Environment and Society

TOPIC : GLOBAL WARMING AND ITS EFFECTS TO WATER  SCARCITY

INTRODUCTION

Nowadays  we can see that there are many issues on environmental problems happened in this century such as water  management, declining biodiversity,energy and society and many more. So, in this assignment our group will discuss about global warming and its effect to water scarcity. Global warming can cause many compilcated effects to our surrounding and  water scarcity is one of them but in fact, it is wrong to say global warming is the main cause of water scarcity.

Global warming is the current rise in the average temperature of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere. The scientific consensus is that global warming is occurring and was initiated by activities, especially those that increase concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as deforestation and burning of fossil fuels.[1] This finding is recognized by the national science academies of all the major industrialized countries and is not rejected by any scientific body of national or international standing.

Researchers define water stress and water scarcity in different ways. For example, some have presented maps showing the physical existence of water in nature to show nations with lower or higher volumes of water available for use. Others have related water availability to population. A popular approach has been to rank countries according to the amount of annual water resources available per person. For example, according to the Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator[2], a country or region is said to experience "water stress" when annual water supplies drop below 1,700 cubic meters per person per year. At levels between 1,700 and 1,000 cubic meters per person per year, periodic or limited water shortages can be expected. When water supplies drop below 1,000 cubic meters per person per year, the country faces "water scarcity”. The United Nations' FAO states that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity and two-thirds of the world population could be under stress conditions. Water stress is considered "set to become a permanent feature of British life".

HOW GLOBAL WARMING CAUSES WATER SCARCITY

The most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that global warming will lead to “changes in all components of the freshwater system,” and concludes that “water and its availability and quality will be in the main pressure on, and issues for, societies and the environment under climate change.[3]

Climate changes will likely decrease natural water storage capacity from glacier melting, and subsequently reduce long-term water availability for more than one-sixth of the world’s population that lives in glacier or snowmelt-fed river basins, including major regions of China, India, Pakistan and the western. Besides that, it increase water scarcity due to changes in precipitation patterns and intensity. In particular, the subtropics and mid-latitudes, where much of the world’s poorest population live, are expected to become substantially drier, resulting in heightened water scarcity. A new MIT study also shows that reduced precipitation in some arid regions could trigger exponentially larger drops in groundwater tables.

Then, global warming also increase the vulnerability of ecosystem, changes in precipitation pattern, frequent severe weather events, and prolonged droughts. This will further diminish the ability of natural systems to filter water and create buffers to flooding. Climate changes also affect the capacity and reliability of water supply infrastructure due to flooding extreme weather, and sea level rise. Most existing water treatment plants and distribution systems were not built to withstand expected sea level rise and increased frequency of severe weather due to climate change. Furthermore, climate change will concentrate snowmelt and precipitation into shorter time frames, making both water releases more extreme and drought events more sustained. Current infrastructure often does not have the capacity to fully capture this larger volume of water, and therefore will not be able to meet water demands in times of sustained drought.

THE IMPACT OF WATER SCARCITY ON SELECTED COUNTRIES

Upstream Nile countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan will start using more Nile water at the cost of Egypt

Sudan already uses a large share of the Nile, as the treaty it signed with Egypt in 1959 provides for Sudan to use 18, 5 km³ or about 25% of the flow of the river after evaporation but Sudan now would like to increase its share thus questioning the 1959 treaty which Egypt resents.

Ethiopia never signed the 1959 bilateral treaty and therefore does not feel in any obligation to respect the arrangement set up by Egypt. It now uses a very small fraction of the Blue Nile, the main affluent of the Nile but the country certainly would like to tap into its water resource to develop hydropower generation and irrigation. Egypt so far has always rejected Ethiopia’s claims, fearing any use by Ethiopia would mean less water for itself. As nearly all the waters of the Nile are used, it is true an increase of water use in Ethiopia would question Egypt’s share but most water for irrigation in Egypt is used very inefficiently, there are ways to increase water productivity, freeing water volumes for Ethiopia.

Turkey risk a violent conflict with Iraq and Syria by increasing its water use of Euphrates and Tigris

Turkey developed the argument it had not, until the late 1980s, developed its uses of the Euphrates and Tigris waters, contrary to Syria and Iraq: it is true little irrigation and no hydropower production took place in South-eastern Turkey for long, whereas irrigation and dam building have long been developed downstream. Turkey therefore invoked its right to develop its fair share of the rivers.

