For obvious reasons, more focus is being directed at the state of the worlds water supply.  Water, our most valuable resource, has been misused and poorly managed for quite some time, resulting in shortages across the globe.  The worlds population has doubled in the past sixty years, jumping from three billion in 1950 to about six billion today.  Global water usage, however, is three times higher than it was in 1950, and about two billion people live in areas with significant water shortages today.  The trend of moving from rural locations to urban areas has brought to light the fact that many of the worlds major cities have insufficient water and sewage infrastructures.

Agricultural activities use the majority of the worlds fresh water supply.  This industry definitely needs to have an adequate supply of water, but much of the fresh water used for irrigating crops is wasted, and better conservation procedures need to be implemented.  One of the problems in hot and dry areas is evaporation of irrigation water, and uncontrolled water runoff is a problem in the more temperate zones.

Crops can grow and thrive just as well with non-potable water as with fresh water, but new developments for safe non-potable irrigation water need to be researched.  More attention is being channelled to these areas, and the desired result is that more fresh water will be diverted to urban areas surrounding agricultural locations.  Experts report that water used for agriculture can feasibly be reduced by up to fifty percent.

The International Water Management Institute announced that it is increasingly apparent that governments worldwide need to take action to assist with the water shortages across the globe.  Water and sewage infrastructures, protection of the wetlands that act as water storage areas, the effects of tourism on water supplies, common habits that lead to water being wasted, and investigations into causes of water contamination are some of the topics that all nations need to examine to determine current procedures and possible improvement strategies.

In countries experiencing large swells in population along with water shortages, there have been some improvements in the area of water management.  Billions of dollars have been invested by China, Algeria, and Saudi Arabia to improve current water systems and determine opportunities for water management development.  Saudi Arabia has contracted work for replacing water pipelines and pinpointing necessary water management improvements, while the Chinese government has contracted work for building and improving water systems in addition to researching ways to treat and recycle water efficiently.  The Algerian governments focal point is desalination plants.

The world is beginning to realise the importance of paying attention to current and impending water problems.  As governments across the globe recognise the need for action to correct years of water mismanagement, we can begin to protect the future of the worlds fresh water supply.

About the Author:

Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about gas boiler, central heating, Bradford plumbers, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Saving the Worlds Water Supply

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