APEX EDUCATION

APEX ACADEMY APEX COLLEGE

SIR: SHAHZAD A.GHAYYUR All Purpose Education Complex

APEX INSTITUTE

CSS/PMS
APEX CONSULTANTS

Water scarcity
Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region. It currently affects around 2.8 billion people around the world, on all continents, at least one month out of every year and more than 1.2 billion people lack the access to clean drinking water. Water scarcity can be a result of two mechanisms: physical (absolute) water scarcity and economic water scarcity, where physical water scarcity is a result of inadequate natural water resources to supply a region's demand, and economic water scarcity is a result of poor management of the sufficient available water resources. According to the United Nations Development Programme, the latter is found more often to be the cause of countries or regions experiencing water scarcity, as most countries or regions have enough water to meet household, industrial, agricultural, and environmental needs. Water scarcity involves water stress, water shortage or deficits, and water crisis. While the concept of water stress is relatively new, it is the difficulty of obtaining sources of fresh water for use during a period of time and results in further depletion and deterioration of available water resources. Water shortages may be caused by climate change, such as altered weather patterns including droughts or floods, increased pollution, and increased human demand and overuse of water. A water crisis is a situation where the available potable, unpolluted water within a region is less than that region's demand. Water scarcity is being driven by two converging phenomena: growing freshwater use and depletion of usable freshwater resources.
Contents

o o o

1 Water stress 1.1 Changes in Climate 2 Water crisis 2.1 Manifestations

2.2 Overview of regions suffering crisis impacts

3 Effects on environment

3.1 Climate changes

4 Depletion of freshwater resources

o o o

4.1 Groundwater 4.2 Glaciers

5 Measurement of water scarcity 5.1 Renewable freshwater resources

6 Economic scarcity

7 Outlook

8 Global experiences in managing water crisis

CAPITAL CAMPUS: HOUSE 336 MAIN SAWAN ROAD G-10/1

0331-3339007

051-2355336

HEAD OFFICE: HOUSE 740 MAIN SERVICE ROAD G-15/1

www.apex.net.pk

[email protected]

APEX EDUCATION
APEX ACADEMY APEX COLLEGE

SIR: SHAHZAD A.GHAYYUR All Purpose Education Complex

APEX INSTITUTE

CSS/PMS
APEX CONSULTANTS

Water stress
According to the Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator, a country or region is said to experience "water stress" when annual water supplies drop below 1,700 cubic metres per person per year. At levels between 1,700 and 1,000 cubic metres per person per year, periodic or limited water shortages can be expected. More than one in every six people in the world lack the access to safe drinking water, meaning that they are water stressed, and this number is continually increasing. That is equal to 1.1 billion people all of whom are located in developing countries. In 2006, about 700 people in 43 countries were living below the 1,700 cubic metres per person threshold. Water stress is ever intensifying in regions such as China, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa, which contains the largest number of water stressed countries of any region with almost one fourth of the population living in a water stressed country. The world's most water stressed region is the Middle East with averages of 1,200 cubic metres of water per person. In China, more than 538 million people are living in a water-stressed region. Much of the water stressed population currently live in river basins where the usage of water resources greatly exceed the renewal of the water. Fifty years ago, when there were fewer than half the current number of people on the planet, the common perception was that water was an infinite resource. People were not as wealthy then as they are today, consumed fewer calories and ate less meat, so less water was needed to produce their food. They required a third of the volume of water we presently take from rivers today.Today, the competition for water resources is much more intense. This is because there are now over seven billion people on the planet, their consumption of water-thirsty meat and vegetables is rising, and there is increasing competition for water from industry, urbanization and biofuel crops.

