What are the reasons for the worsening water problem of humanity? Fresh water shortage: problems and solutions.
The global water management experience accumulated to date provides grounds for an optimistic outlook on the future of water resources, but only with a revision of the methods of using the hydrosphere and careful protection of water bodies. The following ways to solve the water problem are outlined:
I. Technical: a) reduction of wastewater discharge and expansion of recycled water supply to factories in closed cycles; b) improving methods of treating waste water, c) using part of the wastewater after appropriate treatment for irrigation, d) saving water, separate water supply systems for food and industrial water, e) reducing water cooling and switching to air cooling, f) technical progress (for example , in Japan a method of smelting metal using atomic energy without blast furnaces and open hearths has already been invented).
II. Hydrological and geographical. They involve managing moisture circulation and changing the water balance of land. This path should be understood not as an absolute increase in the volume of water, but as the reproduction of the most valuable types of water resources - sustainable ground flow, groundwater reserves, an increase in soil moisture due to flood runoff, glaciers, mineralized water, etc. These methods of solving the water problem include : a) regulation of river flow, b) artificial replenishment or storage of groundwater due to flood flow; storage in underground wells is better than constructing reservoirs, since this does not flood valuable floodplains; Waste water can also be drained here, since it is purified in the ground; Now in the USA, artificial replenishment of groundwater provides 2 billion liters of water per day; in our country it is used in arid areas; c) regulation of slope flow and snow retention.
In the CIS, 70 km 3 of water is spent on slope runoff, and 30 km 3 on wind-blown snow. More than 140 km 3, half of the transpiration volume, is spent on evaporation from the soil. Already in the CIS, 20 km 3 of surface runoff is retained in zones of unstable moisture; in the near future, slope runoff will be reduced by half, snow removal by 1/3, and unproductive evaporation by 15-20%. This will provide rain-fed agriculture with about 80 km 3 of water per year.
An optimistic assessment of water resources can only be a reality with careful use and protection of natural waters.
Atmospheric change and the problem of clean air. Natural atmospheric pollution increases during volcanic eruptions, large forest fires, and dust storms. For example, dust from the Sahara reaches Guinea in the south and France in the north. The atmosphere itself clears itself of natural pollution. It’s a different matter with changes in air caused by industrial enterprises, transport engines, and unreasonable actions of people.
Water is the most important resource for supporting life and the source of all life on Earth, but its uneven distribution across continents has more than once become the cause of crises and social disasters. The shortage of fresh drinking water in the world has been familiar to humanity since ancient times, and since the last decade of the twentieth century it has been constantly considered as one of the global problems of our time. At the same time, as the population of our planet grew, the scale of water consumption, and, accordingly, water deficiency, increased significantly, which subsequently began to lead to deteriorating living conditions and slowed down the economic development of countries experiencing shortages.
Today, the world's population is growing at a rapid pace, and the need for fresh drinking water is only increasing. According to the counter www.countrymeters.com, the world's population as of April 25, 2015 reached approximately 7 billion 289 million people, and the annual increase is approximately 83 million people. Data indicate an annual increase in fresh water demand of 64 million cubic meters. It should be noted that during the period of time when the world's population tripled, the use of fresh water increased 17 times. Moreover, according to some forecasts, in 20 years it may increase threefold.
Under current conditions, it has been established that already every sixth person on the planet experiences a shortage of fresh drinking water. And the situation will only get worse as urbanization develops, population grows, industrial demands for water increase, and global climate change accelerates, leading to desertification and decreased water availability. Water shortages may soon lead to the development and aggravation of already existing global problems. And when the deficit crosses a certain threshold and humanity finally understands the full value of fresh resources, we can expect political instability, armed conflicts and a further increase in the number of problems in the development of the economies of the world.
General picture of water availability in the world
In short, it is very important to realistically imagine the overall picture of fresh water supply in the world. The quantitative ratio of salt water to fresh water in terms of volume most clearly shows the complexity of the current situation. According to statistics, the world's oceans account for 96.5% of the water mass, and the volume of fresh water is much less - 3.5% of the total water reserves. It was previously noted that the distribution of fresh drinking water across continents and countries of the world is extremely uneven. This fact initially placed the countries of the world in different conditions, not only in terms of the provision of non-renewable resources, but also in terms of quality of life and ability to survive. Taking into account this and its economic security, each country copes with the problem in its own way, but fresh water is a fundamentally important resource for human life, and therefore, both poor, sparsely populated countries and rich, developed economies are to a certain extent equal in facing water shortages. 
