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RUNNING HEAD: ADDRESSING THE FRESHWATER CRISIS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Academic English III
Paper 4: Problem-Solution Essay
Student Sample
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RUNNING HEAD: FRESHWATER CRISIS
Introduction
Sudden growth in world populations, followed by increased agricultural and industrial
production, is straining existing water supplies worldwide. Recent and drastic changes in
climate only worsen the problem. According to the Water Resources Group, global demand for
water will outpace supply by 40 percent within the next twenty years (Water Resources Group,
2012). The situation varies depending on the country, though: many people in the United States
are not even aware of this freshwater crisis, whereas twenty-two countries in Africa are
deprived of water that is safe to drink (Lane-Miller, 2004). Among all the regions in the world,
South Africa is in the direst situation. Though South Africa has one of the cleanest water
systems in the world (IRIN, 2009), lack of sanitation and accessibility is killing numerous
South Africans with dehydration, malnutrition and water borne disease. The pain that is
currently being inflicted upon people in South Africa can be eased, however, by the government
carrying out dam projects and fixing problems in infrastructure.
Freshwater Crisis in South Africa – The Situation
Freshwater crisis is a worldwide problem, like a comet that is slowly but surely
approaching Earth, but South Africa is being especially tormented by it. Millions of people in
South Africa lack access to flush toilets and piped water and half the municipal water supplies
are contaminated by a large amount of bacteria such as the deadly E. coli bacteria; consequently,
the threat of water borne disease is increasing continually (IRIN, 2009). This is a natural result
of the limited water reserves of South Africa. The country is one the driest on earth; its average
rainfall is about 18 inches a year, whereas the world average is 34 inches a year (Basson, 2011).
Figure 1 illustrates the low levels of rainfall in South Africa, showing the mean annual freshwater
runoff across the country. Aside from a small area in the southeast, most of South Africa averages
a mere 25 - 60mm of freshwater runoff from rain annually. It has no navigable rivers, and the
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combined flow of all its rivers is less than half that of the Zambezi River, the closest large river
to South Africa. To make the situation even worse, the local geology is comprised of hard rocks,
which means there are few exploitable aquifers, and the country’s numerous artificial lakes
have a high evaporation rate (Brulliard, 2010).
Figure 1. Mean annual freshwater runoff in South Africa (mm/year)
Note: Adapted from “South Africa’s water conundrum”, by N. Bruilliard, 2010, Global Post.
Copyright 2010. Adapted with permission.
Solutions for the Fresh Water Crisis
Solution 1 - Dams
One solution that could solve this problem is building dams. A dam is good for
controlling water supply and irrigation, flood control and navigation, and is important for
developing and managing water resources (ICOLD, n. d.). Therefore, the South African
government could invest money and build well-planned and constructed dams to store water
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effectively. However, some down-sides of this solution must also be considered. Firstly, the
average cost of building a dam is 690 million USD. This would be an immense burden on the
South African economy which is already weak from suffering under agricultural stagnation
caused by the water shortage. Secondly, building dams will have consequences downstream.
Communities downstream could be deprived of water, which would lead to low supplies of fish
and nutrients offered by floodplain ecosystems (International Rivers, n. d.).
Solution 2 – Improving Ground Water Management
Consequently, a more desirable solution is necessary, such as improving the poor
groundwater management in the country. Surface water sources are too often highly polluted,
so groundwater, a reliable source that is naturally protected from bacterial contamination, is a
better resource to tap and draw clean water from (Awuah, 2009). South Africa currently draws
and consumes approximately 6 percent of groundwater only; it neither develops nor manages
its groundwater resources properly. The South African government needs to rebuild the rusty,
outdated groundwater well infrastructure that is spread throughout the country, develop
production boreholes over the aquifer system, and repair failing pumps that barely pipe water
from groundwater resources. Improved groundwater management would increase the
percentage of groundwater abstraction, easing the water shortage and improving poor water
qualities (Girman, n. d.). This solution would cost the government roughly 140 million USD
as well, but this is much less than the cost of building a dam in the river (RWSN, 2006). Also,
better distribution of water resulting from improved groundwater management would allow
women and young girls in South Africa, who are responsible for carrying home water for miles,
more time to engage in income-generating work or attend school.
Conclusion
Water is sometimes called the essence of life. This shows just how important water is
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as a natural resource, for the survival of humans. South Africa, despite having been gifted with
an abundance of gold and diamonds, does not have enough of this one vital resource. What
little amount of water its people have is often polluted by bacteria. Though water could be
saved from drifting away by building a dam, a better solution that not only will improve the
sanitation of the water but will also enhance the distribution of water is improving groundwater
management. Water shortage, though, as mentioned above, is not a problem only for South
Africa to face; it is a worldwide crisis that must be addressed by those in more privileged
countries also.
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RUNNING HEAD: FRESHWATER CRISIS
References
Awuah, E. (2009). Small town water quality. Desalination. Retrieved June 2, 2013 from
http://thewaterproject.org/water-in-crisis-rural-urban-africa.php
Basson, M. S. (2011). Water development in South Africa. UN-Water International
Conference. Retrieved June 5, 2013 from
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/green_economy_2011/pdf/session_1_economic_
instruments_south_africa.pdf
Brulliard, N. (2010). South Africa’s water conundrum. Globalpost. Retrieved May 30, 2013
from http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/south-africa/090710/south-africa-watershortages?page=0,0
Girman, J. (n. d.). How Much Groundwater does South Africa Have?. Anthonyturton.com.
Retrieved June 14, 2013 from
http://www.anthonyturton.com/admin/my_documents/my_files/SRK_Woodfood_How
_much_Groundwater_does_SA_have.pdf
International Commission on Large Dams. (n. d.). Role of dams. Commission Internationale
des Grands Barrages. Retrieved June 2, 2013 from http://www.icoldcigb.net/GB/Dams/Role_of_Dams.asp
International Rivers. (n. d.). Environmental Impacts of Dams. International Rivers. Retrieved
June 4, 2013 from http://www.internationalrivers.org/environmental-impacts-of-dams
IRIN. (2009). SOUTH AFRICA: The quiet water crisis. IRIN: humanitarian news and
analysis. Retrieved May 30, 3013. From http://www.irinnews.org/report/82750/southafrica-the-quiet-water-crisis
Lane-Miller, C. (2009). World Freshwater Crisis Looms, Activist Says. National Geographic.
Retrieved May 28, 2013. From
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0111_041105_maude_barlow.html
RWSN. (2006). Who is Going to Drill the African Boreholes?. Water and Sanitation Program.
Retrieved June 14, 2013 from
http://www.wsp.org/sites/wsp.org/files/publications/Drillers.pdf
Water Resources Group. (2012). Background, Impact and the Way Forward. 2030 Water
Resources Group. Retrieved June 5, 2013 from
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF/WRG_Background_Impact_and_Way_Forward.
pdf