What If We Don't Conserve Water?
Water is a vital resource for humans, animals and plants. Failure to conserve water would, eventually, lead to the diminished supply of adequate and healthy water. Lack of water could then lead to volatile consequences (ie. rising costs, reduced food supplies, health hazards and armed conflict) but we, as humans, have the power to prevent local and global problems by conserving water.
Water, especially freshwater resources, is necessary for survival and is in limited supply. If we don't conserve water, what's next? In terms of sustainability and global warming, professionals have stated that there is a point of no going back. Once we pass this point, there is no way to reverse the effects of mankind on the world (eg. fossil fuels, water wastage).
Here are some consequences which would be highly imminent once we pass that point where we can't go back even if we conserve excessive amounts of water; however these consequences are still prevalent in our world today due to the constant disregard for water conservation:
Decrease of Food Supply:
As mentioned above, water is not only required for providing human sustenance, but it is also vital for plants. Water is a critical resource for agriculture and food supply to an extent where plants adapt (gravitropism and root-hair cells) just to obtain more water. The increased urbanisation of countries has syphoned off the water supply for agricultural means, this lack of conservation of water will result in the depletion of water used for food. This will, then, in turn, result in less food available.
Increase in Conflict:
Imagine a world where the supply of water is low, the demand is high and the population requiring water is even higher. Imagine a world where 844 million people don't have access to clean drinking water. That's where we live now; as the world's population continues to grow, so does the demand for clean water. In dry areas (eg. Chile), the water supply will eventually run out or dry periods (droughts) will occur and this will force the migration of the locals. This would increase demand not only for water itself, but also would increase demand for locations with a steady flow of water; therefore the Secretary General of the UN has determined conflicts during periods of drought and scarcity of water inevitable.
Higher Costs:
Unless one has their own, independent supply of fresh water daily – they would have to pay a local municipality or external party to deliver/import fresh water to their homes. As the basic economic principle goes, once there is a higher demand for water and lower supply of it, the price will go up (per unit). This will lead to higher prices of water, reducing living standards for all as this basic human resource would become a product only for the richest. A basic human need would become increasingly scarce and impossible to obtain for lower class citizens.
However, all is not lost as conserving water can pull us out of this inevitable future. We can escape our pathway to reduced food supply, increased conflicts and higher costs for water by playing our part and reducing water wastage on a daily basis!
Click here to learn how to save water at home and here to learn how to save water in the bathroom.
Written by Yash Mahajan
Water, especially freshwater resources, is necessary for survival and is in limited supply. If we don't conserve water, what's next? In terms of sustainability and global warming, professionals have stated that there is a point of no going back. Once we pass this point, there is no way to reverse the effects of mankind on the world (eg. fossil fuels, water wastage).
Here are some consequences which would be highly imminent once we pass that point where we can't go back even if we conserve excessive amounts of water; however these consequences are still prevalent in our world today due to the constant disregard for water conservation:
Decrease of Food Supply:
As mentioned above, water is not only required for providing human sustenance, but it is also vital for plants. Water is a critical resource for agriculture and food supply to an extent where plants adapt (gravitropism and root-hair cells) just to obtain more water. The increased urbanisation of countries has syphoned off the water supply for agricultural means, this lack of conservation of water will result in the depletion of water used for food. This will, then, in turn, result in less food available.
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| Drought: Caused by lack of water and rainfall |
Higher Costs:
Unless one has their own, independent supply of fresh water daily – they would have to pay a local municipality or external party to deliver/import fresh water to their homes. As the basic economic principle goes, once there is a higher demand for water and lower supply of it, the price will go up (per unit). This will lead to higher prices of water, reducing living standards for all as this basic human resource would become a product only for the richest. A basic human need would become increasingly scarce and impossible to obtain for lower class citizens.
However, all is not lost as conserving water can pull us out of this inevitable future. We can escape our pathway to reduced food supply, increased conflicts and higher costs for water by playing our part and reducing water wastage on a daily basis!
Click here to learn how to save water at home and here to learn how to save water in the bathroom.
Written by Yash Mahajan
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