Essay Sample on The Problem of Water Scarcity

In many nations around the world, almost 800 million people have inadequate access to clean water, due to poor sanitation and unreliable sources. Given that human activity has irrevocably wreaked havoc on natural resources, water scarcity turns out to be a top-of-mind concern in this day and age. It is, therefore, incumbent upon individuals and governments to work collectively with a view to tackling this water-related problem. In this essay, the negative repercussions and potential resolutions will be discussed in detail. 

Freshwater shortage leads to two main problems. Firstly, people's health is taken a terrible toll on by a lack of access to safe water and sanitation. People's health is taken a terrible toll on by a lack of access to safe water and sanitation. Globally, 785 million people lack access to safe water and 2 billion people don’t have a toilet. Each year, almost one million people die as a result of diarrheal diseases, including cholera and typhoid fever, and other water-borne illnesses.  In some developing countries, a paucity of safe water also affects the physical well-being of women and children who have no choice but to carry heavy vessels long distances on a daily basis. The physical strain of these activities heavily impacts their health and if pregnant, that of their unborn children. 

Furthermore, water shortage also has a great impact on agriculture. Since freshwater is used for farming and cultivating crops, scarcity would lead to crop failures, and therefore, would not be able to provide food for the fast-growing population. Agriculture, which accounts for over 70% of global water withdrawals, is continually battling for a shortage of water with home, industrial, and recreational uses, according to the International Water Management Institute.

To solve the problems related to health, we can build new water pipes systems for recycling and should encourage people to use recycled water. Another solution is to remove salts from seawater to enable people to use it. This process is called desalination. It is now used in many countries like the USA and achieved its goal. Desalination is the act of removing salts from water for use. Many countries like the USA have used it and have achieved their goal. 

For agriculture issues, irrigation management is suggested. Irrigation is a method of transporting water to crops in order to maximize the number of crops produced. Many of the irrigation systems in place do not use the water in the most efficient way. This causes more water than necessary to be used or for there not to be enough water to ensure healthy crops. According to the World Bank, irrigation management works to upgrade and maintain irrigation systems, such as groundwater irrigation, that are already in place and expands the areas of irrigation to increase the number of crops being produced.

In conclusion, the scarcity of freshwater is a growing global issue and it causes such serious consequences. There are many various and potential resolutions, by which governments and individuals can prevent this issue from deteriorating. It is important that all citizens be responsible for addressing this problem.