Water in general is a vital part of our lives; it is a necessity for us humans and all the living organisms to

continue striving and existing in this ever changing world. Water is important for us not just by itself but
because it is also a necessity for our world and our ecosystem to retain its balance and remain as a
habitable planet. However, as time goes by and our world is continuously changing, our water resources
are at high risk of damage, or even complete destruction.

https://www.greenfacts.org/en/water-resources/l-2/4-effect-human-actions.htm#:~:text=Our%20water
%20resources%20face%20a,landscape%20changes%2C%20and%20urban%20growth.

https://www.esa.org/esa/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/issue1.pdf

https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/issue

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/nitrogen-and-water?qt-
science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

Climate Change

As our climate and weather are being unpredictable as time passes by, our water sources are
confronting extreme conditions. In some places, especially in the poles, water tends to freeze and affect
the availability of liquid water. On the other hand, in hot places such as countries near the equator, high
temperatures causes water to evaporate in a faster rate than normal. These conditions highly affect the
availability of our water resources, thus affecting other resources such as the soil and food resources.

Environmental Pollution

As we continue to innovate and develop our way of living, we leave a lot of waste – solid or liquid. They
both affect our water resources by contaminating them usually with toxic materials such as petroleum
gas and acids. On the other hand, air pollution such as emissions from factories and vehicles can affect
the water cycle for being the primary cause of acid rains.

Sedimentation

We are constantly producing sediments with activities such as farming, constructions and mining;
activities that can tamper our water source. Sediments can bring toxic chemicals into the water,
affecting the biodiversity in the water source affected. Too much sediment can also affect the water’s
temperature, heating it up. It can also reduce the amount of sunlight penetrating the water, affecting its
quality.
Excessive Water Withdrawal

With the population continues to grow and the more we excessively and wastefully use our water
resources, it is in high risk of drying up. Our groundwater which is the source of our household waters
are used faster than it is replenished. Some of our world’s rivers such as Nile River in Africa, the Ganges
River in India, the Tigris and the Euphrates in Iraq, Turkey, and Syria, the Yangtze in China, the Colorado
and the Rio Grande of the Americas are experiencing ample reductions in flow; and the Aral Sea of
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and Lake Chad in Africa are shrinking dramatically over the past decades.
The cause of these changes is evident for years now, yet we are still irresponsible in the way we
consume our waters, not knowing its long-term effects in our lives and our planet’s.

Nutrient Pollution

Most of human activities are contributing to the continuous increase in nitrogen level in our
atmosphere, from the production and use of nitrogen fertilizers to the burning of fossil fuels to the use
of automobiles, power generation plants and industries. This increase of nitrogen can pollute the air and
our waters; causing algal blooms that can damage the quality of water, leading to fish kills, eventually
decrease the aquatic biodiversity and affect the human’s use of the waters for fishing, swimming and
boating. Also, if nitrogen-concentrated water is consumed, it can be harmful to humans even for
livestock; it can restrict oxygen transport in the bloodstream of humans, specifically infants, causing
them to procure the blue baby syndrome or cyanosis.

Overpopulation

The more people, the more water will be consumed. This will result to higher demand for water, higher
risk of disputes about the existing water supply and overpopulation also heighten the cases of water
pollution.
https://solarimpulse.com/water-pollution-solutions

https://sensorex.com/blog/2020/05/26/effective-water-pollution-solutions-to-protect-our-
environment/

https://www.circleofblue.org/2010/world/experts-name-the-top-19-solutions-to-the-global-freshwater-
crisis/

Sustainable Solutions

Solving a problem starts with ourselves, changing our daily practices and ponder upon how our activities
can affect our surroundings and changing them to become better. Here are some of the sustainable
solutions we can do to protect our water resources:

 Educate to change consumption and lifestyle

Change begins with awareness; we should be aware and educate ourselves of how our practices
are affecting our surroundings specifically our resources. We should know if what we do in a
daily basis is contributing for the development and betterment of our society or are we a part of
the problem? We must educate ourselves and be mindful for the consequences of our actions.
This shouldn’t limit in protecting our water resources, but rather protecting our only home
planet.
 Recycle Wastewater
Recycling in general is a huge help in sustaining our resources, primarily to our water resources.
Since water is a necessity for almost all our daily activities, it constantly faces the threat of
drying up faster than expected, and our groundwater is used up faster than it is replenished.
Recycling water have significant benefits for our environment primarily because it significantly
reduced the demand and stress for freshwater supply, maintaining our water resources useable
and enough for this generation and the next.
 Invention of new water conservation technologies
In this present time, the era of innovation and discovery, technology can be our instrument for
conservation and sustainability. In the areas where resources are scarce, innovations are highly
needed and taking the consumption of energy in consideration.
 Improve irrigation and agricultural practices
More than half of the world’s freshwater is used in the agriculture sector. It is important to
devise systematic strategies to prevent unnecessary water losses, land and water degradation
and to keep our water sources enough for the next years.
 Develop energy efficient desalination plants
Desalination refers to the process of removing salt from saltwater, it is an effective solution for
the constant need for freshwater, and however, tons of energy is needed for this process. What
is needed is a more energy efficient upgrade for this process. Upgrading the system not only
help the water sources but also cutting the use of energy thus saving it for another use.
 Improve water catchment and harvesting
Water catchment system is highly needed specifically for areas that have limited freshwater
source such as in Pakistan and India. This process is a very practical for the obvious reason that it
can lessen the use of groundwater by using the stored water for certain household activities
such as watering plants and for toilet use.
 Address pollution
Constant monitoring of water quality is essential for human health and biodiversity. This
distinguished issue materializes in numerous forms which can be and should be addressed in
just as many ways. Aside from securing the quality of drinking water at the local level, it is also
vital to construct more extensive roads to solutions.
 Population Growth
As the world population continues to grow, the water sources are becoming insufficient for our
use. Up to date, at least two billion people have no access to clean water. And as the agriculture
sector uses more than half of world’s freshwater, water’s fundamental role in food production
should be taken care of as the world’s climate and resource conditions change.