Scarcity

Water Scarcity may be the mostunderestimated resource issue facing theworld today.

The world water demand has more then tripled over the last half – century.

Some widespread and obvious indicators are rivers running dry, wells going dry, and lakes disappearing

Scarcity Cont.

Impacts on CivilizationThe most obvious impact on civilization would be drinking water, without wells, people will go thirsty, and these days it is very expensive to have a well dug. And without wells, or water, people would die, seeing that the human body is made up of 60% water.

Distribution

• Africa’s potential water wars Potential water wars are likely in areas where rivers and lakes are shared by more then one country. This is and will be a big issue in Africa for the next twenty five years or so.

Why Important?

• If only 30% of the world had access to good, clean drinking water, and the other 70% didn’t then that would mean that the other 70% of the country would die or become very ill form all the parasites found in the water.

Uses In Life

• Water has many uses in life, such as for drinking, hygiene, farming and of coarse water activities such as swimming, boating and water skiing

Water Cycle

Saltwater Problems

• One of the biggest problems with saltwater is that it’s salt concentration is too high to drink, if you do drink it, it will make you more dehydrated, and it will do damage to your liver.

Rainwater Collection

• If you have a roof, you have a way to stop the rainwater from hitting the ground. You can then collect it in a barrel or tank once it comes down through the roof gutter system. Then you can use the water for your garden, or if you want to use the water for drinking.

• A large portion of most homeowner's water bills is due to irrigating lawns. The old tradition of grass lawns is beginning to change as people become more aware of the enormous environmental costs of lawns. In addition to water, fuel for mowing and pumping/treating city water supplies, and chemical production, there are many hidden costs.

• Pesticides and fertilizers are carried by water runoff (from storms or irrigation) from residential lawns through the storm drainage systems that dump directly into downstream waterways untreated. The EPA reports that 40% of U.S. streams and lakes cannot even support fishing and swimming for humans.

Desert Water Collection • A sub-surface desert water harvester was

constructed in the sagebrush steppe habitat of south-central Idaho. The desert water harvester utilizes a buried micro-catchments and three buried storage tanks to augment water for wildlife during the dry season.

• Mid-summer through early autumn, June through October, is the dry portion of the year. During this period, the sub-surface water harvester provides supplemental water for wildlife for 30–90 days, depending upon the precipitation that year.

• ISS crewmembers must save as much water as possible. Each is allocated about two liters daily. They stretch the ration by collecting, cleaning and reusing wastewater, condensate in the air and urine.

Works Cited

• http://www.earth-policy.org/Indicators/indicator7.htm

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/454926.stm

• http://www.mapsofworld.com/images/world-safe-drinking-water-map.gif

• http://www.birdcrossstitch.com/Family_Focus/Rainwater_Collection.html

• http://www.springerlink.com/content/x7300w4328w1um62/