Key Causes of Water Scarcity and Researched Solutions Essay

1.0Introduction This report is about the increase in demand for water, and its’ purpose is a twofold, firstly to examine and explore some of the causes of the ever increasing issue of the scarcity of water due to industrial, agricultural and consumer demand in society, and secondly to analyse the solutions of this concern for the Premier of Western Australia, Mr Colin Barnett. This is because water is a valuable resource that is vital for the human race and developing countries such as Australia will be facing an increase in domestic consumption of water by 70 percent in the future (Cashman and Ashley 2008). There were certain limitations surrounding this report, for example the word limit for this report was 1000 words and I was permitted to use a minimum of five scholarly sources and a maximum of seven. The methodology of my research began by using the database: proquest on the Internet, where I found these reliable sources. 2.0Causes of Demand for Water 2.1Industrial Demand Industrial Water Consumption Industries are one of the major key causes of the increased demand for water. Many industries require water to operate and perform the functions that are required to produce the goods or services in question. This is because industries such as oil and mining, are hugely dependable on extreme capacities of water thus, making them susceptible to water shortages (Holbrook 2009). Industries therefore depend on these large amounts of water for production and simultaneously are one of the essential instigators in the ever-increasing problem of water scarcity. In places such as New South Wales, Adelaide and Melbourne where mining operations are carried out, water scarcity is even more extreme. This is because of the material that is being extracted; they are mined in those areas and those areas alone, and therefore the large volume of water that is needed to extract them is adding to the concern of water scarcity. An estimate of water between 100 and 8000 litres are required to obtain one tonne of ore, and to worsen the situation, mining operations cannot be shifted causing water availability to be problematic in those areas (Holbrook 2009). This issue allows an increased strain on the local communities in which mining operations are performed thus causing a concern for the people living in those areas. 2.2Agricultural Demand Population Growth The demand for agriculture is one of the most excessive causes of water scarcity. This is because agriculture needs fresh water in the process of its production. Agriculture consumes the majority of global fresh water, making it one of the most enormous water sources of the increased water demand; the production of food is also rising due to population growth, of about 80 million people per year (Holbrook 2009). According to Irvine and Saulwick (2009), â€Å"Australia is poised to be the world’s fastest growing industrialized nation over the next four decades, with a rate of population growth higher even than India†. Thus with population increasing by a vast number every year, the demand for fresh water will additionally increase, therefore adding to the water scarcity in Australia. 2.3Consumer Demand Economic Growth The development of the economy is another cause of the increased demand for water in the world today. As the population grows, so does the demand for goods and services and therefore results in economic growth which is one of the major causes of water consumption. According to Barbier (2004), the extensive water dilemma is the result of economic development and the rise in population. The production of the increased demand for goods and services require water, and as the need for these goods increase, so will water demand. 3.0Solutions to Water Scarcity 3.1Watershed Improvement in water management is one way to reduce water demand. Water sectors that cross political boundaries amidst a certain watershed come together to meet their needs whilst protecting the ecosystem (Klausner, Mitten and Ingram 2007). 3.2Conservation Techniques In order to protect the earth, freshwater demand has to be decreased and by doing so the majority of freshwater users need to be active in the process of decreasing the chances of water shortages. Therefore by educating users about adequate water preservation techniques, water demand can be decreased. According to Klausner, Mitten and Ingram (2007), by educating farmers about the finest irrigation methods, they can have the opportunity to use water efficiently. Farmers use a vast majority of freshwater and the Australian farmers can be educated about the methods and capital required to conserve water. 3.3Reclaimed Water Reclaimed water is wastewater that has been treated to remove impurities. The substitution of this water can improve the issue of water scarcity. According to Klausner, Mitten and Ingram (2007), countries such as Japan use almost 80% of reclaimed water in their industrial sector. The limited amount of freshwater supplies makes this conservation method more accepted. It is an excellent idea, especially for the south of Australia where there is Mawson Lake and can recycle water. 4.0Conclusion The aim of this report was to outline the causes for the increased demand for water and to provide researched solutions. I provided information on the increased demand for water due to population growth, economic growth and the industrial consumption of water. The damages of water shortage are very dangerous and the consequences are deadly because of ecological and human health issues. Although demand can be reduced by the use of reclaimed water, conservation techniques and watershed methods. In Australia, the methods can be implemented to decreasing water demand for the future. 5.0Recommendations In order to improve water use in Australia, the factors that need to be considered are; water reuse by using reclaimed water to flush toilets, wash clothes and water gardens, educating farmers on water use, by informing them on irrigation techniques and watershed methods. In doing so, water demand in Australia will be reduced in the future if these methods are explored and practiced.