakes.  Raising the sea levels and causing saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers and estuaries, contaminating the freshwater supplies of millions of people.  Changing the distribution and quality of freshwater ecosystems, affecting the habitats and services they provide. Human health, food security, economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social stability can all be negatively impacted by water stress. Therefore, it's crucial to prepare for how climate change will affect water resources and to lessen its effects by cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Following that, the article goes into the numerous causes of water stress, including population growth, urbanization, industrialization, agriculture, pollution, and climate change. It draws attention to the detrimental effects of water stress on human health, including an increase in the risk of infectious diseases, malnutrition, and mortality; on economic development, including decreased productivity, income, and trade; on environmental sustainability, including degraded ecosystems, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions; and on global security, including an increase in migration, conflict, and cooperation over transboundary waters. The article concludes by outlining some of the potential solutions to deal with water stress, such as enhancing water governance and institutions, raising public awareness and participation, and encouraging international cooperation and dialogue. Other potential solutions include enhancing water efficiency and conservation, investing in water infrastructure and technology,

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help