Changes in Climate
The total amount of available freshwater supply is also decreasing because of climate change, which has caused receding glaciers, reduced stream and river flow, and shrinking lakes. Many aquifers have been over-pumped and are not recharging quickly. Although the total fresh water supply is not used up, much has become polluted, salted, unsuitable or otherwise unavailable for drinking, industry and agriculture. To avoid a global water crisis, farmers will have to strive to increase productivity to meet growing demands for food, while industry and cities find ways to use water more efficiently. [8] The New York Times article, "Southeast Drought Study Ties Water Shortage to Population, Not Global Warming", summarizes the findings of Columbia University researcher on the subject of the droughts in the American Southeast between 2005 and 2007. The findings were published in the Journal of Climate. They say the water shortages resulted from population size more than rainfall. Census figures show that Georgias population rose from 6.48 to 9.54 million between 1990 and 2007. [9] After studying data from weather instruments, computer models and measurements of tree rings which reflect rainfall, they found that the droughts were not unprecedented and result from normal climate patterns and random weather events. "Similar droughts unfolded over the last thousand years", the researchers wrote, "Regardless of climate change, they added, similar weather patterns can be expected regularly in the future, with similar results."[9] As the temperature increases, rainfall in the Southeast will increase but because of evaporation the area may get even drier. The researchers concluded with a statement saying that any rainfall comes from complicated internal processes in the atmosphere and are very hard to predict because of the large amount of variables.

CAPITAL CAMPUS: HOUSE 336 MAIN SAWAN ROAD G-10/1

0331-3339007

051-2355336

HEAD OFFICE: HOUSE 740 MAIN SERVICE ROAD G-15/1

www.apex.net.pk

[email protected]

APEX EDUCATION
APEX ACADEMY APEX COLLEGE

SIR: SHAHZAD A.GHAYYUR All Purpose Education Complex

APEX INSTITUTE

CSS/PMS
APEX CONSULTANTS

Water crisis
When then there is not enough potable water for given necessity, the threat of a water crisis is realized. The United Nations and other world organizations consider a variety of regions to have water crises such that it is a global concern. Other organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, argue that there is no water crises in such places, but that steps must still be taken to avoid one.

Manifestations
There are several principal manifestations of the water crisis.

Inadequate access to safe drinking water for about 884 million people Inadequate access to water for sanitation and waste disposal for 2.5 billion people Groundwater overdrafting (excessive use) leading to diminished agricultural yields Overuse and pollution of water resources harming biodiversity Regional conflicts over scarce water resources sometimes resulting in warfare

Waterborne diseases and the absence of sanitary domestic water are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. For children under age five, waterborne diseases are the leading cause of death. At any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from waterborne diseases. According to the World Bank, 88 percent of all waterborne diseases are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Water is the underlying tenuous balance of safe water supply, but controllable factors such as the management and distribution of the water supply itself contribute to further scarcity. A 2006 United Nations report focuses on issues of governance as the core of the water crisis, saying "There is enough water for everyone" and "Water insufficiency is often due to mismanagement, corruption, lack of appropriate institutions, bureaucratic inertia and a shortage of investment in both human capacity and physical infrastructure".[18] Official data also shows a clear correlation between access to safe water and GDP per capita. It has also been claimed, primarily by economists, that the water situation has occurred because of a lack of property rights, government regulations and subsidies in the water sector, causing prices to be too low and consumption too high. Vegetation and wildlife are fundamentally dependent upon adequate freshwater resources. Marshes, bogs and riparian zones are more obviously dependent upon sustainable water supply, but forests and other upland ecosystems are equally at risk of significant productivity changes as water availability is diminished. In the case of wetlands, considerable area has been simply taken from wildlife use to feed and house the expanding human population. But other areas have suffered reduced productivity from gradual diminishing of freshwater inflow, as upstream sources are diverted for human use. In seven states of the U.S. over 80 percent of all historic wetlands were filled by the 1980s, when Congress acted to create a no net loss of wetlands. In Europe extensive loss of wetlands has also occurred with resulting loss of biodiversity. For example many bogs in Scotland have been developed or diminished through human population expansion. One example is the Portlethen Moss in Aberdeenshire. On Madagascars highland plateau, a massive transformation occurred that eliminated virtually all the heavily forested vegetation in the period 1970 to 2000. The slash and burn agriculture eliminated about ten percent of the total countrys native biomass and converted it to a barren wasteland. These effects were from overpopulation and the necessity to feed poor indigenous peoples, but the adverse effects included widespread gully erosion that in turn produced heavily silted rivers that run red decades afte r
CAPITAL CAMPUS: HOUSE 336 MAIN SAWAN ROAD G-10/1 0331-3339007 051-2355336

