Explanation:
water stress is used to describe a scenario in which, in a given region, the demand for water is greater than its availability and capacity for renewal. In this type of situation the amount of water available is insufficient to meet the needs of use. A country is considered to be under water stress when water availability is less than 1,700 m 3 per capita per year, according to the UN.
Among the main causes of water stress are: water wastage; population growth and intense urbanization with a consequent increase in the consumption of water for domestic, industrial, agricultural and livestock purposes, among others; water pollution by the discharge of sewage, solid waste, industrial waste and chemical products from agricultural activities; global warming , which directly affects the water cycle ; inequalities in water distribution and poor supply systems.
Water stress can cause water shortages in a number of places. Photo: T.Dallas / Shutterstock.com
Water stress is a reality in many regions of the world and it is estimated that in a short time many other places will be part of this scenario. UN data reveal that by 2025 about two-thirds of the world's population will be living under conditions of water stress. Some regions have even reached the water shortage, such as the Middle East . Among the regions hardest hit by water stress are North Africa , Mediterranean (European and African), Southeast Asia, Northeast China, Australia, United States and Mexico.
Population growth and economic development are the main factors contributing to the increase in water consumption in the world. With this, the amount of water consumed per capita grows more and more, but the amount of this resource on the planet remains unchanged. Most of this economic growth occurs in developing regions, such as Africa and Asia, which already tend to lack water availability. In the case of developed countries, the problem is different: improving living conditions means that per capita water use increases.
With regard to water availability, Brazil is a privileged country, presenting approximately 12% of the world's fresh water. However the distribution of this resource is extremely unequal, with about 68% concentrated in the North region. The Southeast region has only 6% of the country's freshwater reserve. In other words, the most populous regions have the lowest water availability. The Northeast region suffers the most from water stress, since it is the most arid in the country, passing through long periods of drought .
The impacts caused by water stress are many, from environmental and social problems to political and economic ones. It is also worth mentioning the possibility of wars, which had previously occurred only in the case of land, oil or other resources. Possible solutions to avoiding the continuity of the water crisis include the use of technologies that consume less water in irrigation, conscious consumption of water, avoidance of water pollution, waste management and effluent treatment efficiently , improve supply networks, and government action to establish laws and incentives that encourage everyone to realize that water is a limited resource.
References:
Bates, BC et al., Climate Change and Water. Technical Paper of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva: IPCC Secretariat, 2008. 224 p.
Mello, MCS 2010. The water crisis in the world scenario: analysis of its causes, consequences and proposition of solutions that make possible the reversion of this situation. Postgraduate Monograph, Instituto A Vez do Mestre, Cândido Mendes University. Rio de Janeiro.
