Water, a vital resource that both the ecosystem and the society depend upon is never to be taken for granted. Unfortunately, the satisfaction of water resources isn't only limited to any water we see; it has to be clean, safe, and reliable for drinking.
Also, water is the primary medium by which the overwhelming impact of climate change is felt. Yes, records show that water availability is coming to be less and less predictable; this includes many regions, increasing the contaminated water sources, sanitation procedures including erecting the facilities to be used, and destruction of water points.
From differing regions, droughts are immensely hitting water availability, and it has an impact on people’s health and productivity. While it is reliable that everyone has access to sustainable water and clean water, it is relevant to be able to identify the problem, though picking up solutions would make much sense to every sane person.
Other areas of need for water resources like agriculture, energy, manufacturing, navigation, recreation, and the product has to be suitable for the intended usage. Sadly, in meeting the global demand for this, unprecedented pressure has been mounted on water, and this pressure is likely to be exacerbated by climate change.
Right now, in some regions, most regions, climate change could be responsible for an increase in water demand and limiting the supply of water. You will agree with me that this isn't a balance. This imbalance would no doubt set a challenge ahead for water managers to meet the demands of many communities, manufacturers, a sensitive ecosystem, energy producers, and farmers.
In sharp contrast, having a supply of less water will never be a big deal, but they have to wrestle with an increase; flooding, runoff, or an increase in sea level rise are significant challenges they would have to overcome. The result of these events would impact the quality of water, and disrupt the infrastructure used in the transporting and delivery of water.
To solve the problem of climate change, it is essential that you build climate change resilience via water management and ecosystems. As you read in this essay, always bear these:
Climate resilience is being reinforced via good ecosystem services that are resting on the accurate-functioning river basins.
Climate change leads to direct aftermath conflict and water security.
Climate change presents itself mainly via changes in the water cycle. Then, as climate changes, melting glaciers, sea-level rise, droughts, intensify storms, floods, and then do not leave behind unfortunate consequences.
An effective country-driven climate change adaptation technique must at all costs reflect the vitality of water management in limiting vulnerability and constructing climate resilience.
If climate change adaptation would be applied to acquire Sustainable Development Goals, building climate resilience is paramount.
This real issue is that water and water which serve as the fragile balance that exists between precipitation and evaporation is the main cycle via climate change is experienced. At present, just 3% of the planet’s water is freshwater, and in fact, two-thirds is being seen in both polar ice and glaciers. Worse yet, ensuring the safety of water for the global population has a higher that is highly demanding since it is set to get to about 10 billion by the end of 2050.
Knowing why it is vital is highly essential. Because currently, there exist a lot of stakes. In a 2015 verification of world crisis by The World Economic Forum, as to what disaster would have the most significant impact of damaging both economic and social implications with no country nor sector out of the forecast, the Water crisis tops this list- It can’t be more alarming than it is. If we have to live with the rapid changing of the climate, it would also translate to us battling with the impact on water. Regardless of the size, large or small. Also, it will have an expanded impact on how labile communities and economies are.
For a discussion of water security in this essay, we will see how the direct impact has meant sad consequences on freshwater resources. Going to current research that 4.8 billion people will be at risk of water stress before the end of 2050. The effort of water management is appreciated because it has assisted in driving transboundary cooperation, which entails one of the prominent aspects, water resilience. Also, it has expanded its coast by limiting the risk of a dispute between the countries that are being affected by the situation.
However, regardless of how dangerous and evil the consequences could be. There are varying ways that could be rendered. This essay will address options that will make the community better equipped in wrestling with disasters and any shock that will emanate from them. Solutions like a nature-based solution, where the use of mangroves, to prevent shorelines from running into storms, resist flooding plans to retain excess runoff, to disable lakes from storing large water supplies, will be discussed as you read on.
Climate resilience, which is another exciting part to help strengthen the healthy ecosystem will be explained too. We will see the four components, diversity, knowledge, learning, capital, innovation, and self-organization will not escape my mention.
Lastly, as you read, you will come to see how water plays an adorable role in how the world at large carries out mitigation, and how it adapts to the effect. Although, there you will also see an integrated way of limiting the risk which would protect us from some of the grievous challenges.
To begin with, the water cycle and water demand are going to be the next sub-heading; how the water cycle is being impacted by climate change. Can’t wait to start reading? Okay, let's the journey down.
Water Demand And Water Cycle.
As previously briefed, the water cycle is a fragile balance of precipitation, evaporation, and all the processes in between it. And with the advent of climate change which leads to warmer temperatures increases the speed of vaporization of water back into the atmosphere. This hold to suggest that there will be more water in the atmosphere since the capacity of the atmosphere has been increased. This will mean to opposite thing for regions existing. Some will experience excess precipitation while for some, there will be drought.
The water cycle is an important phenomenon that enables water to circulate via the planet’s atmosphere and all available waterways which will reduce the quest of struggling with life and instead makes stability and growth on earth possible and beautiful.
