Water is a vital resource for human survival and the well-being of ecosystems around the world.
However, current trends in water use, coupled with climate change and environmentally damaging human activities, are threatening its availability and quality.
Climate change and human activities: a global challenge
Fresh water, essential for human life and agriculture, is renewed through the hydrological cycle, but its availability is not unlimited!
A constant and excessive human consumption is causing shortages in various parts of the world,
and many countries are already facing serious consequences due to changes in the water cycle caused by climate change and environmentally damaging human activities, especially water-intensive ones.
The consequences of various anthropogenic activities are particularly felt in arid and semi-arid regions, where water scarcity has become a major threat.
Threats to groundwater: a growing problem
Much of the freshwater used by humans comes from groundwater, the water that lies below the surface and is in contact with the soil,
and the rate at which these water reserves replenish can vary significantly from one aquifer to another, or even within the same aquifer.
The human water abstraction is threatening the ability of aquifers to renew themselves, with devastating consequences.
Irrigation: a major culprit
One of the main culprits in the continuing demand for water isirrigation, an activity that consumes around 70% of available freshwater resources, mainly due to excessive agricultural production.
This can be easily observed in areas such as parts of the United States, Mexico, Spain, China and Australia, where water scarcity has reached unimaginable levels.
Under these conditions, irrigation requires unsustainable use of water resources, threatening food security and the environment.
However, we should not forget the equally negative impact of the the industrial sector and daily domestic water use , which account for 22% and 8% respectively of total water withdrawals.
Unfortunately, there are still many intensive farming practices that have no regard for the health of the soil, nature and the environment as a whole.
But fortunately,
there are just as many who are doing everything they can to make modern agriculture as sustainable as possible!!
The impact of climate change
Climate change is a complex threat in this story!
It is a major cause of changing precipitation patterns, more frequent and severe and floods.
These events threaten the availability and quality of water, making it increasingly difficult to provide adequate water resources for human and ecosystem needs.
The scarcity, a condition in which the demand for freshwater exceeds its availability, is a complex threat and multiple factors, including climate change and human activities.
Economic scarcity: a neglected problem
The"economic water scarcity"” (EWS) is a crucial issue for agriculture, although it is not yet fully researched and understood.
This concept refers to conditions where renewable water resources would be sufficient to meet current and future needs, but socio-economic and political factors prevent irrigation activities.
This type of water scarcity is mainly concentrated in low-income countries, such that two-thirds of economically water-scarce agricultural land is located in sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the expansion of sustainable irrigation could feed millions of people, but would require significant investment in infrastructure.
Quality matters
We tend to think of water scarcity only in terms of quantity, but water quality plays an equally important role in its use for human purposes and in the integrity of ecosystems.
Water scarcity therefore needs to be assessed in terms of both quantity and quality.
In several regions, including northeastern China, parts of Central Asia, parts of the Mediterranean, the United States and Mexico,
water quality problems are often related to high salinity, organic pollution and nutrient concentrations.
Different pollutants may have different impacts on water uses, but in general they contribute to making this element unsuitable for human uses and tend to affect the water ecosystem.
Two types of scarcity
The water scarcity has become such a major issue that it has been divided into two main types:
the physical scarcity, which occurs when demand exceeds the regional availability of water resources, and economic scarcity, which occurs when water is physically available but the economic and institutional capacity to manage its sustainable use is lacking.
Physical scarcity mainly affects arid or semi-arid areas, while economic scarcity is concentrated in low-income countries with wide socio-economic disparities.
These problems therefore have very complex cascading effects on society, the economy and the environment.
Interlinked social, economic and environmental impacts
Water scarcity is not an isolated problem, but an interconnected system of social, economic and environmental challenges.
Communities in affected regions often struggle to access safe water resources, putting their health at risk.
The economic impact is reflected in increased water costs and reduced food production, leading to financial problems for agricultural economies.
These impacts also have environmental consequences, destroying many natural habitats and causing a worrying loss of biodiversity.
Urgent solutions: sustainability and innovation
To meet this enormous challenge, it is essential to promote the sustainable management of water resources.
It's important to use water rationally and efficiently in various agricultural activities, in industry and in our daily lives in our homes!
It is clear that there is an urgent need to address water scarcity, meet the challenges of physical and economic scarcity, promote sustainability and seek innovative solutions to ensure a future where fresh water is accessible and safe for all.
A collective global effort is therefore needed to safeguard this vital resource, for us and for future generations!
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