Just a Few More Sips: Problems of Water Scarcity Around the World

          Generally speaking, water shortages have become a serious problem in some countries around the world, and they could worsen if proper action is not taken. To begin with, lack of water has become a serious issue in La Paz, Bolivia. People living there have recently transitioned into a post-water world, where water is not easily accessible and cannot be wasted (Kaufman 39). La Paz is located high in the mountains and relied mostly on glacier runoff as a source of water. When the glacier dried up completely, the people in turn ran out of water, and the government declared a state of emergency. La Paz is working towards solutions to this disaster, and so far they have a few ideas. They plan to build a larger reservoir and to divert water from a stream, but the reservoir could take years to fill and the stream is a source for farmers; both of these solutions come with drawbacks of their own. In short, coming up with solutions for one region alone is not enough; people all over the world need to work to preserve water.
          In California, similar events are taking place. To start, California has always been arid, and people have had to transport water where they wanted it for years. Sometimes water needs to be transported for hundreds of miles before it reaches its destination, which potentially deprives other ecosystems; this is a possible environmental drawback ("California Water Issues"). Similarly, water is used for agriculture, industry, and personal needs, and so many needs and so few sources make sustainability very difficult. About 50% of California's people live in southern California, which has less than 5% of all the water resources in California ("California Water Issues"). With all of the water shortages, people have been forced to become more efficient. Waste water is recycled immediately for use and gray water is pumped underground in hopes of replenishing aquifers. In all, people need to be made more aware of the issues water scarcity presents so more actions can be taken.
          A lack of water is also becoming a widespread issue in the Middle East. First of all, the Middle East is a habitually dry region that needs large amounts of water for farming. This is unsustainable because much of the water used in agriculture is wasted. At the same time, water shortages will not be solved without cooperation between countries. A war in Syria was started because of the lack of water, and terrorist groups, such as ISIS, have controlled water as a means of threatening people. Even with all of the negative effects of a lack of water, good things can rise as well. Israel has been forced to work on precision agriculture and new methods of obtaining fresh water, such as salinization (Popely). In conclusion, these are just some of the areas in the world that are experiencing the effects of water shortages. The rest of the world is soon to follow, and if proper action is not taken, the entire world could be living in a post-water society.

Works Cited

“California Water Issues.” Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society, ABC-CLIO, 2017,
          issues.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/2064336. Accessed 23 May 2017.

Kaufman, Leslie. “High and Dry.” Popular Science, vol. 2/6, Mar.-Apr. 2017, pp. 38-46.

Popely, Joe. “Symposium Tackles Water Scarcity in the Middle East.” Northwestern Now,
          Northwestern, 8 May 2017, news.northwestern.edu/stories/2017/may/symposium-tackles-
          water-scarcity-in-the-middle-east/.