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World population just keeps on growing:
As world population more
than tripled in the twentieth century, water use for human purposes grew six
fold, with the bulk of that water going to irrigationI.
(Worth Repeating)
Population growth does not happen in a homogenous layer over
the globes surface, it is concentrated on population centres, this
intensification of points with regards to water use, and will further intensify
as world population expands.
Some low areas may face problems of a different kind due to
inundation from rising seas, large areas of Bangladesh, are low lying a high
percentage of which are used to produce food.
If a family were sliding further and further in to debt, it
may seem logical to suggest that they should not have any more children.
However, with regards to water resources that are exactly what is happening,
more mouths to feed (and clothe) mean we are slipping further in to our water
overdraft; this is applicable to ground water especially.
Reducing the rate at which humans multiply is a very touchy
subject, as procreation, is in effect the reason for our existence. There are a
number of methods available to control population all of them unpopular, often
they clash with religious and moral beliefs. But some have very strong views
that it must be tackled.
“A
cancer is an uncontrolled multiplication of cells; the population explosion is
an uncontrolled multiplication of people. Treating only the symptoms of cancer
may make the victim more comfortable at first, but eventually he dies”
Paul R. Ehrlich
N
We have seen population control being implemented very
effectively in the PRC (If not entirely fairly), so it can be done, BUT the PRC
is a dictatorship, and this kind of system can carry out policies like this, a
political party trying the same thing in India, may well be voted out of office
quicker than you can sat TATA.
Policy Change:
Probably the most over used word of the decade. The concept
of sustainability is one we ignore at our peril. The problem is that we in the
western world, live very different lives to that of those people in LDCs.
Most of the world is developing, people are driven to
survive, put food on the table for their family, the needs of the Environment
are eclipsed by these very real needs, needs that were common place in the UK
only 100 years ago.
Whilst people in MDCs watch TV programs about “life in the
country” and “It’s not easy being green” most of the world’s population doesn’t
have a telly. In order to choose a sustainable life style it needs to be a
choice that is available for you to make. Even in the most developed countries
consumers cannot find out information about the “virtual water” in their
products, and in LDCs people have bigger fish to fry.
In order to become more sustainable the consumer must have
information on the “embodied” or “virtual water” in a productO.
Facts such as these should be made more available, so people
can make informed choices and lessen their impact on irrigation / stock
watering.
Some Charity funded projects such as the Water Aid funded
sustainability project in Ghana have met with some success.P The
project involved implementing a water charging scheme and ploughing the money
earned back in to the community.
If we are to abate climate change then we must switch to a
low carbon economy.
Policy Change:
1.
Increased acceptance of
Carbon Offset Scheme in LDCs
2.
Somehow get countries to set
some limits at Copenhagen.
3. Donate Green power generation equipment to communities in developing countries. (i.e. mustard seed husk burning stoves, India)
H- World Bank
- https://youthink.worldbank.org/
I-
Transparency International : Global Corruption
Report 2008
J-
https://en.wikipedia.org/ (31/12/09)
K-
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/ukmapavge.html#
(31/12/09)
L-
https://www.eswater.co.uk/additionalwater.aspx
(31/12/09)
M- EA - November 2008 - Water resources planning guideline
(31/12/09)
N- Paul R. Ehrlich,The Population Bomb in 1968
(31/12/09)
O-
www.greenlabelling.co.uk (31/12/09)
P- Lessons from Kitase/Gyankama - WaterAid Ghana Briefing Paper 2005 (No 1)