While we tend to focus more on how our atmosphere is changing due to climate change and air pollution, changes to another vital natural resource often goes unnoticed: our water.
Around 70% of our planet is water - that’s around 370 quintillion gallons! Most of this water is saltwater, with less than 3% of our water being drinkable freshwater, only 0.5% of which is accessible (the rest is frozen in ice caps and glaciers). And climate change is posing a significant threat to that precarious 0.5% that the entire world is dependent on.
Firstly, climate change is causing numerous water-related disasters. Rising temperatures are affecting the amount of evaporation as well as the amount of moisture the air can hold, throwing the global hydrological cycle off-balance. This in turn is increasing the severity of both floods and droughts as well as causing more intense and frequent storms. Floods and drought-induced wildfires can cause significant damage to infrastructure as well as the local environment. Tropical storms have a similar effect. The increasing unpredictability of these disasters is threatening the lives of countless people across the planet; in fact, water-related disasters account for 70% of all deaths caused by natural disasters. It is estimated that nearly 2/3 of the world’s population face severe water shortages for at least one month every year. The increasing water scarcity will also threaten our food supply as less and less water becomes available for agriculture.
Another problem we are facing is water pollution in our source water, mainly rivers, lakes, springs and groundwater. Sea level rise due to climate change, combined with flooding, can cause saltwater intrusions and contaminate water sources. Increased runoff from storms can also carry sediment and various other pollutants such pesticides or fertilisers into water sources, particularly rivers and lakes. This degrades the overall quality of the water, which is a huge problem because all of our water comes from these sources; if they become contaminated, so does all the water we take from them, which includes the water that we drink. As less clean water becomes available, people in the poorest parts of the are having to rely more and more on contaminated sources for water. As a result, 6-8 million people suffer from diseases caused by contaminated water, such as cholera, every year.
Some ways to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on our water include the protection of aquatic and wetland ecosystems, including mangroves and salt marshes. These habitats are incredibly effective carbon sinks that not only purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide but also help purify water through the many plants and microorganisms that live in these habitats. Wetlands can also act as a buffer against natural disasters such as flooding, lessening their impacts inland. Adaptation is also needed to adjust to our changing water supplies, which can be done by improving water sanitation systems to make contaminated water safe to consume. Early-warning systems for natural disasters such as flooding can not only reduce the damage caused by such disasters but also save lives by evacuating people to safety. We can also save water to reduce the demand for freshwater by utilising rainwater or grey water (water that has already been used) for some activities such as watering or flushing the toilet. Using water more efficiently in agriculture, such as through drip irrigation, and consuming less meat and crops that require large amounts of water to grow can also significantly decrease our water usage.
Water is called the “liquid of life” for a good reason - every single living organism depends on water for survival. With climate change threatening the entire globe, global cooperation is also needed to protect our precious water supplies.
Credits:
Image - Kontec
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