However, Turkey acted very unilaterally which triggered a strong opposition from Syria and Iraq which feared rightly that if all planned Turkish dams were built, the rivers flow would be strongly reduced. Turkey felt that its military and political position–a member of NATO, allied to and upstream in the river basin, giving it the possibility to cut the river flow–secured its policy and that neither Syria nor Iraq would dare go to war. So far, Ankara was proven right on this point.

 

The impact of the shrinking Aral Sea on regional stability in Central Asia

The disappearing sea is impacting severely on climate and local population health. The Aral worked as a climate moderator, absorbing heat in the summer and releasing it in the winter. As the sea vanishes, the climate turns more continental–drier, hotter summers; colder winters– with more storms in the summer that spreads salt and pesticide deposits on the former sea bed across the region, causing people poisoning.

The only economic impact was the destruction of the prosperous fishing industry around the Aral Sea; this ecological disaster does not destabilize the region. It is the disputes around the sharing of the waters of the two rivers, the Syr Daria and Amou Daria, which fuels political bickering, and potential instability, as well as disputes around how to develop cooperation so as to save the Aral Sea. So far, the regional countries have gone nowhere in cooperation, encouraging Kazakhstan to go alone with its plan to save the northern part of the Aral Sea by building a dyke blocking the inflow from the Syr Daria–a move that did help restore this part of the sea, but that will accelerate the decline of the larger, southern part.

Water scarcity pose a threat to the political stability of China

It is already doing so, as water scarcity in the North China Plain questions the very survival of many rural communities. The government decided to build the south-North Water Transfer from the Yangtze River to the region but it will not be enough to satisfy the whole growing demand for water. There have been riots in the region in the past because farmers were upset with the lack of water or it’s so poor quality that it could not even be used to water crops without killing them.

So far, China has refrained from seriously considering diverting an international river but plans to do so in the Amur River basin or in the Brahmaputra River basin have triggered additional tensions with Russia and India respectively. The Chinese government is trying to reform rural water use, setting up water users associations so as to delegate this responsibility to the village level. Whether these institutional reforms will be enough to calm the country is the question.

 

WATER SUPPLY SHORTAGES

2013 - Climate Change and Water Supplies

Lake Mead’s water levels could drop below its water intake pipes by 2013. “Southern Nevada Water Authority chief Pat Mulroy said “the authority is in a race against time to complete a new third intake system or third straw to draw water from deep in Lake Mead (Hoover Dam).Roughly 90 percent of the Las Vegas valley's drinking water is drawn from the lake through the two existing intakes but the reservoir's surface could shrink below the level of one of those pipes by 2013.” (Pat Mulroy, general manager of Southern Nevada Water Authority quoted in Henry Brean, hbrean@reviewjournal.com, 702-383-0350 “Water Authority: Mulroy calls new Lake Mead intake system is critical,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas, Nevada, May 22, 2009)  See videos of Pat Mulroy speaking on water issues)

Hydroelectric turbines at Hoover Dam could cease generating electricity by 2013.After 75 years of steadily cranking out electricity for California, Arizona and Nevada, the mighty turbines of the Hoover Dam could cease turning as soon as 2013,if water levels in the lake that feeds the dam don't start to recover, say water and dam experts. Under pressure from the region's growing population and years of drought, Lake Mead was down to 1,087 feet, a 54-year low, as of Wednesday (September 8, 2010).If the lake loses 10 feet a year, as it has recently, it will soon reach 1,050 feet, the level below which the turbines can no longer run.

Those hydroelectric generators produce cheap electricity for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), which is responsible for pumping water across the Colorado River Aqueduct to hydrate much of Southern California. Without that power, Metropolitan’s costs to transport water will double or even triple, a district executive said “The decrease in water already experienced at Lake Mead has reduced output from the turbines from 130 megawatts of peak capacity to 100,according to Peter DiDonato, who runs the Hoover Dam's hydroelectric generators. For every foot of elevation lost in Lake Mead about 100,000 acre feet of water or enough for 200,000 households the dam produces 5.7 megawatts less power.

