Declining water resources and looming crisis

The United Nations has warned that unless something dramatic is done, the world will fall short of water by 40 per cent in the next 15 years. It has held changing pattern of rainfall, underground water reserve and population growth responsible for the danger. The UN report warned, this will affect both agriculture and industry. It called upon all governments and communities to review their water policy and augment their water reserves.  
On the other hand, WHO informs that thousands of children across the world die of contaminated water every year and in many cases, mothers drinking contaminated water give birth to crippled babies. We see animals drinking dirty water from canals and drains and shudder to think what would happen to us if we are made to drink such water, although possibility of a similar situation can not be ruled out altogether. There are places in the world where water is costlier than oil. Quality of drinking water and production of crop is declining.
In a few years from now people will start hating their water resources. Industrial waste coming out of mills and factories are damaging animals including human beings. Plantation is also being affected. Insecticides and chemical fertilizers are mingling into rivers and canals. As a result, aquatic animals, including fish, are under threat.
On the other hand, we are chopping trees and filling the water bodies to construct buildings and setting up mills and factories indiscriminately in the name of urbanisation and industrialisation. Consequently, quality and quantity of water in the world is declining. On the other hand, wastage is on the rise, necessitating adoption of laws for preservation of water resources on an urgent basis.
The water experts are of the opinion that in the next four decades our underground water reserves will drop by a large margin, triggering a serious water crisis. As it is, volume of our arable land is limited which will be further reduced due to the water crisis, thus affecting production of crops. Environmentalists of national and international repute have been expressing their concern in this regard.
According to a study team constituted with internationally reputed scientists, underground water reserve will decline by 38 per cent in the next 40 years. Amount of rainfall will decrease on one hand and time length of rainy season will also shrink. There will be hardly any rainfall in other seasons except monsoon. In addition, in stead of having rainfall all over the year, we shall have rainfall concentrated in a short period of time. The soil will not have enough time to absorb the water. As a result, water reserve under ground will decline and level of water will go down further causing erosion of land.  
Scientists fear that there is a possibility of rise in world temperature by 0.5 degree Celsius. Water flow in large rivers will decline affecting production of crops.
A largely circulated daily published from Australia reports, a population of 1100 to 3200 million will be confronted with extreme water crisis by 2080. At the same time, 200 to 600 million people will be gripped by famine. If the present trend of global warming continues up to 2080, the ice or glacier region will decay causing a rise in the height of sea level. Thousands of homesteads will be submerged under the sea. Even the great barrier reef known as world's largest bio resource, will be extinct.
According to the scientists at the National Research Centre for Geosciences of Germany, a serious famine will engulf the world as a result of global warming and human civilization may be destroyed. Citing the examples of the past, the German scientists maintained that alongside extinction of great barrier reef, the coral wall will be destroyed and sea water will be oxidised.  
Climate change has already become a headache for the world leaders. The members of the inter country research organisation on climate change (IPCC) are meeting frequently to find out the reasons thereof. They are doing so because it is related to water level. According to IPCC sources, the following will happen:
a. due to downward slide in water level, an acute water crisis will emerge particularly in Asia by 2050;
b. water temperature in the sea will rise in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan;
c. malaria, dengue and cholera bacteria will spread further;
d. at least 4 kilometres of ice in Tibet shall disappear;
e. sea water level shall increase and submerge mangrove forests;
f. coral wall of Asia shall be destroyed in 30 years; and
g. a disaster shall occur on the tectonic plate under the sea.
There are noticeable initiatives in many countries on new methods of using limited amount of water in agriculture. Greenhouse technology is one of these methods.
The importance of a marsh or swamp can hardly be over-emphasised. As per declaration of the environmentalists, a marsh or swamp is the heart of urban life. If these areas are mud filled and townships are built on them, ecological balance is affected.
A well-preserved water body is also a storehouse of drinking water, the likes of which are being filled particularly in the urban areas to construct multi-storied residential or commercial structures. Danger for environment is synonymous to danger for humanity. The danger can be averted only through acquired consciousness among us. Apart from the government, the environmentalists of the country have a major role to play here.  
The success stories in this area can work as our source of inspiration. To start with, a combination of small and realistic programmes can be undertaken as action-
oriented plans. Sir Edmund Hilary said, an environmental problem is a social problem, which is created by the people and it is the people who ultimately fall victims to the same.  
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