The Feasibility of Different Techniques for Providing Fresh Water to Arid Regions in the World

The feasibleness of polar techniques for providing new(a) weewee to dried-out regions in the world 1. 0 launching Water is the just about valuable and indispensable resource for all forms of life. passel need it for every activity domestic use, kitchen-gardening and industry. Access to fresh piddle is regarded as a universal human right (United Nations delegacy in Economics, Social and Cultural Rights, 2003). Drought has become an increasingly authoritative problem in many parts of the world. Water scarcity is most common in desiccate and semiarid regions of the world, which cover mavin 3rd of the Earths land surface (Smallwood, 2011).UNESCO and the Italian Ministry for the Environment and dominion (IMET) ingest launched The Water Programme for Africa, Arid and Water Scarce Zones, which seeks to set up the potential management of pee resources to protect the fragile environment of water scarce regions. Additionally, limited fresh water resources obtainable in these regions argon also threatened with deterioration in quality due to hydrological changes. The tender water in arid regions atomic number 18 often restricted to groundwater. grow flows are usually limited to flash floods due to short length and high intensity rainfall events.The purpose of this report to describe the feasibility of different techniques for providing fresh water to arid region, like Africa. Firstly, this report depart consider the background to this problem and then it leave behind compare and break down two water provision methods in Africa, desalination and dams. Finally, this report will offer some recommendations. 2. 0 Background Water is not unless a physical resource in every culture it is pass out among social, spiritual, political and environmental meanings. So, solving the water problem means maturate across all of these phylogenesiss.This is mostly relevant in countries with no recurrent rivers, streams, or permanent surface fresh water. Also, pe ople in arid regions are uniquely vulnerable to economic and social changes. Achieving sustainable groomment has dramatic implications for reducing poverty and hunger. Today, gazillions of people still lack entre to basic sanitation and every year many of them die from diseases tie in with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene. According to The Water Project statistics, intimately 1 out of every 5 deaths under the age of 5 is due to water-related disease, much(prenominal) as cholera, diarrhoea and malari.Current predictions (UNWWAP, 2003) show that to a greater extent than 20 developing countries will experience water shortage by 2025. or so of this countries are found in Africa and the mall East. 2. 1 Water problems in Africa Water problems mostly take place in Africa, where it is predicted that 300 million people are affected by water shortages. (UNWWAP, UNESCO 2003) The University of Cape town studied that climate change ease up a huge concern on Africa. For example, rain shortages have already caused many problems there.In East Africa more than 3 million people face hunger this year, because there hasnt been any rain for three month. (BBC, 2011) Most people in Africa animated in rural areas and they are still dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. Internal renewable freshwater resources average about 3 950 km3 per year. This amounts to about 10 per cent of the freshwater resources available globally and closely resembles Africas share of the world population at 12 per cent (Donkor, 2003). threesome of four Africans use the ground water as their main water supply.The ground water is not always available, it accounts for lonesome(prenominal) 15% of the unmingleds water. Perhaps the greatest cause of Africas problem of a lack water is that they cant effectively utilize its resources. about 4 trillion cubic meters of water is available every year, and only 4% of that is used. The continent and people lack the technical knowle dge and monetary resources. In Africa is the greatest percentage of people lacking access to harmless drinking water, there are 25 nations in the world and 19 are in Africa. The global challenge, 2011) So adequate management of its water resources is crucial for the future of the African continent. 3. 0 Comparison of Options 3. 1 Dams In meeting critical water needs, there is some alternative technologies, such as dams and desalination. According to ICOLD (International Commission on Large Dams), a enormous dam is dam with the height of 15 m or more. regional inventories include nearly 1300 large and medium-size dams in Africa, 40 % of them are determined in South Africa. Most of these were constructed in past 30 years, the sympathy is rising demand for water from growing population.The majority of dams in Africa have been constructed to facilitate irrigation (52%) and to supply water to municipalities (20%). Although only 6% of dams were built primarily for electricity generat ion, hydroelectric forefinger accounts for more than 80% of total power generation in 18 African countries. Only 1% of African dams have been constructed to provide flooding control, according to the World Commission on Dams. Sudans president, Omar al-Bashir, is so proud of the new Merowe dam in the north of his country. Costing $1. billion, it will produce 1,250 megawatts and create a lake 108 miles long, above the Niles fourth cataract. (The Economist, 2010) However, if dam construction is predicted, then not only technically feasible options should be considered, but also economical viability, social word sense and environment stability. 3. 2 Desalination In Africa, where water shortages are in particular severe, desalination technology has been developed to a point where it can service as a reliable water source at a price almost comparable to that of the conventional sources.Desalination techniques are one of the available tools to avoid stressing freshwater resources. Nev ertheless, they should always be considered as just one of the components of an integrated water resources management process developed in community with water conservation strategies (UNESCWA). South Africa is considering a major desalination course of study for its coastal cities. Cornelius Ruiters, deputy directorgeneral of national water resources and infrastructure, told GWI that At the moment, less than 1% of our water comes from desalination. We need to increase that by 7% and 10% by 2030.We are mostly dependent on surface water, and there is simply a limit to that we need to diversify our mix. The cities of Cape Town and Ethekwini (Durban) are at the beginning of investigating desalination, but not decision have yet been taken on what technology would be used. Ruiters told We have to get word all the options, both financial and technological, and look what are they doing in the Middle East, Singapore and China. Public private partnerships are a possibility. (Global Water intelligence, 2009) 4. 0 Conclusion and RecommendationDeveloping suitable policy and management system is essential to break the value obtained from fresh water resources. This includes interventions to strengthen governance, rectify knowledge and randomness systems including data collection and monitoring and evaluation, enhance human and institutional capacity, develop IWRM systems which focus on catchment and basins as the management unit, and mainstream gender. Cooperation and partnership, between multiple stakeholders and at multiple levels, from the local to the sub-regional to the regional, are at the core of successful interventions.These responses should improve the opportunities to meet urgent needs for potable water, sanitation, irrigation and hydropower, among others. A critical egression that will need to be addressed systematically in Africa is financing. reference list UNESCO. (2004-2006). Water Program. Available http//unesdoc. unesco. org. 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