Sustainable water supply systems are a core necessity for both urban and rural planning and development. The need for potable and domestic water spans across the entire spectrum. Rural needs are additionally about agricultural usage, while urban areas must manage industrial and commercial requirements.
The social, economic and environmental factors that need to be considered are completely different on the supply as well as demand sides of both urban and rural communities. There are a number of issues under usage and watershed management that vary hugely depending on local conditions such as the climate, natural resources, and population. The common aspect linking all communities is that water is essential for survival.
On the supply side, watershed management requires a lot of planning and resources. The key is finding the right balance between the needs of the human population and maintaining the natural ecosystem. Practical work that comes under this includes water rights, cross-jurisdiction agreements, land use, stormwater runoff, drainage, and compliance with environment law.
The planet's surface freshwater distribution is highly uneven. For instance, Canada is blessed with more than 50% of the world's available supply of lake freshwater. Everyone else has to construct dams and block rivers to create and fill reservoirs. More than half of all freshwater is available in the form of groundwater that must be accessed by digging wells and pumping it to the surface.
Rainwater harvesting systems are highly sustainable. There is no risk of depletion or contamination, since it is not overexploited and the source is clean enough for direct human consumption. The only thing limiting wider usage is the implementation cost, and the cost of treatment required to prevent contamination of stored rainwater.
Another possibility is desalination plants that remove salt from seawater using reverse osmosis. It's not as environmentally friendly as harvesting rainwater, but it is a far better option compared to depleting lakes and groundwater or damming up rivers. Wider use is limited because of the high installation cost and energy required. Not to mention the fact that it produces Co2 emissions and several other byproducts that may be harmful to marine life.
Other ways to ensure sustainability on the demand side include reduction in wastewater generation. This means innovation to reduce consumption by installing dual flush toilets, astroturfs, artificial lawns, waterless car washes and other such systems. Better and wider implementation of wastewater treatment systems will help, as will improving the efficiency of municipal distribution pipes to reduce leakage.
All of these aforementioned methods and aspects are just the core components of the overall mission of implementing sustainable water supply systems. Ultimately, what it needs is a major technological revolution accompanied by cross-jurisdictional cooperation and regulation updates to ensure sustainability of every community. WHO estimates that around 1.8 million die each year from consumption of contaminated water, and it is increasingly worse because of severe floods and droughts triggered by climate change. It follows that the first order of business should be to ensure a safe and adequate supply of potable water.
The social, economic and environmental factors that need to be considered are completely different on the supply as well as demand sides of both urban and rural communities. There are a number of issues under usage and watershed management that vary hugely depending on local conditions such as the climate, natural resources, and population. The common aspect linking all communities is that water is essential for survival.
On the supply side, watershed management requires a lot of planning and resources. The key is finding the right balance between the needs of the human population and maintaining the natural ecosystem. Practical work that comes under this includes water rights, cross-jurisdiction agreements, land use, stormwater runoff, drainage, and compliance with environment law.
The planet's surface freshwater distribution is highly uneven. For instance, Canada is blessed with more than 50% of the world's available supply of lake freshwater. Everyone else has to construct dams and block rivers to create and fill reservoirs. More than half of all freshwater is available in the form of groundwater that must be accessed by digging wells and pumping it to the surface.
Rainwater harvesting systems are highly sustainable. There is no risk of depletion or contamination, since it is not overexploited and the source is clean enough for direct human consumption. The only thing limiting wider usage is the implementation cost, and the cost of treatment required to prevent contamination of stored rainwater.
Another possibility is desalination plants that remove salt from seawater using reverse osmosis. It's not as environmentally friendly as harvesting rainwater, but it is a far better option compared to depleting lakes and groundwater or damming up rivers. Wider use is limited because of the high installation cost and energy required. Not to mention the fact that it produces Co2 emissions and several other byproducts that may be harmful to marine life.
Other ways to ensure sustainability on the demand side include reduction in wastewater generation. This means innovation to reduce consumption by installing dual flush toilets, astroturfs, artificial lawns, waterless car washes and other such systems. Better and wider implementation of wastewater treatment systems will help, as will improving the efficiency of municipal distribution pipes to reduce leakage.
All of these aforementioned methods and aspects are just the core components of the overall mission of implementing sustainable water supply systems. Ultimately, what it needs is a major technological revolution accompanied by cross-jurisdictional cooperation and regulation updates to ensure sustainability of every community. WHO estimates that around 1.8 million die each year from consumption of contaminated water, and it is increasingly worse because of severe floods and droughts triggered by climate change. It follows that the first order of business should be to ensure a safe and adequate supply of potable water.
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