WaterWater shortage grows, and so does the need for technological solutions

The value of freshwater is becoming more apparent, as more and more areas around the world are suffering from dwindling supply as a result of climate change.

The Observer reports that the World Bank estimates that water is $1 trillion privatized commodity.

“Last week, California imposed mandatory restrictions on water use for the first time in its history,” the Observer notes. “It follows four years of severe drought. With the state’s level of water at just 5 percent of the historical average, the governor of California was right to point out: ‘It’s a different world. We have to act differently.”

California’s unprecedented water restrictions are just one example of the political and social issues which will accompany growing water shortatges moving forward. For instance, the water restrictions imposed by Governor Jerry Brown were aimed at the general public, but agriculture in California accounts for 80 percent of the state’s water usage. California’s agriculture sector also, however, produces half of the fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States.

Similar tensions have flared up in other parts of the world as well.

“In Ireland, there have been demonstrations against a water tax that is due to be levied from this month,” the Observer writes. “The protests have drawn tens of thousands and show no signs of abating. Meanwhile, in Karachi earlier this year, riots were triggered by a lack of clean water. And in São Paulo, the lack of water in a state of forty-one million has meant widespread rationing. With the taps running dry, many residents and businesses have begun to start drilling their own wells, sometimes in the basements of their homes and factories. And in a country where much of the electricity is hydro-powered, the lack of water is causing electricity shortages. Whichever part of the world you care to look at, water is becoming a source of hardship, violence and, perhaps most worryingly, political tension.”

More frighteningly, a UNESCO world water development report concluded that the planet could suffer a 40 percent shortfall in fifteen years unless many countries quickly change how they use their resources. The report says that global water demand will increase by 55 percent by 2050, while reserves dwindle as a result of climate change.

The list of things contributing to the anticipated water catastrophe is long, but experts suggest that there is hope in increasing awareness, something which is already occurring.

“San Francisco has banned the sale of small bottles of water in public places,” they Observer notes. “Every gesture helps but individual effort, a bolder strategy and international co-operation are vital. In Brazil and the United States, the reliance is on engineering solutions — digging deeper, laying longer tunnels.”

These, however, are only the first step. Technological innovation may offer the best solution, experts say, pointing to some inspiring examples.

In Australia, the long-term strategy to addressing the coming water shortage includes an agricultural shift to less water-intensive crops. In Los Angeles, an innovative water conservation management system has been in place for years. “Technology can clearly play a major role in helping produce some solutions. Desalination — though currently prohibitively expensive — is an innovation worth pursuing. Many more are required,” The Observer concludes.

Already, one in nine people on the planet has no access to clean water. As technology develops to help the world address its water problems, perhaps the world can avoid the conflicts and problems which will surely follow water shortage which is not addressed in time.