The Water Sustainability Problem, Research Paper Example

Part 1

Observations

Water used for domestic purposes is desalinated from the surrounding water masses. UAE, like many other gulf states, consists of mostly arid lands. According to Brown, Das, and Al-Saidi (2018), water is a scarce resource in the United Arab Emirates. The neighboring countries similarly experience water shortage. The available water resources are mainly used for domestic and essential industrial operations in factories and processing plants. Since the UAE’s leading economic stay is not agriculture, water for irrigation is not a key demand.

The technology of supplying a stable flow of clean water to major cities and towns in the UAE is highly effective. Provision of clean drinking water for every commercial building form part of the legislation for the department of urban planning. As researched by Walia, Brigi, Odeh, Maree & Yarub (2019), a large percentage of people in the UAE rely on tap water for drinking and domestic use.

Factors that Lead to Water Scarcity in UAE

The location of UAE falls mostly in the arid parts of the earth except for the coastal lines and a few forested areas. This means limited rainfall, low precipitation, and insufficient groundwater table with challenges of desalination. According to Odhiambo (2017), the Arabian Peninsula consists of only 1.1% of the total water mass on earth yet ranks high in the urban population.

The UAE is the new commercial capital of the world. It offers a pleasant business environment with good investor incentives. This has naturally attracted a vast population that puts pressure on water resources.

Another critical factor is the wastage of water resources. The government has put in subsidies on water resources effectively, bringing its cost down. Consumers have not been keen on conserving water thence straining its limited sources.

Impact of Water Scarcity

There should be proper legislation to map and quantify the available water resources. This includes underground water, rainwater and rivers, and oceans. With this data in place, the support can be distributed in a scientific formula to make economic sense. Water for domestic use, irrigation, and industrial use should be supplied in the required form. Water management companies should be set up to manage supply, maintenance, and collect proceeds from consumers.

Water is life. Lack of access to clean drinking water for domestic use will an unhealthy and weak workforce. This will be the source of dangerous diseases like cholera, typhoid, bacterial infection, and COVID 19.

Environmental conservation largely depends on the availability of water. Destroyed water towers cause rivers to dry up and loss of other trees and vegetation. The trees are responsible for more rain and the prevention of soil erosion. Dried up forests disrupt the natural ecosystem to support the animal food chain leading to the death of wild animals.

Part 2

Background

The environmental changes, which include deforestation, global warming, and water pollution impact on the availability and sustainable water resources. These environmental factors lead to drying up of water sources, massive flooding that sweeps away water conservation and distribution infrastructure as well as enormous pollution that increases the cost of hygienic water for domestic use.

Human activities, legislation, and policy on water use and conservation determine whether adequate water resources will be available for use or not. Economic decisions like the use of water for industrial irrigation and production of hydropower also determine the availability of this scarce resource for use.

Research Findings

Voluntary initiatives to conserve the environment will protect the available water resources. Planting of trees and conservation of water towers, soil erosion prevention, and prevention of water pollution will guarantee a steady supply of water resources.

There should be an established water use policy to allocate which sources are used for domestic use, industrial irrigation, and hydropower generation. Elaborate water harvesting and storage mechanisms should be put in place to realize economic gains.

Consumers should be trained in water conservation, storage, and usage practices. They should be taught that water is life and that their very existence depends on how they manage the scarce resource.

Reflection and Recommendations

There should be regular schedules for tree planting every year and support of environmental conservation efforts around the world. Every homestead should have a water storage facility to include water tanks, underground storage facilities, and a local level to utilize dams and weirs.

The government should empower responsible authorities to manage water facilities for economic gains. This will include protection from pollution, allocation schedule, and industrial plans for water resources. They should manage water as a commercial activity, and the proceeds used to promote factors of water sustainability. Sensitization programs on water resources should be rolled out to target domestic and industrial users.

Conclusion

Water is life, and clean water is scarce. The greatest threat to water resources is human beings. Thus, every effort should be made to ensure the sustainability of this limited resource.

References

Brown, J. J., Das, P., & Al-Saidi, M. (2018). Sustainable agriculture in the Arabian/Persian Gulf region utilizing merginal water resources: Making the best of a bad situation. Sustainability, 10(5), 1364.

Odhiambo, G. O. (2017). Water scarcity in the Arabian Peninsula and socio-economic implications. Applied Water Science, 7(5), 2479-2492.