Consequences of fresh water shortage
According to statistics, almost a fifth of the world's population lives in areas where there is an acute shortage of drinking water. In addition, one quarter of the population lives in developing countries, which suffer from shortages due to the lack of infrastructure needed to extract water from aquifers and rivers. Water shortages for the same reasons are observed even in those areas that receive heavy precipitation and have large reserves of fresh water.
The availability of sufficient water to meet the needs of households, agriculture, industry and the environment depends on how water is stored, distributed and used, as well as on the quality of the water available.
One of the main problems is the problem of fresh water pollution, which significantly reduces existing supplies. This is facilitated by pollution from industrial emissions and runoff, the washing of fertilizers from fields, as well as the penetration of salt water in coastal zones into aquifers due to pumping of groundwater.
Speaking about the consequences of a lack of fresh water, it is worth noting that they can be of various types: from deterioration of living conditions and the development of diseases, up to dehydration and death. The lack of clean water forces people to drink water from unsafe sources, which is often simply hazardous to health. In addition, due to water shortages, there is a negative practice of people storing water in their homes, which can significantly increase the risk of contamination and create favorable conditions for the growth of harmful bacteria. In addition, one of the acute problems is the problem of hygiene. People cannot bathe properly, wash their clothes or keep their homes clean. 
There are various ways to solve this problem and in this aspect, there is a huge opportunity for countries with large reserves to benefit from their position. However, at the moment, the full value of fresh water has not yet led to the work of global economic mechanisms, and basically countries with a shortage of fresh water are working most effectively in this direction. We consider it necessary to highlight the most interesting projects and their results.
For example, in Egypt the most ambitious of all national projects is being implemented - “Toshka” or “New Valley”. Construction has been ongoing for 5 years and is scheduled for completion by 2017. The work is very costly for the country's economy, but the prospects seem truly global. The station under construction will redirect 10% of Nile water to the western regions of the country, and the area of habitable land in Egypt will increase by as much as 25%. Moreover, 2.8 million new jobs will be created and more than 16 million people will be relocated to the new planned cities. If this ambitious project succeeds, Egypt will once again flourish as a developed power with a rapidly growing population.
There is another example of actively developing water infrastructure in the absence of its own resources. Various ways to combat the water crisis among the Gulf countries have become possible since the mid-20th century thanks to the oil boom. Expensive water desalination plants began to be built, and as a result, Saudi Arabia and the UAE currently have the most significant volumes of water desalination not only in the region, but also in the world. According to Arab News, Saudi Arabia uses 1.5 million barrels of oil daily in its desalination plants, which provide 50-70% of the country's fresh water. In April 2014, the world's largest plant, producing 1 million cubic meters, opened in Saudi Arabia. m of water and 2.6 thousand MW of electricity per day. In addition, all Gulf countries have developed treatment systems for the disposal and reuse of contaminated water. On average, the percentage of wastewater collection varies from 15% to 70% depending on the region; Bahrain demonstrates the highest rates (100%). When it comes to the use of treated wastewater, Oman (100% of collected water is reused) and the UAE (89%) are the leaders.
Over the next five years, the Gulf countries plan to invest about $100 billion in further providing their population with fresh resources. Thus, Qatar announced the allocation of $900 million for the construction of reservoirs for storing a seven-day supply of water by 2017. Moreover, the GCC countries agreed to build a pipeline costing $10.5 billion and spanning almost 2,000 km connecting the Gulf countries. The project also includes the construction of two desalination plants in Oman to produce 500 million cubic meters. m of water, which will be supplied via pipeline to GCC regions in need of desalinated water. As we see, the efforts aimed at combating the problem in countries with severe fresh water shortages are enormous. 
Among the leading countries, not many efforts are currently being made in this area. As often happens, while there is no problem, it seems that there is no need to pay attention to the factors that could lead to its formation. Thus, in the Russian Federation, while it ranks second in the world in terms of water resources, there is still a shortage of water in many regions due to its uneven distribution. We have suggested several measures that will help improve the internal situation of the leading countries and further economic enrichment.
First of all, it is necessary to ensure stable financial support for the water sector in the country. To do this, it is necessary to form an economic mechanism for water use at the national and interstate levels. Financing the water sector from various sources should cover its costs, taking into account the prospects for further development.
At the same time, targeted social protection of the population must be ensured. Widespread involvement of private enterprise in solving problems in the water sector through appropriate incentives is of great importance. Progress in water financing will be facilitated by government support for producers of relevant material resources and owners of water supply and sanitation systems through subsidies, subventions, preferential loans, customs and tax benefits.
Attention should also be paid to training staff in modern innovative technologies to increase the attractiveness of water and environmental projects for international donors and taking measures to ensure the availability of loans - all this will also contribute to progress.
