The problem of water pollution has been known since ancient times, as stories of water pollution appear even in the Holy Scriptures. This problem is local, regional and global.
“A country with water problems is the beat of a heart fighting for its existence”
Of the total on the planet, only 3% is fresh water. But of this percentage, the majority (79%) is in the form of ice (so is not available for use) and the rest is in liquid form: in the form of groundwater (20%) and only the remaining 1%, as surface water. But these resources are not inexhaustible. We must take into account that the ability to use the scarce percentage of available water is significantly limited due to the incessant changes in our civilization, which inevitably lead to its deterioration and scarcity.
Fresh water is the most important renewable resource, but humanity is depleting and polluting it faster than it needs to be replenished. In fact, the agglomerations in large cities, the improvement in the quality of life, the rapid industrial development, the increase in tourism and agriculture, leisure activities, among others. They cause this small proportion to be naturally reduced and its composition to be noticeably changed. Making matters worse, the water cycle is becoming less predictable as climate change alters established temperature patterns around the world.
This results in the great importance of comprehensive use of the available fresh water and maintaining its quality under optimal conditions for its use.
Pollution in the water
Pollution is the action and effect of introducing materials or forms of energy or creating conditions in water that directly or indirectly result in a detrimental change in its quality in relation to subsequent uses or ecological function.
This pollution of both surface and groundwater (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, aquifers and sea) is a product of human activities; As a result, substances are added to the water that do not correspond to its composition, thus changing its quality. This contamination originates from various factors such as:
1) Pathogens: Bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasites that enter the water via organic waste.
2) Oxygen-requiring waste: Organic waste can be decomposed by bacteria, which biodegrade it using oxygen. When there are large populations of these bacteria, they can deprive the water of oxygen, killing aquatic life.
3) Inorganic chemical substances: Acids, compounds of toxic metals (mercury, lead), poison the water.
4) Plant nutrients: They can lead to overgrowth of aquatic plants, which then die and decompose, depleting oxygen in the water and leading to the death of marine species (dead zone).
5) Organic chemicals: petroleum, plastic, pesticides, cleaning products that are dangerous to life.
6) Sediments or Suspended Solids: Insoluble soil particles that cloud water and are the largest source of pollution.
7) Radioactive Substances: These can cause birth defects and cancer.
Water pollution is one of the most important factors that disrupt the harmony between man and the environment, not only in the immediate but also in the medium and long term; Therefore, preventing and combating this pollution is currently a priority need.
Any pollutants contained in wastewater would cause serious environmental problems if discharged directly into an unpolluted waterway. For this reason, it is necessary that they are treated before discharge in order to reduce their pollutant load as much as possible and that they are within the limits considered appropriate.
Water pollution problems focus on both quality and quantity. The community must be aware of the importance of its “quality” and the same community must be responsible for its care and preservation.
Take the case of arsenic in water. Death in the form of arsenic threatens approximately 140 million people around the world who unknowingly drink water contaminated to a greater or lesser extent by arsenic.
According to a study presented by the Royal Geographical Society of the United Kingdom, water intended for human consumption in more than 70 countries worldwide is found to contain high concentrations of arsenic, posing huge risks to public health.
In fact, in the population centers where higher concentrations of arsenic have been detected in water intended for human consumption, a significant increase in pulmonary, cardiovascular and neurological, dermatological and – even more serious – diseases of various kinds has been observed.
Water is becoming the biggest geopolitical conflict of the 21st century
By 2025, demand for this vital element to human life is expected to be 56% higher than supply… and those who own water could be the target of forced looting.
The problem is that water is a resource that is taken for granted in many places, it is very scarce for the 1.1 billion people who do not have access to drinking water, to which should be added another 2.4 billion people who do not have access to hygiene.
More than 2.2 million residents of underdeveloped countries, most of them children, die each year from diseases related to lack of drinking water, adequate sanitation and hygiene.
In addition, almost half of the inhabitants of developing countries suffer from diseases caused directly or indirectly by consumption of contaminated water or food or by pathogenic organisms that develop from water contamination. With enough clean water and adequate sanitation, the incidence of some diseases and deaths could be reduced by up to 75 percent.
In most regions, the problem is not the lack of fresh drinking water, but rather the poor management and distribution of water resources and their methods. Most freshwater is used for agriculture, while a significant portion is lost in irrigation.
This resource is such a necessary commodity that it could become a subject of political contention if viewed purely as a business: dams, irrigation canals, purification and desalination technologies, sewage systems and wastewater treatments. Water bottling should not be forgotten as it is a business whose profits exceed the pharmaceutical industry.
The origin of this commercialization of water must be sought in November 2001, when natural resources as well as health and education became the subject of negotiations at the WTO (World Trade Organization). The ultimate goal is to liberalize public services by 2005. What sounds dry and boring can be simplified: what was previously regulated by the state will become a free commercial market. In this context, two scenarios are likely: Territorial appropriation: This could be done through the purchase of land containing natural resources (water, biodiversity); A military conflict cannot be ruled out either.
This last hypothesis takes us to the last war in Iraq (March 2003) and the appropriation of Iraqi resources by major American oil companies. It is not excluded that with this war they wanted to control the water resources of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers – powerful rivers in one of the driest areas of the planet.
Water is a gift that nature has given to life and to each of us. Our body consists of 70% water. Because it is all of these things, water is one of the greatest metaphors for the divine that is within us and in the universe, and for the sacredness of all life.
How can you take care of them and not fight for them? . www.
* Cristian Frers – Senior Environmental Management Technician and Senior Social Communications Technician
