The Effects Of A Rising Population With Dwindling Water Resources

Water scarcity is increasing worldwide and dramatically affecting first world nations such as Spain, Australia, and the United States. All nations are now starting to recognize that the world's water is a finite resource, and that resource is being drastically altered in both availability and quality by development, climate change and population growth. In the United States, the Colorado River is experiencing rapid declines in volume. Recent studies and data suggest that the changes in frequency, intensity, and timing of the availability of water will have substantial impact on the way we live our lives in the 21st century and beyond. As Letmathe Brakeck said, “I am confident that, under present

The op-ed Get ready for a new normal: Dry and Drier is a very insightful article and comes from a rhetorical standpoint that is heavily laced with reasoning, scientific evidence, and emotion inducing claims. It illustrates to us how current conditions are and the projected trajectory if there is nothing done to help conserve water. Furthermore, it also demonstrates how certain governments are taking action right now, through laws and policies. Along with colorful commentary of political parties stance on the issue. Using all the information put forth, the author William Debuys effectively does drum up a sense of urgency to anyone who would read the article

In the United States, the available water resources is also under assault. Half of water collected and stored by existing infrastructure is usually used in the production of electricity. This forces the population to use and divide what little there is left. This has always been a “good enough” approach until now, when water prices and population is on the rise.(3) There are already calls for charging water resources in order to increase efficiency of use.(3) Water protection is already being carried out and has been for years, but there is still water pollution occurring within the United States. After the Civil war, America strived to provide its population with clean water

According to “Implications of Growth”, in many parts of the world natural water sources are already pushed to and past their limits. The human population greatly relies on water, therefore, it is essential and necessary to the future population growth in the entire world.

Nearly half the states in the U.S. are abnormally dry. This is a situation that will be happening until the world ends. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change (“Clean Water Crisis, Water Crisis Facts, Water Crisis Resources”). This is something very serious to think about. We will be looking this problem directly in the face in less than 10 years unless we all make a conscious effort to significantly cut down on the amount of water we use. For a lot of third world countries, this water shortage problem is something that affects daily life. 319 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are without access to improved reliable drinking water sources (The Water Project). That's more people living without adequate water conditions, than the total population of the United States in 2014. As an American myself, the

Californians have been struggling with trying to conserve our water for over three years. Twenty-Thirteen was our driest year in many populated areas in California, and it doesn't seem to be changing any time soon, unless we all act now. In twenty-thirteen, Los Angeles and Sacramento, went down on record as the driest two cities in California. A drought is when area of land scarcely drop rain. Droughts are caused from climate changes and lack of precipitation, resulting in a shortage of water. Water is vital for all living things and is the essential component of all life. This ongoing drought has drastically affected the state of California. The long-term change in climate is truly affecting California. Our water reservations are lower than

Over thousands of years water has been a very valuable element in our everyday lives. Now we are being faced with a shortage of water affecting not only us, but future generations as well. The drought has become an extreme issue that has affected the United States. For example, in Texas the dry spell has had an impact in families, politics and law, religion, health care, and mass media.

“Drought can best be thought of as a condition of water shortage for a particular user in a particular location” (DWR). Although droughts seem to come unexpectedly they actually form over a long period of time with most of their effects being felt by those dependent on annual rainfall. The Department of Water Resources explains that water reservoirs and groundwater basins are buffers for drought impacts and the drought will not be considered over until these storages have been fully replenished. In the past, California’s “significant multi-year droughts have been ended by an above-average water year where statewide precipitation was in the range of 150 percent average.” (DWR) Recently, California has experienced several consecutive years where rainfall and snowfall were well below average. This problem is important because the lack of precipitation means the state is compelled to

Climate change has always been an ominous, impending thought in the back of my mind. Every day, I try to be more cognizant of my ecological footprint, a mindset which had spurred me into becoming more environmentally cautious over the years. The crux of the matter was undoubtedly discussed by Mr. Bardecki over the dramatic changes concerning the Colorado River. Our earth relies heavily on water as a source of life— from humanity's perspective alone, we use it for hydration, agriculture, and sanitation. That being said, it is equally as essential that we take care of our planet and water sources. It is said that "we're failing as stewards of God’s creation, but these changes we're seeing, that's not God punishing us -we're destroying ourselves." In full confidence, I agree with this statement; if we drive our planet and our resources into ruin, we have but ourselves to blame. We cannot let this be our legacy. The Colorado River, known as one of the most endangered rivers in the continental US, is being threatened by a drought, one brought by the rising changes in climate, and greenhouse gas emissions. I believe that the risk factor is increased because of direct human activity such as leisurely boating, agricultural irrigation, and the import/export business, which studies will prove to be a correct assumption. It is indisputable that humans largely take part in the latter, and so, with all of the warning signs in place and alarms ringing, we must act quickly.

