Water Infrastructure: A Future Change
The human race needs three things to survive; air to breathe, food to eat, and water to drink. A large majority of the public thinks these resources are infinite and plentiful. What they fail to realize is that they are not infinite, air can become polluted, food can carry pesticides, and water can transmit diseases very easily. In order to keep these necessities safe, many companies are taking the initiative by trying to cut down on pollution and stop using harmful pesticides. Water, however is not getting enough attention, especially in urban areas. Framework exists for these urban areas to be able to have successful water management, but some countries cannot afford these ideas or simply do not want
…show more content…
In an article called “Developing Sustainability Criteria for Urban Infrastructure” the authors distinguish the two by stating “Indicators are useful for monitoring and measuring the state of the environment by considering a manageable number of variables or characteristics (McLaren and Simonovic 1999). On the other hand, a sustainability criterion is the yardstick against which a sustainability indicator is measured (i.e., the goal or “ideal” condition in the relative comparison of indicators).” (Sahely) The article then states that indicators are not useful when considered in isolation, rather indicators need to be studied in relation to each other. This is true because an indicator could possibly be an outlier and without viewing the indicator in relation to other indicators, it could easily be interpreted incorrectly. Three main problems exist when creating a sustainable plan: cost versus technical factors, short term versus long term planning, and network versus project factors. (Sahely). Cost is always going to be a concern of every innovation because no company or individual wants to lose money. The over-hanging cost of going over budget in in the forefront of the mind of every engineer and project planner. The short-term versus long-term planning also causes problems because more often than not, the sustainable decision …show more content…
Since water is becomes such a sought after resource, steps need to be taken on the sustainable/conservation front. The authors in “A Sustainable Decision Support Framework for Urban Water Management“(Pearson) say that three main ideals need to be the basis for sustainable decision making “1. Knowledge transfer for transformation; 2. Monitoring and evaluation of the decision process; and 3. Stakeholder engagement.” (Pearson). These ideals make sense because within each step the knowledge of sustainability is increasing. A sustainable water infrastructure will be much easier to accomplish if the public opinion supports sustainable practices. With overwhelming public support, bills and regulations can pass with less
Humans need water. In a world that is overpopulated, we use a lot of water and other natural resources. Currently, in our world, clean water is getting scarce. Recently, for example, Flint, Michigan, had a water crisis. In early 2016, the water was discovered to be tainted with lead and other toxins. Long before that, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Governor Rick Snyder along with his council, knew about the lead, but to save money for the city of Flint in early 2014 Snyder had changed the city’s water source to the Flint River which had corroded pipes, causing people of all ages to be sick from the high amounts of lead
Increase in water consumption is a topic usually discussed inasmuch as this problem affects many cities. Phoenix is located in the State of Arizona, with around 540 square miles. Moreover, according to official site of City of Phoenix, the city ranks as one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation with approximately 1.4 million people. The city of Phoenix, although it is being in an arid area, has a per capita consumption lower than expected. The consumption of water is essential for life; however, what have to be analyzed is the withdrawal of water; furthermore, the capacity of regeneration of water resources mainly for future generations, which is the concept of sustainability. There are many aspects that would influence the consumption of water; however, each city has its own particularities. Although, Phoenix when analyzed as totality does not have an excessive consumption; it is a peculiar city and if an analysis is done in small scale, such as neighborhood, it is possible to identify the major consumer of water. “Determinants of residential water demand reflect both indoor and outdoor use and including size of the houses, if the houses have swimming pools, lot size, and the prevalence of gardens and vegetation that require water.” (Elizabeth A. Wentz & Patricia Gober, 2007). In addition, according to Phoenix City, since 1881, when the city was officially incorporated, until today’s date, the city of Phoenix has been improving its own capacity to provide water for the population. Phoenix can reach 2.2 million people by the 2030 (Census Boreau, 2010). A challenge for the future is to find new resources to provide water for the population even in severe drought.
Water is a quintessential element of all life on Earth. Of all the water on Earth, about three percent is fresh and can be used immediately for human consumption. Perth’s climate is drying, yet Western Australia is still consuming relatively high amounts of water. This problem of high consumption of water in a drying climate is far from straightforward There are many elements contributing to water consumption in Western Australia. Broadly, these factors fall under the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. Each of these pillars are made up of many components, and all those components are intricately and numerously linked. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Using Systems Analysis to examine the interlinked factors of water consumption in Perth and Western Australia is a good way to uncover hidden root causes of the issue of water consumption in WA and start to apply leverage in the most serviceable places.
