• Committee: Environment ( French , Spanish )
• Issue: the ghost of thirst: the water crisis, what can science do against the lack of water
• Members of Staff : Tomas Kennedy , Laura Rodriguez , Yann Milo
• Position : president(Chair ), Vice president(Vice- Chair) , Deputy Chair
Introduction:
Between 1900 and 1995 , global water consumption was multiplied by 6 , a rate two
times faster than the population during the same period. According to a recent analysis,
water scarcity in some regions could become the most serious problem of the twentyfirst century. At first glance, one might think that access to fresh water is a purely socio economic problem - some with water resources and / or means to operate and others
does that can’t. They forget that some applications of science such as chemical fertilizers,
various industrial processes or intensive irrigation are partly responsible for the
imminent risk of shortage. Fortunately, there are other applications of science that offer
at least the begging of a solution.
Definitions of key terms:
Drinking Water: Drinking water is water that humans can drink without risk of getting
ill. The potability of water is defined by chemical critters: the rate of pH , presence or
absence of toxic material.
Groundwater: A mass of water contained in the cracks of the rocky underground and is
generally available by the well or through forage. The underground water may have an
impermeable floor as it can have a waterproof layer as roof: the water is therefore
captive. These reserves are close to the sea where underground water and freshwater
make underground saltwater. Groundwater, freshwater having a smaller density, it
passes above the brine aquifer.
Aquifer: body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater through
natural or artificial process.
We can distinguish:
- Unconfined aquifer: an aquifer based on a very low permeability layer and is topped
with a non- water-saturated area.
- Captive aquifer (or confined aquifer): in a confined aquifer, groundwater is confined
between two very tight formations. When drilling reached a confined aquifer, the water
rises in the well.
General Overview :
According to UNESCO, the water crisis is one of the biggest problem of the XXI century.
Some of the main problems include:
- An already scarce resource. Over 70 % of the earth's surface is covered by water, but
only 2.5 % of this mass is made out of fresh water the remainder being the ocean
saltwater. This relatively small amount of freshwater, only 1%, or less than 0.007 % of
the total mass of water quantity in the world, is easy access. This is the water found in
lakes, rivers, reservoirs and relatively close to the surface groundwater for a profitable
exploitation. Only those reserves are regularly replenished by precipitation and snow
and can therefore be considered a renewable resource.
- Uneven distribution. Largely irrigated regions by large rivers have significant water
reserves even if the level can vary greatly between wet and dry seasons. While the
Amazon basin carries 16 % of the mass of river water in the world, arid areas, which
represent 40 % of the land, have only 2% of the total.
- The food security. As the population increases, the amount of food needed to feed the
planet increases. Since the 60s , farmers resort to intensive irrigation to meet this
growing demand. Irrigation currently accounts for 70% of all global freshwater
consumption. In arid areas, irrigation accounts for up to 90 % of available water
resources.
- The waste. In a sense , water is never lost , since it merely passes from one state or
place to another. But it takes 1,400 years for a groundwater layer (called an aquifer) to
be reconstituted.
• In developing countries leaks represent up to 50% loss of water.
• Intensive irrigation, is also accompanied by losses that can go up to 40 % of the
pumped water.
• Members of a family living in arid regions of Africa have 10-40 liters of water per
person per day for drinking, cooking and washing , while the inhabitants of the cities in
Europe or North America consume 300 to 600 liters per day per person.
- Pollution. The industry returns to rivers and lakes most of the water it uses, but it is
often contaminated. And drainage water from irrigation often contains fertilizers and
pesticides that pollute the sources and rivers . Andras Szollosi -Nagy, Director of the
Division of Water Sciences of UNESCO, does not hesitate to call the pollution a real " time
bomb". According to him, regarding the groundwater reserves of Europe, " we can
consider that the upper layer of the aquifer is doomed. Concentration of nitrates and
phosphates is so strong that we will soon have to drill to a second level, assuming that it
exists . "
- The population explosion . World population is expected to 8.7 billion people by 2025,
2.6 billion more than in 1995 , and this growth will be especially noticeable in areas
already suffering from scarcity or water shortage. Currently , three-quarters of the
world's population live in areas which consume a little more than 20% of available
water resources .
- Climate change. Many analysts predict a rise of one to two degrees of air temperature
by 2050 due to global warming. In arid areas, this could lead to a 10% decrease in
precipitation and a reduction of 40-70 % of the mass of lake and river waters. In colder
regions remote from the equator, the rise in temperature could result in flooding , while
the low flow rivers would be lower.
Despite these many problems, we consider that science can be a tool to be exploited.
(See http://www.unesco.org/bpi/science/vf/content/press/franco/10.htm )
Meanwhile, there are already ways to better utilize our water resources:
• Reduce losses - by repairing leaks and replacing intensive irrigation by drip irrigation
(releasing water drip rather than continuous jet);
• Collect rainwater - collect runoff from rooftops and other flat surfaces;
• Reserve wastewater for industrial use;
• Organize education and information campaigns. Enter the water problem on the
international agenda, especially in regions threatened of shortage (including Europe). In
developing countries, it should involve women in the management of water resources
because it is they who are most closely involved in the use of water.
Important Quote: " All are places where water shortages contribute to poverty. They
cause social harm and hinder development. They create tensions in conflict-prone
regions. Too often, where we need water we find guns. [...] There is still enough water
for all of us - but only if we keep the clean, use it more wisely and fairly share it. "
Ban Ki -moon, UN Secretary General
Organization and country concerned:
• UNESCO
• WWC (World Water Council)
• UN water Organization
Treaties and Resolutions concerned:
see UN website : http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/human_right_to_water.shtml
and
http://search.un.org/search?ie=utf8&site=un_org&output=xml_no_dtd&client=UN_Web
site_en&num=10&lr=lang_en&proxystylesheet=UN_Website_en&oe=utf8&q=resolution
+water+crisis&Submit=Go
webography :
• http://www.unesco.org/bpi/science/vf/content/press/franco/10.htm
• http://blog.mondediplo.net/2007-03-26-Crise-de-l-eau-les-pays-riches-aussi
• http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/human_right_to_water.shtml
•
http://search.un.org/search?ie=utf8&site=un_org&output=xml_no_dtd&client=UN_Web
site_en&num=10&lr=lang_en&proxystylesheet=UN_Website_en&oe=utf8&q=resolution
+water+crisis&Submit=Go
• http://www.unwater.org/