Many countries and regions around the world frequently experience a shortage of water resources, and this has become an alarming issue as the global water demand rises. While there are several causes of the increasing water consumption, nations and citizens should take certain steps to tackle this issue.
The surge of worldwide water consumption can be explained by a number of reasons. Firstly, population explosion is the major contributor to the growing water use. This is particularly severe in countries that cannot manage the birth rate, such as Africa. Secondly, as the global population rises, industries and factories have expanded their businesses to meet the consumption demand, discharging more sewage into natural resources, and eventually endangering water reserves. For example, in many developing countries, small farms still pump unprocessed wastewater directly into lakes, rivers, or oceans, contaminating water reservoirs used for water production.
National authorities must take actions to conserve water resources. Governments should raise public awareness about the importance of water resources and provide courses to citizens on how to optimize their water usage. In addition, nations should do their best to protect water reserves by introducing strict laws on raw discharges to the environment and raising the standards of industrial sewage disposal. Finally, governments could enact infrastructures that purify seawater into saline-free water. Holland, a leading country in desalination, has managed to generate a third source of national water consumption from seawater.
Citizens also have the responsibility to reduce their water consumption. People should minimize their water use in daily living activities by rerouting runoff from washing machines and using that water for flushing the toilet, or simply turning off the tap while brushing teeth or washing hands.
In conclusion, governments and individuals should do more to tackle the growing water use; otherwise, water scarcity will become severe on a global scale.