Water has become a very controversial issue in the United States and around the world. As populations increase and resources decrease, the way we use our resources and keep populations safe become more and more important. Throughout the world there are nearly 1.1 billion people who do not have access the clean drinking water. 5 Most of these 1.1 billion people are located in poor areas and do not have the financial means to build the infrastructures needed to provide water to the citizens of their country. 5 Drinking water is an essential part of our everyday life. People must have water to survive, but it must be clean and safe to consume.
The Mexican government has been ineffective in addressing the ecological issues associated with the water shortages in Mexico City because of its institutional fragmentation. Currently, forty-five percent of the water used in the greater Mexico City is supplied by over-exploiting the aquifer because the current water extraction rate from the aquifer is one hundred and eighty-four percent greater than the sustainable level. (Pina, 2011 ) Since Mexico City receives seventy percent of its water from the aquifer, its depletion poses a significant problem to the government of Mexico and its people. (Pina, 2011 ) In Mexico City, the federal, regional and local government levels all play a part in determining water management policies. While the local government of Mexico City sh...
This is because only a small part of the population, particularly in developing countries, have access to water of acceptable quality. It is estimated that in some countries only 20% of the rural population has water of satisfactory quality. Based on these statistics, it is clear the urgent need for awareness about caring for water use. Almost without realizing it, we are seriously jeopardizing this essential resource, not for us but for our children's children and their generations, aware that in other parts o...
Water is essential to the all life on earth, including plants. But with the growth of population, humans are facing more and more water problems: including water pollution and water shortage. It has become the biggest problem in the world to date. Most of the water pollution is caused by the heavy industries,pollution, and grey water discharged by households on a daily basis.
Human body uses water in all its cells, tissues, and organs to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because the human body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain more water. Once water is used, it becomes useless and invaluable. Countless gallons of water are wasted everyday by people. A variety of changes in technology and legal structures have been explored and these together with an increased awareness of the need for water conservation and proper economic incentives have resulted in more efficient water use (Klaver). Water gets polluted after usage, but it can be cleaned, one of the great assets of water (Klaver). While water is being used by everyone, it is everyone’s responsibility to save it. Water privatization may be seeing another tool of efficiency (Klaver). Recycling water costs more money, but it can fill the demand of water in the whole world. While most water provision and sanitation systems are publicly owned and operated, the proponents of privatization argue that it will improve the quality of services, reduces costs, and mobilize more financial investment and technical expertises
How can we bridge the staggering gap between the declaration of water as a human right and the actual achievement of its fulfillment? This is the overarching question for economic, social, and cultural rights in general at the start of the 21st century, and especially so for the right to water. But while there is little disagreement on the question of whether clean water and sanitation need to be expanded to the world’s poor, a heated debate is ongoing about the most appropriate strategy for executing such a task. One trend in this struggle for a solution is that of privatization and commoditization, as there is certainly a powerful push underway to convert the world’s water resources into a private commodity – to put them under the control
Worldwide, countries have found more cost-effective to exploit water sources within their jurisdiction than to invest on water management strategies. The only remaining sources of water that can now be developed are mostly transboundary in nature (Biswas, 1999; Black and King, 2009).
Water is a source that humanity need for both domestic and industrial use and is utilized in a huge amount. Thus, there is a pressure on water. The increase of population and the industrial development of the majority of countries aggravate the problem. The excessive consumption of water coupled with the scarcity of this resource makes the issue even more critical. According to Lefort, water covers around 70 percent of the Earth, freshwater makes up only 3 percent of it, moreover, almost all of that is unattainable to use. (Lefort, R.,1996) Generally, only about 0.01 percent of the world’s total water supply is considered available for human use. What is more frustrating is that only a few sources of fresh water can be relied
Water service is one of the most crucial sector that has direct daily impact to the wellbeing of human life. Therefore many Governments especially those of developing countries have had difficulties in achieving sustainable water services to their people. Nonetheless, the provision of good water services is exceedingly linked to water governance and it is on this context that many Governments at different times have endeavoured to look for the best water governance system in their Countries.
Spearritt, R. (2009). THE 200 KM CITY: BRISBANE, THE GOLD COAST, AND SUNSHINE COAST. Australian Economic History Review. 49 (1), p87-106.
The first step is worldwide awareness of the water crisis: governments and the citizens they govern worldwide need to know about this problem and be actively involved in solving this problem. One of the best ways to solve this problem would be for these cities or countries to embark on water-saving programs that would drastically reduce water consumption to sustainable levels.... ... middle of paper ... ... For example, in all corners of the world, there is growing empirical evidence of increased severe weather events, flooding, and diminished ice cover, all of which worsen the problem of water shortages and can be attributed to climate change.
One main causes of water scarcity is water mismanagement worldwide. Water mismanagement has become a crisis of governance that will impact heavily ...