Water is a basic human need, but the world is facing serious water shortages because of human actions. This problem has become so severe that in many areas the groundwater has almost dried up and people have to depend on water supply from other sources. Water scarcity is becoming a significant global problem with far-reaching effects. This essay will identify a major cause of water scarcity. It will specifically target the solutions for expanding water supply via desalination and how to limit the waste of water.
One of the main causes of water scarcity is climate change. Natural phenomena such as ice melting or severe droughts are contributing factors to the water crisis. That means more and more areas suffer from water shortages or less rain during a drought. As a consequence, water supplies for human activities are threatened seriously. Furthermore, it is not too surprising to say that severe freshwater shortages stem from the result of human behavior. The rapidly increasing population leads to increasing demand for water. This means that people are wasting water to meet their daily needs. Wasting domestic water is the biggest problem due to the abuse of water from the toilet or bathroom (Glennon 2005, p.7).
Nevertheless, there are some solutions to solve this issue. Firstly, the government can come up with solutions to reduce the amount of water used in domestic use by the people by many measures. They can provide simple solutions such as water pressure regulators to attach to showers and toilets. For example, the state introduced a program that subsidizes homeowners to replace their toilets and showerheads in California, as a result, it would save 410,000 acre-feet of water per year (Glennon, 2005, p.16). Furthermore, the government should promulgate a policy about using water efficiently. If some families used so much water, they would pay more money or tax.
Moreover, one way to solve the lack of water is by expanding water supply via desalination by developing a water treatment system. This technology can desalinate and refine the toxic wastewater. It means people can turn waste and salination water into clean water. Between 15 and 50 gallons of fresh water are produced by 100 gallons of ocean water. However, the desalination process is not ready for launch in the world because of its problems. For example, there was developed desalination in the Western Hemisphere built by Tampa Bay Water in 2001. The plant had to stop after two weeks due to its expensive membranes and requiring immediate replacement. (Glennon, 2005, p.12 ).
In conclusion, the water shortage has surely become an issue the world is facing, but if the world comes together to solve it, we can fight it back. The government should propose solutions to minimize this situation. Water is an indispensable need in everyday life. So everyone needs to be informed that the rest of the world is very little and has a responsibility to face a serious problem in the future if we do not act now.