In addition, it is necessary to strengthen external financial assistance to needy regions of the world, for which it is advisable to assess the financial needs of each country with a breakdown by funding sources and areas (water supply, sanitation, irrigation, hydropower, mudflow protection, recreation, etc.). Much work will be required to develop innovative financial mechanisms. For example, both domestic and international donor programs could be developed that invest in human development and assistance to those in need of fresh water, and which will help provide future confidence to leading countries to develop economic mechanisms for fresh water provision. .
Expert forecasts
According to forecasts, supplies of fresh drinking water are far from unlimited, and they are already running out. According to research, by 2025, more than half of the world's countries will either experience a serious water shortage or experience a lack of it, and by the middle of the 21st century, three-quarters of the world's population will not have enough fresh water. It is estimated that around 2030, 47% of the world's population will be at risk of water scarcity. At the same time, by 2050, the population of developing countries, which already lack water today, will increase significantly.
Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and Northern China are most likely to be the first to be left without water. In Africa alone, it is predicted that by 2020, 75 to 250 million people will be in this situation due to climate change, and acute water shortages in desert and semi-desert regions will cause rapid population migration. This is expected to affect between 24 and 700 million people.
Developed countries have also recently experienced a shortage of fresh water: not long ago, severe droughts in the United States led to water shortages in large areas of the Southwest and in cities in northern Georgia. 
As a result, based on all of the above, we understand that it is necessary to make as much effort as possible to preserve sources of fresh water, as well as to search for possible economically less costly ways to solve the problem of fresh water shortage in many countries of the world, both now and in the future. future.
Leading Researcher, Department of Industrial and Regional Economics, RISS,
Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Speech at situation analysis "Global water problems".
Currently, the world's population uses approximately 54% of all available surface water flow (usable, renewable freshwater). Taking into account the growth rate of the global economy, the growth rate of the planet's population (an increase of 85 million people/year), and other factors, it is expected that by 2025 this figure will increase to 70%.
According to the UN, in more than 18 countries there is a water shortage (a level of 1000 or less cubic meters per person/year), which makes it almost impossible to satisfy the needs of national economies and the utility needs of citizens. According to forecasts, the number of such states will increase to 33 by 2025.
At a critically low level of water supply there are: the Middle East, Northern China, Mexico, the countries of North Africa, Southeast Asia and a number of post-Soviet states. According to the World Resource Institute, Kuwait is in the most difficult situation, with only 11 cubic meters per capita. meters of surface water, Egypt (43 cubic meters) and the United Arab Emirates (64 cubic meters). Moldova is in 8th place in the ranking (225 cubic meters), and Turkmenistan is in 9th place (232 cubic meters).
The Russian Federation has a unique water resource potential. The total fresh water resources of Russia are estimated at 10,803 cubic meters. km/year. Renewable water resources (the volume of annual river flow in Russia) amount to 4861 cubic meters. km, or 10% of the world's river flow (second place after Brazil). The main disadvantage of Russian water resources is their extremely uneven distribution throughout the country. In terms of the size of local water resources, the Southern and Far Eastern federal districts of Russia, for example, differ by almost 30 times, and in terms of water supply to the population by about 100 times.
Rivers are the basis of Russia's water fund. Over 120 thousand large rivers (more than 10 km long) flow through its territory with a total length of over 2.3 million km. The number of small rivers is much larger (over 2.5 million). They form about half of the total volume of river flow; up to 44% of the urban and almost 90% of the rural population of the country live in their basins.
Groundwater, which is used mainly for drinking purposes, has potential exploitable resources exceeding 300 cubic meters. km/year. More than a third of potential resources are concentrated in the European part of the country. The groundwater deposits explored to date have total exploitable reserves of approximately 30 cubic meters. km/year.
In the country as a whole, the total water withdrawal for economic needs is relatively small - 3% of the average long-term river flow. However, in the Volga basin, for example, it accounts for 33% of the country’s total water intake, and in a number of river basins the figure exceeds environmentally permissible withdrawal volumes (Don - 64%, Terek - 68%, Kuban - 80% of the average annual flow). In the south of the European territory of Russia, almost all water resources are involved in national economic activities. In the basins of the Ural, Tobol and Ishim rivers, water tension has become a factor, to a certain extent, constraining the development of the national economy.
Almost all rivers are subject to anthropogenic influence; the possibilities of extensive water intake for economic needs for many of them have generally been exhausted. The water of many Russian rivers is polluted and unsuitable for drinking purposes. A serious problem is the deterioration of the water quality of surface water bodies, which in most cases does not meet regulatory requirements and is assessed as unsatisfactory for almost all types of water use.
