Global Water
Water Case Study: Global Water Pollution
Global water pollution can be defined as "any biological, chemical, or physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses." (Water Pollution, 2005) As humans, we often take for granted that even though 70 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water, only one percent of it is fresh surface water and accessible for human use. Globally, between 12.5 and 14 billion cubic meters of water are considered available for human use on an annual basis. (Availability and Demand, 2006) This amounts to about 9,000 cubic meters per person per year, as estimated in 1989. However, by the year 2025, global per capita availability of freshwater is projected to drop to 5,100 cubic meters per person as another 2 billion people join the world's population.(Availability and Demand, 2006) This drop in water supply will create worldwide shortages in fresh water availability.
By the year 2025, 48 countries are expected to face shortages, affecting more than 2.8 billion people-35% of the world's projected population. (Availability and Demand, 2006) Countries such as China, India and Ethiopia will have chronic water shortages not only because of overpopulation, but also from an increase in freshwater pollution. In much of the world, the fresh water is polluted by improper waste disposal and poor water management. Often, the pollution comes from commercial and industrial corporations and can lead to serious public health problems. For example, in India, cities such as New Delhi have large slum populations outside of the city. Many of these people live, work and waste in the same water they drink. The contamination of water leads to endemics of water-related diseases such as malaria, cholera, typhoid, and schistosomiasis that harm or kill millions of people every year. (Availability and Demand, 2006)
Industry is a huge source of water pollution...
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