HEAD OFFICE: HOUSE 740 MAIN SERVICE ROAD G-15/1

www.apex.net.pk

[email protected]

APEX EDUCATION
APEX ACADEMY APEX COLLEGE

SIR: SHAHZAD A.GHAYYUR All Purpose Education Complex

APEX INSTITUTE

CSS/PMS
APEX CONSULTANTS

the deforestation. This eliminated a large amount of usable fresh water and also destroyed much of the riverine ecosystems of several large west-flowing rivers. Several fish species have been driven to the edge of extinction and some, such as the disturbed Tokios coral reef formations in the Indian Ocean, are effectively lost. In October 2008, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman and former chief executive of Nestl, warned that the production of biofuels will further deplete the world's water supply.

Overview of regions suffering crisis impacts

There are many other countries of the world that are severely impacted with regard to human health and inadequate drinking water. The following is a partial list of some of the countries with significant populations (numerical population of affected population listed) whose only consumption is of contaminated water:

Sudan 12.3 million Venezuela 5.0 million Ethiopia 2.7 million Tunisia 2.1 million Cuba 1.3 million

According to the California Department of Resources, if more supplies arent found by 2020, the region will face a shortfall nearly as great as the amount consumed today. Los Angeles is a coastal desert able to support at most 1 million people on its own water; the Los Angeles basin now is the core of amegacity that spans 220 miles (350 km) from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. The regions population is expected to reach 41 million by 2020, up from 28 million in 2009. The population of California continues to grow by more than two million a year and is expected to reach 75 million in 2030, up from 49 million in 2009. But water shortage is likely to surface well before then.[25] Water deficits, which are already spurring heavy grain imports in numerous smaller countries, may soon do the same in larger countries, such as China and India.[26] The water tables are falling in scores of countries (including Northern China, the US, and India) due to widespread overpumping using powerful diesel and electric pumps. Other countries affected include Pakistan, Iran, andMexico. This will eventually lead to water scarcity and cutbacks in grain harvest. Even with the overpumping of its aquifers, China is developing a grain deficit. When this happens, it will almost certainly drive grain prices upward. Most of the 3 billion people projected to be added worldwide by mid-century will be born in countries already experiencing water shortages. Unless population growth can be slowed quickly it is feared that there may not be a practical non-violent or humane solution to the emerging world water shortage. After China and India, there is a second tier of smaller countries with large water deficits Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Mexico, and Pakistan. Four of these already import a large share of their grain. But with a population expanding by 4 million a year, it will also likely soon turn to the world market for grain. According to a UN climate report, the Himalayan glaciers that are the sources of Asia's biggest rivers

Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween and Yellow could disappear by 2035 as temperatures rise It was later revealed that the source used by the UN climate report actually stated 2350, not 2035. [31] Approximately 2.4 billion people live in the drainage basin of the Himalayan rivers.[32] India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar could experience floods followed by droughts in coming decades. In India alone, the Ganges provides water for drinking and farming for more than 500 million
CAPITAL CAMPUS: HOUSE 336 MAIN SAWAN ROAD G-10/1 0331-3339007 051-2355336

HEAD OFFICE: HOUSE 740 MAIN SERVICE ROAD G-15/1

www.apex.net.pk

[email protected]

APEX EDUCATION
APEX ACADEMY APEX COLLEGE

SIR: SHAHZAD A.GHAYYUR All Purpose Education Complex

APEX INSTITUTE

CSS/PMS
APEX CONSULTANTS

people.[33][34][35] The west coast of North America, which gets much of its water from glaciers in mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains andSierra Nevada, also would be affected. By far the largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid lands commonly known as the outback. In June 2008 it became known that an expert panel had warned of long term, possibly irreversible, severe ecological damage for the whole Murray-Darling basin if it does not receive sufficient water by October.[38] Water restrictions are currently in place in many regions and cities of Australia in response to chronic shortages resulting from drought. The Australian of the year 2007, environmentalist Tim Flannery, predicted that unless it made drastic changes, Perth in Western Australiacould become the worlds first ghost metropolis, an abandoned city with no more water to sustain its population.[39] However, Western Australia's dams reached 50% capacity for the first time since 2000 as of September 2009. As a result, heavy rains have brought forth positive results for the region. Nonetheless, the following year, 2010, Perth suffered its second-driest winter on record and the water corporation tightened water restrictions for spring.