That’s because at lower water pressure, air bubbles flow through with the water, causing the turbines to lose efficiency. Losing power from the Hoover Dam would raise expenses for Metropolitan and for Southern California Edison (SCE), both of which buy power for the dam at low rates. Edison has already begun preparations for lower power generation from the dam, which represents 0.3 percent of its portfolio”. Without power from the dam, Metropolitan would turn to the spot electricity market and pay double or triple the cost, depending on how much less power the dam is producing.”  (Eric Wolff, ewolff@nctimes.com, 760-740-5412, “Hoover Dam could stop generating electricity as soon as 2013, officials fear,” North County Times, Escondido, California, September 12, 2010)

CAUSES  OF GLOBAL WARMING

Many things cause global warming.  One thing that causes global warming is electrical pollution.  Electricity causes pollution in many ways, some worse than others.  In most cases, fossil fuels are burned to create electricity.  Fossil fuels are made of dead plants and animals.  Some examples of fossil fuels are oil and petroleum.  Many pollutants (chemicals that pollute the air, water, and land) are sent into the air when fossil fuels are burned.  Some of these chemicals are called greenhouse gasses. Another thing that makes global warming worse is when people cut down trees.  Trees and other plants collect carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide is the air that our body lets out when we breathe. With fewer trees, it is harder for people to breathe because there is more CO2 in the air, and we don’t breathe CO2, we breathe oxygen.  Plants collect the CO2 that we breathe out, and they give back oxygen that we breathe in.  With fewer trees and other plants, such as algae, there is less air for us, and more greenhouse gases are sent into the air. This means that it is very important to protect our trees to stop the greenhouse effect, and also so we can breathe and live. This gas, CO2, collects light and heat (radiant energy), produced by the sun, and this makes the earth warmer.  The heat and light from the sun is produced in the centre of the sun.  (The sun has layers just like the earth.) 

EFFECTS OF WATER SCARCITY

Water has always been an important and life sustaining drinks to humans and is essential to the survival of all organisms. Major aspects of the water crisis are allegedly overall scarcity of usable and water pollution. Water scarcity, happen when there is low supply of water resource, but the demand to get it is high. People are prone to pay more for the product. The causes of water scarcity are varied. Some are natural and others are as a result of human activities. The current debate sites the causes as largely deterministic in that scarcity is a result of identifiable cause and effect. However, if water scarcity is the point at which water stress occurs (the point at which various conflicts arise, harvest fail and the like) then there are also definable sociological (people's way of life) and political causes (policy implementation).Water stress, is the symptomatic consequences of scarcity which may manifest itself as increasing conflict over sectoral usage, a decline in service levels, crop failure, food insecurity, and many more. This term is an analogous to the common use of the term 'drought’. Effects of water scarcity also, will increase demand through popularity (trends) increase in population (birth rates) / population density (rural-urban). With continued population growth, the use of and demand for freshwater will increase. Thus, it is possible to society to compete and conflict to each others in order to get freshwater resource. Water scarcity brings an increase in waterborne illnesses such as cholera and typhoid, which occur when people get their drinking water from unsafe sources.

SOLUTION TO THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE

Global warming is expected to account for about 20% of the global increase in water scarcity this century. It is predicted that global warming will alter precipitation patterns around the world, melt mountain glaciers and worsen the extremes of droughts and floods. Global water consumption increased six fold in the last century which is more than twice the rate of population growth and will continue growing rapidly environment in coming decades. Yet readily available freshwater is finite and resource, equivalent to less than one percent of the water on earth.

So, in order to solve this problem there are many ways that we can do.  Each problem will have its own solutions. We as human being should concern and alert with all the issues on environmental problem especially. First of all what we can do is we have to review our actions and activities in our life towards the environment.

 For example, in industrial, agricultural and development activities there can bring either positive or negative consequences in our environment and society. Thus, we as a vicegerent should know on how to manage and conduct our environment so that it will always in good condition. Then human also need to change their behaviour such as lacking of awareness to the environment, burning and use of fossil fuel. This is because; all of this behaviour and activities can bring negative effect to our environment likes increasing temperature. Human was created by Allah as a best creation in the earth because of the mind that He granted to us. So, that is why we should know on how to maintain and balance the ecosystem in according manners.  As Allah mentioned before, the creation of earth and heaven is far greater than the creation of man but not many of man know about that. Thus, the person who were aware and concerned about that should guide and persuade others person to love our nature and environment.  Living as a society we must unite so that it will be easily for us to take care of our environment.

