Circle of Blue recently identified ten global hot spots where water resources are at the greatest risk of escalating to an issue of national security. Climate change, drought, low rainfall and pollution have heightened awareness around the world’s increasing need for fresh water resources. As water shortages elevate to crisis-level, countries worldwide are scrambling to identifty and claim fresh water resources.
Read more here: Infographic: Water and Security Hot Spots 2016
In India, experts warn that some regions may need to be evacuated by 2025 due to the severity of the ongoing water crisis. Groundwater is depleting at an alarming rate. With increased population in urban settings, the need for fresh water is growing without the infrastructure to support the growth.
Read more here: Bengaluru may have to be evacuated in a decade if water crisis persists
Residents of Polapan, a remote village located in the Gujarat state of India, have been given unprecedented access to fresh water. The women and children of the village once spent hours each day searching for and collecting water from distant water sources (rivers, streams, wells,etc.).
Technology changed that. The Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO) installed a single pump to provide villagers with an immediate source of fresh water – accessible 24 hours a day. The one caveat to the fresh water pump is the availability of electricity, which is not a consistent resource in these remote areas.
Read more here: Water at doorstep: A scheme ushers change in lives of Sabarkantha tribal villagers
Columbia University has published a study looking at the effect climate change may have on the water crisis. More than two billion people may be subjected to a water crisis as a result. Scientists discovered that climate change has warmed temperatures in the atmosphere so that snow is falling as rain. While snow creates a natural reservoir of fresh water, rainfall must be captured.
What steps are being taken to prevent a water crisis?
Read more here: Climate Change May Lead To Water Crisis: What’s The Current Picture?
A Water.org photo series documents water access in six countries worldwide. In many developing and under-developed countries, fresh water collection is tasked to women and young girls, a daily challenge that prevents them from an education.
View the series here: Photos documenting water access for women around the world
Climate change may be to blame for persistent flooding in Egypt’s second-largest city, says the World Bank. The city has been burdened by recent heavy rainfall, five times the normal October total. Officials point to a failing water infrastructure, which has compounded the flooding and has caused at least five deaths.
Officials warn the persistent flooding may also impact agriculture and drinking water. Since Alexandria lies low to sea-level, there is a significant risk for seawater to infiltrate the city’s fresh water system. Without an alternative fresh water resource, the possibility could mean catastrophe for a city already in the midst of a crisis.
Read more here: Egypt: Alexandria flooding may be new norm because of climate change
El Nino is to blame for low rainfall and a shortened rainy season in Vietnam. The water level in the Dau Tieng Reservoir is much lower as a result. Experts warn that 10 million people will be affected if fresh water resources are reduced or shut off. Resources will be prioritized for tap water services first, then aquatic farms, meaning crop farmers (such as rice) to identify other alternatives during the water crisis.
Read more here: Water crisis looms as short monsoon, El Nino hit southern reservoir
A river is becoming a focal point of ongoing tensions between Afghanistan and Iran. The Hari Rud river forms a natural border between the two countries, and serves as a precious resource of potable water. But, Afghan villagers claim Iranian soldiers are preventing them access to the river.
The security of fresh water resources is a top priority in the Middle East, particularly where there is ongoing tension over borders and where there is a dire need for fresh water resources.
Read more here: The rising costs of water: dire consequences for Afghans in battle with Iranians
Women and girls are less likely to have access to education due to the global water crisis. Twenty-three countries have less than 85 girls in school to every 100 boys. In these countries, women and girls are responsible for finding water, spending up to nine times as many hours as men collecting water from streams, ponds or local wells. Very often, the collected water is not potable, leading to illness and disease.
At U.N. week events, water access is a critical component of its Sustainable Development Goals.
Read more here: Why The Global Water Crisis Is A Gender Rights Issue
Just in from our engineering partner, Trident Maritime Systems – IMECO Division – – videos of the WGS-900 producing fresh water at our manufacturing facility in Iron Mountain, Mich.
The WGS-900 will now be sent for certification at an international testing facility.
Check out the videos below:
WGS-900 – Water From the Tap
WGS-900 (Feat. Storage Tank)
