Water Resource Challenges
Freshwater Resource Challenge Description
Population Effect The world's population is growing (6.6 billion people) and because of this, human’s demands of freshwater are growing, as it is a necessity of life. Freshwater sustains life and economic activity
Economic Growth Water is used even more in urban areas than say a rural area. As a result, it is demanded more in the cities as more people tend to shift from rural areas to urban areas for many reasons.
Climate Change Freshwater can be impacted by natural and human forces. Climate changes may cause droughts, floods, sea level's rise or fall, etc.
Ocean Water Resource Challenge Description
Dead Zones When agricultural farmers are farming, they generally use fertilizers as a necessity for growing crops. Farm that lie near rivers tend to have their fertilizers run into the water, which in turn, affects the aquatic life, creating what is known as "Dead Zones".
Plastic Pollution In the Pacific Ocean, the water is polluted with plastic. This is killing all of the aquatic life, as plastic, when eaten, cannot be properly digested. After eating so much plastic, they eventually die of starvation. Plastic can also affect proper breathing holes or lungs as it gets caught there.
Mercury Contamination Mercury affects fish, especially tuna. It can be a lethal amount, either killing the fish, or affecting the person who eats the fish.
Freshwater is a resource used in everyday life activities: drinking, cleaning, cooking, farming, manufacturing, etc. However, with the increasing number of population, so has the significantly increased demand for this resource - as well as global concern. As our numbers grow, our precious resource becomes significantly exhausted. Although we may currently have enough available freshwater, this is not to say that we may soon reach our maximum capacity, and face a bigger challenge than even global warming. From the escalating need for water and growing...