Global warming and the water crisis is the title of a paper written by Kanae Shinjiro addressing the main issues that affect the earth resultant of global warming including the water crisis (860-864). For a long time, people often thought that water security was an issue revolving around drinking water. However, the water crisis has now been associated with the reduction in food quantity beside the scarcity of safe drinking water. Securing safe drinking water in regions around the world, that lack the commodity is essential for all human beings. The research showed that 70% of the water used and needed on earth is used for agricultural services. Thus, issues relating to water scarcity relate mainly to agriculture and overall food production. The human population is projected to hit the 9 billion mark within the next decade thus the reason to start making changes to avoid a water crisis.
Global warming projections will cause a significant reduction in water available especially within the semi-arid regions of the world where there are large crop growing areas. Currently, these areas require more water for farming than other areas that receive adequate rainfall (Midkiff 18-26). It is thus obvious that these areas will need increased water inputs especially with the issues of global warming coming into focus. The water situation within the semi-arid and arid areas will be in dire need of more water and better water-saving solutions to keep producing food products. Besides the increased need to supply more water for agricultural needs, these areas will need more water for both domestic and drinking water. In contrast, other parts of the world will face the problems of too heavy rainfall, floods, and excessive water disasters. At present, between 30 million and 300 million people are affected by water disasters around the world.
Global warming will be the culprit in putting people in different parts of the world in water-related crises. A large population of people, between 300 and 500 million will be affected by drought caused by the effects of global warming. On the other hand, another 300 million people will be facing the wrath of excess water resulting from global warming (Barlow 26). Necessary steps are taken right away to counteract the positive and the negative effects of global warming on water quantity and production In the future. This is paramount since a water crisis would spell doom to all people as it would also affect food production. Climatic changes resulting from global warming have to be well interpreted to allow people to maximize the benefits of available water. As Kanae explains, “in addition to the decrease in water for agriculture, domestic and drinking water supplies will also be threatened in semi-arid areas.”
The results of a decrease in amounts of water in some parts of the world and an increase in other areas caused by global warming will all contribute to the overall state of health of the human population. As a matter of concern, health scientists must take keen attention to all issues related to global warming due to their significance to the changes affecting water resources.
Works Cited
Barlow, Maude. Blue covenant : the global water crisis and the coming battle for the right to water. New York: New Press Distributed by W.W. Norton, 2008. Print.
Kanae, Shinjiro. “Global Warming and the Water Crisis.” Journal of Health Science 55.6 (2009): 860-864. Print.
Midkiff, Kenneth. Not a drop to drink : America’s water crisis and what you can do. Novato, Calif: New World Library, 2007. Print.