Water

The natural resource most fundamental to human survival.

How do we use water?

• Daily showers

• Water the lawn

• To fill our pools

• Fountains

Drink; laundry; recreation; water plants; torture; cook(!); putting out fire; maintain health;

In a drought…

• What would you be willing to give up?– Perfect lawns– Military showers– Water in pools– Water torture– Fountains– Washing cars

6.1 Billion People

• More than 1 billion lack access to potable water– Potable

• Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water

• The World Health Organization says that at any time, up to half of humanity has one of the six main diseases associated with poor drinking water and inadequate sanitation

Diseases

– Diarrhea– schistosomiasis

• Parasite commonly found in Asia, Africa and South America

– Trachoma• an infectious eye disease, and the leading cause

of the world's infectious blindness.

– infestation with • ascaris

– Largest intestinal roundworm

Ascaris

• guinea worm–The painful, burning sensation

experienced by the infected patient has led to the disease being called “the fiery serpent.”

–Contracted from drinking stagnant water contaminated with the larvae of the Guinea Worm

Sudanese boys using pipe filters to avoid Guinea worm Disease

• Hookworm– Is a parasitic worm that lives in the small intestine of its

host.

6.1 Billion

• 5 million people die each year from poor drinking water, poor sanitation, or a dirty home environment -- often resulting from water shortage

Parched Places

China

• 1.26 billion people

• Over pumping is causing the water table in dry Northern China to drop a meter a year

• 300 cities are running short of water

• Diverting water from agriculture– Farmers are going out of business

• Some rivers are so polluted with heavy metals that they can’t be used for irrigation

China

• Farmers say that rivers are turning into industrial sewers

• As farmers go out of business, China will have to import more food.

India

• 1.002 Billion people

• Key aquifers are being over pumped

• The soil is growing saltier through contamination with irrigation water

• Irrigation was a key to increase food production in India as the population surges to a projected 1.363 billion by 2025– Crops need clean water and clean soil

Israel

• 6.2 million• Invented many water conserving

technologies but they still face water withdrawals.

• Over pumping of aquifers along the coast is allowing seawater to pollute drinking water.

• Dependent on the Jordan River for fresh water.

River of the World

Egypt

• 68 million

• Gets essentially no rainfall

• All agriculture is irrigated by seasonal floods from the Nile River, and from water stored behind the Aswan High Dam

• Any interference with water flow by Sudan or Ethiopia could starve Egypt.

Working Rivers

• The Colorado River is shared by many states before it reaches Mexico. By the time is reaches Mexico it is no more than a dribble. The once fertile delta on the Sea of Cortez is now parched and polluted. – Arizona and California are the biggest users.

Do we waste water?...

• Should water users pay the price? Some families use 25% of their income on water. Would we be less likely to waste water if we had to pay more than $100 a month for it? What are you willing to do to help others?– Discuss in your table groups after reading the article

on water scarcity. Assign a scribe to document your discussion. Turn in notes with everyone's names on it before you leave.

– Also in your table groups develop national and/or international policies to address the uneven distribution of fresh drinkable water across the Earth's communities.