Effects on environment
Water scarcity has many negative impacts on the environment, including lakes, rivers, wetlands, and other fresh water resources communities' water resources. The resulting water overuse that is related to water scarcity, often located in areas of irrigation agriculture, harms the environment in several ways including increased salinity, nutrient pollution, and the loss of floodplains and wetlands. Through the last hundred years, more than half of the Earth's wetlands have been destroyed and have disappeared.[4] These wetlands are important not only because they are the habitats of numerous inhabitants such as mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and invertebrates, but they support the growing of rice and other food crops as well as provide water filtration and protection from storms and flooding. Freshwater lakes such as the Aral Sea in central Asia have also suffered. Once the fourth largest freshwater lake, it has lost more than 58,000 square km of area and vastly increased in salt concentration over the span of three decades.

Climate changes
Aquifer drawdown or overdrafting and the pumping of fossil water increases the total amount of water within the hydrosphere subject to transpiration and evaporation processes, thereby causing accretion in water vapour and cloud cover, the primary absorbers of infrared radiation in the earth's atmosphere. Adding water to the system has a forcing effect on the whole earth system, an accurate estimate of which hydrogeological fact is yet to be quantified.

Depletion of freshwater resources

Apart from the conventional surface water sources of freshwater such as rivers and lakes, other resources of freshwater such as groundwater and glaciers have become more developed sources of freshwater, becoming the main source of clean water. Groundwater is water that has pooled below the surface of the Earth and can provide a usable quantity of water through springs or wells. These areas where groundwater is collected are also known as aquifers. Glaciers provide freshwater in the form meltwater, or freshwater melted from snow or ice, that supply streams or springs as temperatures rise. More and more of these sources are being drawn upon as conventional sources' usability decreases due to factors such as pollution or disappearance due to climate changes. The exponential growth rate of the human population is a main contributing factor in the increasing use of these types of water resources.

CAPITAL CAMPUS: HOUSE 336 MAIN SAWAN ROAD G-10/1

0331-3339007

051-2355336

HEAD OFFICE: HOUSE 740 MAIN SERVICE ROAD G-15/1

www.apex.net.pk

[email protected]

APEX EDUCATION
APEX ACADEMY APEX COLLEGE

SIR: SHAHZAD A.GHAYYUR All Purpose Education Complex

APEX INSTITUTE

CSS/PMS
APEX CONSULTANTS

Groundwater
Until recent history, groundwater was not a highly utilized resource. In the 1960's, more and more groundwater aquifers developed. Changes in knowledge, technology and funding have allowed for focused development into abstracting water from groundwater resources away from surface water resources. These changes allowed for progress in society such as the "agricultural groundwater revolution," expanding the irrigation sector allowing for increased food production and development in rural areas. Groudwater supplies nearly half of all drinking water in the world.[46] The large volumes of water stored underground in most aquifers have a considerable buffer capacity allowing for water to be withdrawn during periods of drought or little rainfall. This is crucial for people that live in regions that cannot depend on precipitation or surface water as a supply alone, instead providing reliable access to water all year round. As of 2010, the world's aggregated groundwater abstraction is estimated at approximately 1,000 km3 per year, with 67% used for irrigation, 22% used for domestic purposes and 11% used for industrial purposes.The top ten major consumers of abstracted water (India, China, United States of America, Pakistan, Iran, Bengladesh, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Italy) make up 72% of all abstracted water use Groundwater has become crucial for the livelihoods and food security of 1.2 to 1.5 billion rural households in the poorer regions of Africa and Asia. Although groundwater sources are quite prevalent, one major area of concern is the renewal rate or recharge rate of some groundwater sources. Abstracting from groundwater sources that are non-renewable could lead to exhaustion if not properly monitored and managed. Another concern of increased groundwater usage is the diminished water quality of the source over time. Reduction of natural outflows, decreasing stored volumes, declining water levels and water degradation are commonly observed in groundwater systems. Groundwater depletion may result in many negative effects such as increased cost of groundwater pumping, induced salinity and other water quality changes, land subsidence, degraded springs and reduced baseflows. Human pollution is also harmful to this important resource.