The changes in the rate of rainfall during storms provide undeniable evidence that the water cycle is drastically changing. In the United States, for example, more than half a decade ago, the rate of precipitation increased the number of rainfall events. Even in the Upper Great Plains, Midwest, and Northeast, there experience an increase. Additionally, warming temperature has also led to more precipitation falling in the form of rain instead of dropping like snow. Moreover, the rising heat has led to storms starting to melt more rapidly in the first quarter of the year. And what does this result into? It impacts the timing of streamflow that occurs in rivers whose origin streams from the mountainous region.
With this temperature increase, the demand for water and animals becomes more demanding; it is needed for maintaining good health and for sustenance. Several economic activities require water. But sadly, the amount of water available may be reduced as the earth warms and the demand becomes more excessive.
Furthermore, science-proven often that climate change impacts every part of the ecosystem, and the water cycle is no exemption. Why? It is merely because every single step is highly reliant on temperature, and any slight change in one cuts across all others. As the world’s temperature own progressively increased at their rates many thousands of years ago. This is majorly affecting water vapor concentrations, stream flow patterns, clouds, and precipitation patterns - all these are part of the water cycle.
But you might want to know in what long ways has climate change impacted the water cycle. Water evaporates from the land and sea and will find its way back to earth in two forms, rain, and snow. The rapid changes in the climates alter this process, the cycle, even further. The air temperature increases and leads to more and more evaporation of water into the air. As more vapor is being held in the atmosphere, warmer air would, therefore, lead to more rainstorms leading to flooding in coastal communities around the entire globe.
More to the point. This change results in different areas of experiences from stronger regions. Aside from the rain and drought explained earlier, there will be changes regarding dry air in some parts and stronger storms in some areas.
To simplify your understanding of how climate change impacts the water cycle, I’m going to break down the process into four stages.
Stage I: The increased temperature will lead to more evaporation from both the sea and land into the atmosphere.
Stage II: This makes the air gets warmer, letting it hold more vapor, leading to more intense rainstorms.
Stage III: In the third stage, the increase in rainstorms heightens the occurrence of flooding. Then, water runs into streams and rivers making it not do dampen soil the sufficiently way.
Stage IV: All these combined, increase the risk of drought.
Although little has been said about how climate change influences water demand, there is still much to be discussed about the topic. Let's understand this from water demand management’s perspective.
Water demand is understood as the demand for several services which include drinking water, navigation, protection in case of storms, and irrigation. In a nutshell, the basic idea of water management is water security. The stress of a country as regards water demand is when the per capita water availability is below 1,000m3 per year based on actual runoff. And this figure entails the water needed for drinking, food production, and industry. Although, regrettably, the population in this category ranges from 1.4 billion to 2.1 billion.
But, water demand management itself can be explained and described as any practical method either through the adoption of institutional, financial, economic, or technical to accomplish these simple water demand tasks:
Limit the quantity or quality of water demanded to achieve a specific task
Alter the timing of use from peak to off-peak period.
Adjust the nature of the job so much water will not be used and lower quality water will be used.
Ensuring that there will be enough what for the member of the public to use when the water is available in little supply.
Limit the quality and quantity of water significantly as it flows from the source through the use of disposal.
Currently, several tools and strategies are being employed in enabling water-use efficiency, equitable, sustainable practices, and policies used although this would mean a restructuring in the way water is being used from varying angles, especially in the areas of agriculture.
Water demand in a sense is an efficient way to meet up with the current challenge of water demand that leads to water scarcity and with the continual impact of the climate, it will become more intensified. Water demand management also improves the resilience of society and how preparations are made in combating the problem.
Some of the water demand management is to ensure that campaigns for water economy at the both industrial and household level, include economy in water use, pricing, and some restrictions on users. It doesn't exclude some limits. For example, some farmers might be restricted to a particular form of irrigation employed.
Summarily, water demand and the water cycle are being severely affected by climate change, but the provision of water demand management would assist in curbing some of water demand’s issues, thereby restoring the natural water cycle.
Since the demand for water is affected by climate change, the water supply will undoubtedly suffer this same thing. Other analyses, which will be discussed further indicate that the alteration in the groundwater would be higher than the changes in the precipitation.
Take, for instance, areas where there exists annual rainfall that has a 20% increase due to climate change; there is the likelihood that at 40% the groundwater (water available in the ground) would have again. Alternatively, the reduction in rainfall will have more impact on the underground. For example, a 20% decrease in precipitation will result in a 70% decrease in the amount of water recharging local aquifers. Will this not mean a devastating blow in both arid and semi-arid regions? It will.
However, it should be noted, that some conditions will play their part, and though complex they are essential factors. Take, for example; they include the type of soil, the type of vegetation, and the duration and timing of rainfall events. Thereby there will be a need for a more comprehensive study in each location since no two places will have similar problems or conditions.