Environmental Problem - Water Shortages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Environmental Problem - Water Shortages - Essay Example Jury and Vaux (2007) posited that if the present rate of water consumption continues, the situation of water shortage will only get worse. They went on to postulate that by the year 2025, over two-thirds of the world’s population will most likely be faced with the challenge of water shortages. The world’s ecosystems will also be significantly affected as a result of the shortages. Water pollution comes from many sources, and this renders the water unusable or reduces the amount available for use. Ocean litter, for instance, from landfills blowing into the streams, containers from ships in the course of storms, and trash that normally washes off city streets end up in the ocean. While in the ocean, this debris undergoes decomposition slowly over the years leading to accumulation in large patches and washing on the beaches (Kundzewicz & Kaczmarek, 2000). Pesticides and fertilizers that are used in firms mostly end up in water sources. According to Chaturvedi (2000), the u se of these substances in crop production has increased substantially and is largely due to the increased demand for food production to sustain the increasing human population. While can argue that pesticides and fertilizers are used for noble causes, their effects on the environment are quite devastating. Indiscriminate application of these chemicals ends up polluting not only the lands where they are used but also water sources as they are washed into the nearby streams and waterways (Chaturvedi, 2000).