Glaciers
Glaciers are noted as a vital water source due to their contribution to stream flow. Rising global temperatures have noticeable effects on the rate at which glaciers are melting, causing glaciers in general to shrink worldwide. Although the meltwater from these glaciers are increasing the total water supply for the present, the disappearance of glaciers in the long term will diminish available water resources. Increased meltwater due to rising global temperatures can also have negative effects such as flooding of lakes and dams and catastrophic results.

Measurement of water scarcity

Some have presented maps showing the physical existence of water in nature to show nations with lower or higher volumes of water available for use. Others have related water availability to population. A popular approach to measuring water scarcity has been to rank countries according to the amount of annual water resources available per person. For example, according to the Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator, a country or region is said to experience "water stress" when annual water supplies drop below 1,700 cubic metres per person per year. At levels between 1,700 and 1,000 cubic metres per person per year, periodic or limited water shortages can be expected. When water supplies drop below 1,000 cubic metres per person per year, the country faces "water scarcity". The United Nations' FAO states that by 2025, 1.9 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and twothirds of the world population could be under stress conditions The World Bank adds that climate change could profoundly alter future

CAPITAL CAMPUS: HOUSE 336 MAIN SAWAN ROAD G-10/1

0331-3339007

051-2355336

HEAD OFFICE: HOUSE 740 MAIN SERVICE ROAD G-15/1

www.apex.net.pk

[email protected]

APEX EDUCATION
APEX ACADEMY APEX COLLEGE

SIR: SHAHZAD A.GHAYYUR All Purpose Education Complex

APEX INSTITUTE

CSS/PMS
APEX CONSULTANTS

patterns of both water availability and use,thereby increasing levels of water stress and insecurity, both at the global scale and in sectors that depend on water.[53] Another measurement, calculated as part of a wider assessment of water management in 2007, aimed to relate water availability to how the resource was actually used. It therefore divided water scarcity into physical and economic. Physical water scarcity is where there is not enough water to meet all demands, including that needed for ecosystems to function effectively. Arid regions frequently suffer from physical water scarcity. It also occurs where water seems abundant but where resources are over-committed, such as when there is overdevelopment of hydraulic infrastructure for irrigation. Symptoms of physical water scarcity include environmental degradation and declining groundwater. Water stress harms living things because every organism needs water to live.

Renewable freshwater resources

Renewable freshwater supply is a metric often used in conjunction when evaluating water scarcity. This metric is informative because it can describe the total available water resource each country contains. By knowing the total available water source, an idea can be gained about whether a country is prone to experiencing physical water scarcity. This metric has its faults in that it is an average; precipitation delivers water unevenly across the planet each year and annual renewable water resources vary from year to year. This metric also does not describe the accessibility of water to individuals, households, industries, or the government. Lastly, as this metric is a description of a whole country, it does not accurately portray whether a country is experiencing water scarcity. Canada and Brazil both have very high levels of available water supply, but still experience various water related problems.[44] It can be observed that tropical countries in Asia and Africa have low availability of freshwater resources. The following table displays the average annual renewable freshwater supply by country including both surface-water and groundwater supplies. This table represents data from the UN FAO AQUASTAT, much of which are produced by modeling or estimation as opposed to actual measurements.

Economic scarcity
Economic water scarcity, meanwhile, is caused by a lack of investment in water or insufficient human capacity to satisfy the demand for water. Symptoms of economic water scarcity include a lack of infrastructure, with people often having to fetch water from rivers for domestic and agricultural uses. Large parts of Africa suffer from economic water scarcity; developing water infrastructure in those areas could therefore help to reduce poverty. Critical conditions often arise for economically poor and politically weak communities living in already dry environment.