As we already know global warming and water scarcity has a very complicated effect. So to prevent it is better than to cure. But nowadays there were too late for us to prevent it from the beginning. Everything happened very fast and sometimes we don’t have an enough time to prevent it. But there is still have the ways for us to prevent and reduce this environmental issue. The way to solve this problem is the governance especially, need to take proper account for manage and govern water resources effectively besides increase water conservation. In order to do that, the governance must establish much more appropriate institutions that can focus resources on watershed management.

Even though the global warming is not the main cause of water scarcity, but it is still one of the factors that contributed to water shortage, water crisis or water scarcity. Water scarcity happened because of too many people needing too much water in places with few natural resources. As the continued population growth, this problem will see to be complicated to solve. The society will compete to each others to get natural resources in order to survive. So, to solve it we can stop polluting the water we do have. I’m sure many of us not appreciate the thing that we have right now but when that thing were gone we will aware how important that thing is. It is same goes to water. Just because it is easy for us to get it right now, many people has wasted the water. In other words, they do not utilize the water resources efficiently.

A single solution will not solve all the world’s environmental problems. However, improved management such as using drip irrigation for agricultural, more water efficient technologies, and support for the world’s most vulnerable countries and ecosystems will likely play leading roles. Besides that,   in order to solve this problem we need the roles from all the sides. As mentioned before, a single solution or the role by only one side will not solve this problem. So, the government can produce some policies that could successfully reduce global warming such as by raising fossil fuel prices and taxing emissions. If these policies were practiced, the utilization of fossil fuel that leads to global warming will be reduced and indirectly it can prevent the problem of water scarcity. Then government also can organize a campaign for the society in order to encourage them to take environmentally friendly action through such activities as planting trees.

Furthermore, the society itself can help to solve this problem. Because many problems leading to global warming are contributed to by overpopulation, we as society can take an incentive by beginning to work so that it can reduce our family sizes. Family planning services actually can help in the fight against global warming and water scarcity. Even in school, college or university the solution for this problem still can be practiced.  As we know, education is a key method of reducing the greenhouse effect. By teaching student about such things likes deforestation, they will understand and know the knowledge regarding the importance on having healthy and clean environment. Student should fully understand what global warming is, what are its signs, what are possible solutions and what should they do now.

CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, we must remember that everything happened in this world has a goodness. Allah (swt) is the Best Knower. As followers of Islam, our life must be guided by Quran and Sunnah. Live according to this teaching will ensure our life peacefully here and hereafter. Insha’Allah. Allah did not create all of this for any foolish purpose. Allah Says: “And I did not create the jinn and humans except they should worship Me.” Thus it means that Allah has created all we call universe as a test for us.

So, from the issues on environmental problem, we can take several lessons from it. The solutions of global warming cannot be done for a while because these efforts must be undertaken in a long process. Here, it teaches us on how to be patient besides be responsible in everything we do. Then, from the environmental problems also human being can develop self-discipline because of our actions are the major contributor to environmental problem. So, we need to change our behaviour in order to save and keep clean the environment. We, as a human that have been granted by Allah with the mind should not repeat the same mistake. Don’t forget the fact of life; what goes around comes around. Our present world could still recover what they lost, whether we act to preserve, protect and conserve our environment. The plants can flourish once again and the animals and humans can procreate pro-create.

Lastly, we should put serious effort to overcome the problems of our own doing and must try our best to solve the problems and strive to reinstate balance on our earth for sake of our future generations.

 

                                                                                                     

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[1] "Understanding and Responding to Climate Change". United States National Academy of Sciences 2008. http://americasclimatechoices.org/climate_change_2008_final.pdf

[2] Falkenmark and Lindh 1976, quoted in UNEP/WMO. "Climate Change 2001: Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability". UNEP http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg2/180.htm

[3] B.C. Bates, Z.W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu and J.P. Palutikof, Eds., “Climate Change and Water,” Technical Paper VI of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC Secretariat, Geneva, June 2008.