Water sustainability is an ever-growing problem because of the increase in population, and over consumption used by agriculture, industry, and domestic which are using more water than we are able to supply. According to CBS News, California’s water shortage has been a big issue since 2011. Climate change has a lot to do with the amount of water we have available to us because the amount we need does not cut out to the amount needed to satisfy the population. Therefore, conservation is key; we must take into consideration the amount we use in a daily basis. Both you and I can easily save water we have, directly and indirectly like what we consume with what we eat, buy and use, which would overall improve water sustainability.

Water, a resource typically taken for granted is becoming a scarce source for the southwestern states surrounding the Colorado River. For the past sixteen years the southwestern states have been affected by drought, wildfire, an increasing population, farming, housing development and increasing temperatures all are affecting our water supply which is decreasing at a frightening rate. These increasing issues have nearly depleted Lake Mead, a large reservoir that supplies water to all the Colorado River Basin states, but due to climate change, this large reservoir is not being replenished. This is an important problem not only to me and to those already affected by low water resources, and it should be important to everyone, considering it will

Aquifers are suffering from declining water levels, saltwater intrusion, and inadequately replenished fresh groundwater. In some areas, demand for potable water exceeds available resources. Fresh water supplies are being compromised by the ever-increasing demands of energy production, agriculture, and industry. In turn, these essential activities are threatened by decreasing water supplies. Globalization is eroding the U.S. lead in supplying water technologies and international competitors are making significant inroads into the U.S. marketplace. The traditionally low cost of water (and low profitability for the private sector) coupled with the perceived risks of investing in new and unproven technologies are preventing the commercialization of world-leading research and innovative technologies. Threats to America's Water Supply The water supply of the United States, as well as the entire world, is currently facing a number of different threats. They in turn threaten the health and economic well-being of the citizens. These threats to the water supply include: increased demand by energy production, agricultural run-offs, leaching of radioactive materials and heavy metal, depletion of aquifers, contamination of

There is an alarming situation emerging in the Southwestern United States where record setting drought conditions persist and the forecast for the future warns of continued drought conditions. Effects of the drought are as visible as they are alarming; Lake Mead, one of the largest reservoirs in this region is well below its high water mark leaving officials to wondering how they can continue to provide both water and electricity to the region. According to the National Climate Assessment 2014, ninety-two percent of this region uses irrigation to water crops accounting for seventy-nine percent of the water withdrawals (Garfin). In addition, a study by NASA concludes droughts in the Southwest United States may be longer and drier than previous droughts in the last one thousand years (Cole). The ongoing drought in the Southwestern United States is driving water reserves to dangerously low levels, adversely affecting an agricultural system that will have ripple effects throughout the entire country, unless the farmers of this region can learn to farm without water they may not survive.5

While many blame current droughts on climate change, rainfall patterns in areas like California—currently in its fourth consecutive year of drought—have actually varied little from a century ago. But if little is done to curb carbon emissions, what is to come may be far worse. In fact, economic losses associated with climate change, globally, will reach an estimated $3 billion by the end of 2015. Furthermore, these human-induced droughts will uproot entire communities and force them to migrate to regions with more water and food. With climate change set to worsen over the course of this century, food and water shortages will only get worse, and not just for Californians.

In today’s society, the idea of a limited resource is not a foreign concept. Most people understand that eventually humans will use up many of these resources, such as fossil fuels, and they will cease to exist. However, very rarely does a conversation about limited resources get started over the water. While water itself is not a limited resource, clean drinkable water is becoming scarcer as people continue to use excess water. The documentary “Last Call at the Oasis” highlights how precious water is to survival and just how much miss use of water occurs in the United States alone. Even though the United States has gone down the wrong path with its water consumption methods, it may not be too late to recover. With the proper systems and education in place, the chances of delaying a water crisis increase exponentially.