Outlook
Construction of wastewater treatment plants and reduction of groundwater overdrafting appear to be obvious solutions to the worldwide problem; however, a deeper look reveals more fundamental issues in play. Wastewater treatment is highly capital intensive, restricting access to this technology in some regions; furthermore the rapid increase in population of many countries makes this a race that is difficult to win. As if those factors are not daunting enough, one must consider the enormous costs and skill sets involved to maintain wastewater treatment plants even if they are successfully developed. Reduction in groundwater overdrafting is usually politically very unpopular and has major economic impacts to farmers; moreover, this strategy will necessarily reduce crop output, which is something the world can ill-afford, given the population level at present.

CAPITAL CAMPUS: HOUSE 336 MAIN SAWAN ROAD G-10/1

0331-3339007

051-2355336

HEAD OFFICE: HOUSE 740 MAIN SERVICE ROAD G-15/1

www.apex.net.pk

[email protected]

APEX EDUCATION
APEX ACADEMY APEX COLLEGE

SIR: SHAHZAD A.GHAYYUR All Purpose Education Complex

APEX INSTITUTE

CSS/PMS
APEX CONSULTANTS

At more realistic levels, developing countries can strive to achieve primary wastewater treatment or secure septic systems, and carefully analyse wastewater outfall design to minimise impacts to drinking water and to ecosystems. Developed countries can not only share technology better, including cost-effective wastewater and water treatment systems but also in hydrological transport modeling. At the individual level, people in developed countries can look inward and reduce overconsumption, which further strains worldwide water consumption. Both developed and developing countries can increase protection of ecosystems, especially wetlands and riparian zones. These measures will not only conserve biota, but also render more effective the natural water cycle flushing and transport that make water systems more healthy for humans. A range of local, low-tech solutions are being pursued by a number of companies. These efforts center around the use of solar power to distill water at temperatures slightly beneath that at which water boils. By developing the capability to purify any available water source, local business models could be built around the new technologies, accelerating their uptake.

Global experiences in managing water crisis

It is alleged that the likelihood of conflict rises if the rate of change within the basin exceeds the capacity of institution to absorb that change. Although water crisis is closely related to regional tensions, history showed that acute conflicts over water are far less than the record of cooperation. The key lies in strong institutions and cooperation. The Indus River Commission and the Indus Water Treaty survived two wars between India and Pakistan despite their hostility, proving to be a successful mechanism in resolving conflicts by providing a framework for consultation inspection and exchange of data. The Mekong Committee has also functioned since 1957 and survived the Vietnam War. In contrast, regional instability results when there is an absence of institutions to co-operate in regional collaboration, like Egypts plan for a high dam on the Nile. However, there is currently no global institution in place for the management a nd management of trans-boundary water sources, and international co-operation has happened through ad hoc collaborations between agencies, like the Mekong Committee which was formed due to an alliance between UNICEF and the US Bureau of Reclamation. Formation of strong international institutions seems to be a way forward they fuel early intervention and management, preventing the costly dispute resolution process. One common feature of almost all resolved disputes is that the negotiations had a need -based instead of a rightbased paradigm. Irrigable lands, population, technicalities of projects define "needs". The success of a need-based paradigm is reflected in the only water agreement ever negotiated in the Jordan River Basin, which focuses in needs not on rights of riparians. In the Indian subcontinent, irrigation requirements of Bangladesh determine water allocations of The Ganges River. A need based, regional approach focuses on satisfying individuals with their need of water, ensuring that minimum quantitative needs are being met. It removes the conflict that arises when countries view the treaty from a national interest point of view, move away from the zero-sum approach to a positive sum, integrative approach that equitably allocated the water and its benefits. The Blue Peace framework developed by Strategic Foresight Group in partnership with the Governments of Switzerland and Sweden offers a unique policy structure which promotes sustainable management of water resources combined with cooperation for peace. By making the most of shared water resources through cooperation rather than mere allocation between countries, the chances for peace can be increased. The Blue Peace approach has proven to be effective in cases like the Middle East and the Nile basin.

CAPITAL CAMPUS: HOUSE 336 MAIN SAWAN ROAD G-10/1

0331-3339007

051-2355336

HEAD OFFICE: HOUSE 740 MAIN SERVICE ROAD G-15/1

www.apex.net.pk

[email protected]