Humans cannot survive without water, and any shortage in drinkable water is a serious issue. However, social factors such as overpopulation and environmental variables like global warming can affect people’s access to water supplies, and are a serious concern. In other words, when population growth reaches a certain point, the local water resources, such as water found underground or rivers, cannot meet the raising need for water. Additionally, increase in temperature due to climate change has a negative impact on water cycle, meaning less rain or an increased rate of surface water evaporation. Therefore, it is imperative to address the issue of fresh water before it turns into a crisis. To that end, it is necessary to better examine the root causes of water shortage.
Firstly, we should explore the social reasons behind unavailability of drinking water. One such social reason could be missmanaging the water resources in agriculture. By using efficiant watering methods, we can save significant amount of water and get the same results. Another socially driven reason that can be easily avoided is over expansion of cities without considering the geographical capacity. A geographical region has limited resources for supporting peoples needs like water. By taking into account this limitations, and planning accordingly, we can avoid exhausting the natural resources. After all, it is always better to avoid a problem, instead of trying to solve it.
Secondly, we should explore the broader enironmental roots of water shortage. Climate change, itself a man-made problem, is changing our planed by the day. For example, drastic changes in raining patterns, can lead to either not enough rain, or too much of it. While less rain is bad for obvious reasons, more of it can lead to more severe problems, like flooding. When water moves fast on the surface of earth, it does not get the opportunity to sink into earth and conterbute to underground water resources. By making artificial water ways that reduce the speed of water, we can reduce the risk of flooding, and helping the underground lakes refill themselves.
Finally, we must face the bigger issue of climate change. For decades the industrialization has produced harmful pollution that has had adverse effects on earth’s atmosphere. This enviromental disaster has overreaching consiquences, which includes aforementioned issues with overall water cycle in our planet. By controlling the CO2 emmisions and transitioning to clean energy sources, we can change course and heal earth back to the way it was. Not only we would have clean water, we can also help the water cycle to refill our fresh water sources too.
In conclusion, both broader changes in natural habitat, and social causes due to mismanagement and miscalculation can lead to fresh water shortage in societies. However, by better planning and more responsible policies, we can address the issue of increasing fresh water demand, or even better, not have it in the first place.