(MENAFN- Al-Anbaa) According to the achievable 2050 Vision for a sustainable world, water and related resources management have to support human well-being and ecosystem integrity in a robust economy in the near future. Water and sanitation supply need to be reliable and affordable for each individual. Sufficient amount of safe and clean water must be provided in meeting peoples basic needs. All forms of water are to be valued with wastewater treated as resource in supporting energy, nutrients and freshwater reuse. Management, infrastructure and service delivery of water resources need sustainable financing. Reducing water pollution and improving resilience to water-related disasters are also included in 2050 vision.
Global water facts
Around 97% of water on the planet is seawater and the remaining 3% is fresh water. The largest quantity of fresh water, about 69%, is locked on ice while 30% is often contaminated underground water and the remaining 1% is surface fresh water (lakes, streams and rivers). Fresh water is unevenly distributed around the world and 60% of freshwater is located in 10 countries.
The consequences of unsustainable growth
Growing water demand in the world has a large contribution to already existing water stress. The world will face a severe water deficit unless the balance between demand and supply is restored. Increasing freshwater demand is mainly affected by population growth, economic development, dietary changes and regional lack of resources.
The world's population has tripled in 20th century but the amount of water usage has grown six fold. Around 3 billion people are currently affected and approximately half of the planet's population will suffer from severe water stress by 2025. The population is expected to grow by over 40% by 2050, which will directly impact on growing industrialization and urbanization. Middle class expansion in developing countries is changing dietary preferences from plant- based to meat-based and dairy products which are water intensive. The lack of natural water resources and the variations in the amount of rainfall are affecting water availability among the regions. Almost all Arab countries suffer from water scarcity and it is estimated that 66% of the Arab region's available freshwater originates from outside the region.
Agriculture accounts for about 70 percent while industrial water withdrawal accounts for approximately 19% of global water withdrawal. Domestic withdrawal accounts for about the remaining 11 percent.
Poor management of water resources will add to water pollution from untreated waste water which could, by 2050, contaminate one-third of global annual renewable freshwater supplies. However, wastewater reuse stands at only about 2.5% of all global water withdrawals where Singapore is world leader in recycled water. 30% of water production lost due to leakage, theft, and inadequate billing practices is typically 40-50% in developing countries, and may be 10-30% in developed nations. The existing water infrastructure in the world is deteriorating and large investments and innovations are required in the industry. As a consequence of the increasing global water demand and supply imbalance, futurists predict that water shortages may cause migrations, increased food imports, internal political unrests and geopolitical conflicts.
The most important fact is that there is enough water available for meeting the needs of growing planet's population and all of the consequences affected by the growth. However, the management, usage and sharing of the existing water resources have to be changed dramatically. In order for the 2050 vision to be achieved, governance failures that lead to decreasing quality and availability of water, have to be minimized on a global level.
*Source: The United Nations World Water Development Report, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.