Causes of Water Scarcity: Climate Change, Droughts Floods

Water can be scarce for various reasons of water scarcity as an increase in the demand for the supply of useable water, deficient water infrastructure, climatic changes, rise in population, etc.

Water scarcity has become a major problem in every country, especially countries that are underdeveloped and have extreme weather conditions.

Introduction

The term water scarcity refers to the shortage or lack of fresh water in a particular region or area. The earth is composed of about 70% water out of which only a small portion is usable. The exploitation of water resources can lead to a shortage of water or total exhaustion of water in that particular region. Trees play a vital role to protect the wildlife in the forests and humans because of the moisture released by them which rises into the sky and condenses to form clouds. After the formation of these clouds, the water which was inside the cloud falls on the surface of the earth in the form of rain.

Causes of Water Scarcity

1. Climate change– Due to the sudden changes in the climate of a particular region or area, the temperature in that particular region increases or decreases significantly. This sudden change in the climate can cause the water in that region to dry up or freeze. The people in those regions do not have a proper supply of fresh water available for their use. Some countries that experience sudden climate changes are– Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Chad.
2. Droughts- Droughts can cause a severe shortage in the constant supply of fresh water available to the people in that particular region. Droughts are prolonged periods of dry weather in which an acute shortage of water leads to the death of plants and animals in that particular region. Prolonged periods of droughts can result in loss of fertility of the soil and hence no agriculture or industrial ventures can be accomplished. It is characterized by a lack of precipitation, extremely hot weather, or over-exploitation of fresh water in that specific area. 
3. Floods- Floods also promote water scarcity in a particular region.

Floods are characterized by overflowing water from a body of water that submerges nearby areas, doing irreversible damage to the flora and fauna of those areas. The overflowing water mixes with the pure water and contaminates it with various infection-causing bacteria and germs. Consuming contaminated water can cause various diseases and infections or can cause death. Some waterborne diseases are cholera, diarrhea, typhoid, amebiasis, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, giardiasis, campylobacteriosis, scabies, and worm infections, etc. 

1. Increase in the water demand– Due to the constant increase in population, there is an excessive demand in the supply of fresh water in various countries. Water pollution causes the depletion of most of the freshwater resources of the world. People do not receive fresh, potable water to sustain their lives. The demands for freshwater are not fulfilled in many countries, as a result, many people die because of thirst or some die because of drinking contaminated water.
2. Water pollution– Due to a high population, there has been a lack of freshwater supply around the world as most of the water bodies are polluted and unfit for human activities. Rising industrialization and modernization are having negative impacts on the environment. Factories and modern-day industries are dumping harmful and toxic chemicals and other materials into the surrounding water bodies, making the water unfit for use. Marine life of larger water bodies is also threatened due to water pollution and most of the rare aquatic species have already been extinct.

Water conservation

Water scarcity will become uncontrollable if no immediate steps are taken to conserve freshwater resources. If scarcity of water is on a constant rise, there will be a time in the future when people will not have fresh and clean water to use. Parents should teach their children the importance of saving water. Some common steps to conserve this precious gift of nature are-

2. Rainwater harvesting– Rainwater harvesting is the most common way to collect and store rainwater for future use. The water can be stored in drums or barrels, can be redirected to the plants, or can be collected in a rain saucer. Things that are dusty and need cleaning can be put in the rain to be cleansed. Children should be encouraged to collect rainwater in buckets so there is no shortage of fresh water in their homes.
3. Water should not be wasted– There is a lot of water waste every day in the world. People tend to waste water in useless activities. To stop the exhaustion of water in useless activities, these steps should be taken—Shower time should be limited, only put a sufficient amount of water in flower pots, always close the taps and faucets when brushing teeth or bathing, unnecessarily washing cars should be stopped, dumping household garbage into water bodies. 
4. Water pollution- Discharges and effluents from homes and industries should be treated to remove harmful chemicals before releasing them into larger water bodies. This will reduce contamination of freshwater bodies as already there is a lack of potable water. Water bodies should be used to bathe cattle as it causes germs and bacteria from the animal’s body to flow into the water body, causing water contamination.

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