Some Water Crisis Solutions
With growing populations, there is growing demand for the earth’s limited resources of fresh water, leading to water scarcity in many areas of the world. It’s estimated 4 billion people—70 percent of the world’s population—suffer from some level of water scarcity at least one month of the year.1 Moreover, not all available water is fit to drink, especially in developing countries. Worldwide, 1.1 billion people lack access to clean water.2 Fortunately, amid this water crisis, solutions are being explored, developed and implemented.
Available water needs to somehow be transported to people and be safe for consumption for it to be beneficial.
According to World Resources Institute, “Around the world, water infrastructure―treatment plants, pipes, and sewer systems―is in a state of disrepair.”3 Leaky pipes can lose, and thus waste, gallons of water. Faulty infrastructure can also contribute to water contamination. However, municipalities ensuring sustainable water management by improving the water infrastructure, conserving water and improving efficiency contributes to solving the water crisis.4
Another solution is to reclaim water.
According to Solar Impulse Foundation, “Rainwater harvesting and recycled wastewater also … reduce scarcity and ease pressures on groundwater and other natural water bodies.”5 Increased water storage capacity in available reservoirs could help preserve larger amounts of rainfall.6
Meanwhile, companies like Israel-based Watergen are working on more technologically advanced solutions.
Watergen has been developing “air-to-water” technology that literally pulls water out of thin air.7 Their machines work to draw from the 13 billion tons of fresh water contained in the earth’s atmosphere.
“A big advantage of using atmospheric water is that there’s no need to build water transportation . . . So no worries about heavy metals in pipes, for example, or cleaning contaminated water from the ground or polluting the planet with plastic bottles.”8
Michael Mirilashvili, head of Watergen
Other companies are looking to icebergs, which contain some of the world’s purest water.
Though these giant blocks of ice could offer a bountiful water resource, there are challenges in harvesting and transporting the icebergs.9 For example, there is danger of transported icebergs tipping over, which could cause fatal accidents, and melting.
Desalination takes advantage of the oceans’ one billion trillion liters of water, but there are also disadvantages to this solution.10
For example, the process of desalination is expensive and energy intensive.11 It also produces excess brine, or salt water. Though there is newer technology using seawater reverse osmosis that reduces impact on the sea, many desalination plants pump extra brine back into the ocean, where it depletes oxygen and suffocates organisms.12
Others are looking to recycle water, including sewage water.
In El Paso, Texas, for example, the city’s water utility company is in the process of installing a water purification system that will eventually “treat and purify sewage water and pipe it back as natural water.”13 Improved agricultural efficiency and overall water conservation also offer solutions to the water crisis.
While these solutions, and others like them, address the worldwide water crisis, other organizations focus on individual families and communities facing this critical situation. GFA World, for example, is a non-profit organization that provides clean water through its Jesus Wells and BioSand water filters to families and communities in need.
1 Mekonnen, Mesfin M., and Arjen Y. Hoekstra. “Four billion people facing severe water scarcity.” Science Advances. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1500323. February 12, 2016.
2 “Water Supply & Sanitation.” World Water Council. https://www.worldwatercouncil.org/en/water-supply-sanitation. Accessed November 22, 2021.
3 Schleifer, Leah. “7 Reasons We’re Facing a Global Water Crisis.” World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/7-reasons-were-facing-global-water-crisis. August 24, 2017.
4 “Solutions to Water Scarcity: How to prevent water shortages?” Solar Impulse Foundation. https://solarimpulse.com/water-scarcity-solutions#. Accessed November 19, 2021.
5 “Solutions to Water Scarcity: How to prevent water shortages?” Solar Impulse Foundation. https://solarimpulse.com/water-scarcity-solutions#. Accessed November 19, 2021.
6 “How people are resolving to reduce water scarcity.” Waterlogic. https://www.waterlogic.com/en-us/resources-blog/how-people-are-resolving-to-reduce-water-scarcity/. Accessed November 19, 2021.
7 Lisbona, Natalie. “Finding answers to the world’s drinking crisis.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57847654. August 2, 2021.
8 Lisbona, Natalie. “Finding answers to the world’s drinking crisis.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57847654. August 2, 2021.
9 Lisbona, Natalie. “Finding answers to the world’s drinking crisis.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57847654. August 2, 2021.
10 “Water scarcity: why our most precious resource is dwindling.” Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/water-scarcity-whats-the-big-deal/a-58840373. Accessed October 25, 2021.
11 Water scarcity: why our most precious resource is dwindling.” Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/water-scarcity-whats-the-big-deal/a-58840373. Accessed October 25, 2021.
12 Lisbona, Natalie. “Finding answers to the world’s drinking crisis.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57847654. August 2, 2021.
13 Felter, Claire, and Kali Robinson. “Water Stress: A Global Problem that’s Getting Worse.” Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/water-stress-global-problem-thats-getting-worse. April 22, 2021.