Water Is Vital To All Known Life

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Only 0.31% of total water circulates in the hydrologic cycle each year.  Water circulating in the atmosphere takes only 9 days, in ground water 10-1000 years, and in the Antarctic ice cap 10,000 years (although this could be increasing because of climate change).   Rivers, lakes, and streams compose 0.017% of the total water on earth; groundwater 0.62%, icecaps and glaciers, 2.15%, and the atmosphere, 0.001%.  Of the total amount of water on earth the oceans compose 97.2%. About 99% of the world fresh water is difficult to use so we rely on the most accessible: rivers, streams, and lakes and to a lesser degree groundwater.   

The distribution of freshwater resources across the world is uneven. creates water shortages and water contamination problems. Without water the average human being can survive for about thre days.  Severe dehydration leads to the loss of blood volume (the water portion) in the cardiovascular system.  This in turns leads to inadequate oxygen perfusion in living tissue.  There is not enough blood volume to transport all the oxygen needed.  Eventually the person becomes comatose, brain damage occurs, and the person dies.  In wealthy parts of the world, people turn on a faucet an out comes clean water.  Yet 1 billion people have no access to clean water and 3 billion people have no safe way to dispose of human waste.  The combination of a weak supply and poor sanitation results in approximately 3 million water related deaths per year.

Worldwide most freshwater withdrawals is used for agriculture, with domestic and industrial second. Agriculture use three types of water: precipitation, irrigation, and irrigation from gray water.  Almost two-thirds of our water freshwater is used to grow food to feed an exploding world population that adds 90 million people per year.  Irrigated agriculture provides 40% of the world’s food and consumes 75% of the world’s freshwater resources; up to 95% in some developing countries.  Evapotranspiration is the dominate loss mechanism for water is most systems.  In Africa 80% of the water is loss by evaporation and transpiration. In the "Western United States", an estimated one-third to one-half of the water diverted for irrigation is lost between the source and point of use.  Irrigation relies on groundwater and surface water.  Groundwater occurs when water recharges the subsurface through cracks and pores in soil and rocks.  Groundwater recharge is critical for long-term stability of a regions water supply.  Not all areas allow for recharge that is equal to the use. Hence, in many parts of the world groundwater is being withdrawn quicker than it is being recharged.  This is due to irrigation practices to produce food and overpopulation.  The end result is less water availability, less food, and subsequently more hunger and starvation particularly in African countries.  

Human pop. growth and it's standard of living are measured by a country’s GNP (Gross National Product).  There is a correlation between water and GNP. Food security is affected by water availability which impacts the GNP. In countries where 20% of the population live with the highest GNP per capita have only 5% of their population live without access to clean water. Conversely, 20% of the population that lives in countries with the lowest GNP per capita has 30% of their population living in areas without access to clean water. The increase in basic needs like education, foods, health care, shelter, clean and piped water, and water drainage facilities have increased the GNP. Over the next 50 years we will double the demand for water in Agriculture. The increasing population on earth is putting a demand on water resources via both direct consumption and to a far larger degree, indirect consumption in food and other products. Water demand combined with uneven supplies creates availability issues that limit the supply of water to 1 billion people in Africa and Asia.  By 2025 more than ½ of the world population will be facing water-based issues and hunger.  

We are 55 to 78% water and its a major part of everything we do.  In the US water consumed per day per person averages between 2-4 L, domestic use 40-400 L, and food production 1000-5000 L.  Most would say this is too much! The increasing population on earth is putting increasing demands on are small freshwater supply. The drought this summer in Indiana brought into focus the impact of diminished water supplies and its impact on food production.  Regionally water supplies are down and the Western United States is constantly plagued by water distribution and use issues. Globally we are looking at a growing problem coupled with expanding population in underdeveloped countries.   The key will be to educate and make people aware of this dwindling natural resource.