Water
Water is one of the most precious commodities around the world. In many cases, the value of water becomes apparent during times of drought. With the many uses of water, shortage of water results in harsh economic times since most of the industrial processes depends on water. In the production of electricity, a lack of water translates to higher prices per unit of electricity.
A constant presence of water guarantees the reduction of prices of primary commodities whose production depends on water. Scientists place the volume of water in the world at seventy percent of the total land mass. The percentage means that the amount is enough for the population of the universe. The aim of this paper is to consider water as a commodity and the activities resulting n the shortage and the efforts of increasing the product (Bulletin, 2014).
Firstly, droughts result from the activities of the man that interfere with the natural cycle of water causing the shortage. In California, the huge drought prompted the residents to investigate the activities of the man that interfere with the water cycle causing droughts. In the area, miners were using water in the production of gas and oil.
The enormous pressure of water required in the process lead to misuse of vast amounts of water and the mixture of the underground sources of water with chemicals used in the process. Fracking unbalances the water cycle making the sources unable to sustain the water cycle (Leber, 2014). The residents are trying to rectify the solution through amending the laws to ban fracking as well as introducing funds for use in cases of emergency. Such are the instances where human activities lead to drought that ends up spending a lot of funds from the public.
The enormous demand for water all over the world is straining the sources of water with some of the populations in the world having to travel long distances to access the commodity. The shortage of water in some areas is so extreme to the extent that one of the millennium development goals was increase access to water.
All over the world, people do not have access to clean water exposing the people to serious health risks origination from consumption of unsafe water. The setting aside of the World Water Day aims at discussing the progress made in achieving the goals. Just like air is essential for the survival of the human race, water is no longer a luxury but rather an essential need. It is the duty of the respective governments to ensure the protection of the water sources as well as the access to clean water by the whole population (Shearlaw, 2013).
Secondly, the shortage of water results from the changes in the climatic conditions all over the world. The changes in the climate reduce the amount of rainfall significantly in various places. However, the changes in the environment come from the activities of man that interfere with nature (Farrel, 2012). People are cutting down trees as well as indulging in industrial processes that accumulate the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. The carbon triggers global warming affecting how the water cycle operates.
According to the trend in the demand and access to water, few years down the line will see the rise of the market for higher than that of oil. Currently, the situation is dangerous yet the environment is worsening on a daily basis. The increase in population will see the rise in the demand as well as an increase in the industrial operations that require water for sustainability. The knowledge of the trend is the reason behind the efforts by the population to rectify the situation and consider other sources of water.
In the Middle East, the situation of the water crisis is a concerning situation. The geographical location of the country is such that the climatic condition of the country has similar characteristics to a desert. The country is one of the richest in the world due to the enormous potential brought about by the presence of the oil fields in the area.
The demand for water in the fields is enormous. The environmental conditions mean that all the agricultural activities in the area occur under irrigation. The cost of water in the area is high in comparison to other places of the world. Even the surrounding countries experience similar conditions to that of the Middle East. However, the vast economy of the areas allows the purchase of water by the wealthy. The people affected by the shortage are mostly the less able economically (Barton, 2012).
In the area, the annual rainfall is less than 100 mm. In order to ensure the survival of the area, the government is putting in place measures of manufacturing water through renewal processes. The vast population of the country places the consumption of water at almost 400 litres per day per capita. The waste places the country at the highest use in comparison to most places in the world.
To curb the shortage and to meet the demand, the country depends on industrial processes to clean water and make the water clean for consumption. In other places of the world, the government resolve into drilling of boreholes as a way of meeting the demand for water for the population in the country. In the Middle East, the practice is practically impossible due to the oil wells in the area.
The water taken from the sea contains many impurities that are not healthy for the human beings. For this reason, processing the water is necessary before consumption by the population. In a process known as desalination, that involves boiling to remove the salt content of the seawater, passing through fine membranes to remove the impurities.
Boiling the water is an important process to ensure the safety of the water but in the same process, the water loses minerals that are essential for the human body. The advantage of the country is the presence of the enormous profits made from the sale of oil that gives the country the economic ability of the country to manage the funding of the expensive process (Simpson, 2013).
For the countries without the economic advantage, the populations have no choice but to consume the available water without any regards to the health implications. Water is a necessary component in the lives of people not just for domestic consumption but also for the agricultural processes responsible for the availability of food in the areas.
In conclusion, the nature is in a position to provide water for most parts of the world. Interference of nature by the human beings results in conditions that make water scarce. In the State of California, the extraction of gas using water is the fundamental reason for the drought in the area. In other sectors, the geographical setting is the reason for the limited supply of water.
Whichever the case, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the comfort of the population through provision of clean water to the population. The governments should also teach the communities on how to protect the water catchment areas in order to preserve the ecological system and avoid adverse impacts that result in climatic conditions that are not favourable. With the correct measure in place, the industrial processes will regulate the pollution to the environment that causes global warming and the subsequent water shortages.
References
Bulletin, B. (2014, February 17). OPINION: Water a commodity with a rising cost base | Redland City Bulletin. Retrieved from http://www.redlandcitybulletin.com.au/story/2093151/opinion-water-a-commodity-with-a-rising-cost-base/?cs=213
Farrel, P. (2012, July 24). Water is the new gold, a big commodity bet – MarketWatch. Retrieved from http://www.marketwatch.com/story/water-is-the-new-gold-a-big-commodity-bet-2012-07-24
Leber, R. (2014, February 13). California Drought Emergency Sparks Call To Ban Fracking And Protect Water | ThinkProgress. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/13/3282341/california-drought-fracking-ban/
Shearlaw, M. (2013, March 15). Talk point: is water a commodity or a human right? | Maeve Shearlaw | Global development | The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/mar/15/talk-point-water-commodity-human-right
Simpson, C. (2013, April 9). UAE’s largest power and desalination plant opens at Jebel Ali | The National. Retrieved from http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/uae-s-largest-power-and-desalination-plant-opens-at-jebel-ali