Degradation of small rivers is observed. They become silted, polluted, clogged, and their banks collapse. Uncontrolled withdrawal of water, destruction and use of water protection strips and zones for economic purposes, and drainage of raised swamps led to the massive death of small rivers, thousands of which ceased to exist. Their total flow, especially in the European part of Russia, has decreased by more than 50%, resulting in the destruction of aquatic ecosystems and making these rivers unsuitable for use.
Today, according to experts, from 35% to 60% of drinking water in Russia and about 40% of surface and 17% of underground sources of drinking water supply do not meet the standards. Over 6 thousand sites of groundwater contamination have been identified throughout the country, the largest number of which are in the European part of Russia.
According to available calculations, every second resident of the Russian Federation is forced to use water for drinking purposes that does not meet established standards for a number of indicators. Almost a third of the country's population uses water sources without adequate water treatment. At the same time, residents of a number of regions suffer from a lack of drinking water and a lack of proper sanitary and living conditions.
In particular, drinking water of poor quality in terms of sanitary-chemical and microbiological indicators is consumed by part of the population in the Republics of Ingushetia, Kalmykia, Karelia, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, in the Primorsky Territory, in the Arkhangelsk, Kurgan, Saratov, Tomsk and Yaroslavl regions, in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
The cause of the problem lies in the massive pollution of river basins and lakes. At the same time, the main load on reservoirs is created by industrial enterprises, facilities of the fuel and energy complex, municipal enterprises and the agro-industrial sector. The annual volume of discharged wastewater has remained virtually unchanged in recent years. In 2008, for example, it amounted to 17 cubic meters. km. However, it should be noted that against this background, there is a decrease in the volume of discharge of normatively treated wastewater, which is due to overload of treatment facilities, their poor quality of work, violations of technical regulations, lack of reagents, breakthroughs and volley discharges of contaminants.
In Russia, especially in its European part, there are unacceptably large water losses. On the way from the water source to the consumer, for example in 2008, with the total volume of water intake from natural sources equal to 80.3 cubic meters. km, losses amounted to 7.76 km. In industry, water losses reach more than 25% (due to leaks and accidents in networks, infiltration, and imperfect technological processes). In housing and communal services, from 20 to 40% is lost (due to leaks in residential and public buildings, corrosion and wear of water supply networks); in agriculture - up to 30% (overwatering in crop production, excessive water supply standards for livestock farming).
The technological and technical lag in the water sector is growing, in particular in the study and control of water quality, the preparation of drinking water, the treatment and disposal of sediments formed during the purification of natural and waste waters. The development of long-term water use and protection schemes necessary for sustainable water supply has been stopped.
Global warming and climate change, as experts note, will lead to an improvement in the water supply of the Russian population as a whole. An increase in this indicator can be expected in the European territory of the country, in the Volga region, in the Non-Black Earth center, in the Urals, in most of Siberia and the Far East. At the same time, in a number of densely populated regions of the Black Earth center of Russia (Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol and Tambov regions), Southern (Kalmykia, Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, Rostov region) and the southwestern part of Siberia (Altai region, Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk and Tomsk regions) federal districts of the Russian Federation, which even in modern conditions have rather limited water resources, their further reduction by 10-20% should be expected in the coming decades. These regions may experience serious water shortages, which may become a factor limiting economic growth and improving the well-being of the population, and there will be a need to strictly regulate and limit water consumption, as well as attract additional sources of water supply.
In the Altai Territory, in the Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk and Tomsk regions, a decrease in water resources, apparently, will not lead to critically low values of water availability and to a high load on water resources. However, given the fact that there are very serious problems here at the present time, in the future they may become especially acute, especially during low-water periods. This is primarily due to the large variability of water resources over time and territory, as well as the tendency to increase the intensity of use of transboundary river flows in China and Kazakhstan. To solve these problems, it is necessary to consider the possibilities of regulating flow and concluding international agreements on the joint use of water resources of the Irtysh.
Taking into account the growing influence of climate and its changes on the sustainability of economic and social development of the country, it seems necessary when developing state water policy to include tasks related to climate change.
In general, experts believe that the main reasons for negative trends in the field of water resources and possible restrictions in their use are natural disasters, population growth, resource-intensive industrial and agricultural production, waste pollution of natural reservoirs, coastal areas, ground and underground waters. In this regard, one of the most important tasks is to protect the country’s aquatic ecosystems and promote the rational use of water in agriculture, industry and everyday life.
This is of particular relevance, since with large natural resources of surface and groundwater in Russia, the predominant part of which is located in the eastern and northern regions, economically developed European regions with a high level of integrated use of water resources have practically exhausted the possibility of their development without rationalization of water use, water saving and restoration quality of the aquatic environment.
Two-thirds of our planet is occupied by water. This is more than enough for all people, but water conservation is a global problem for humanity. The thing is that most of the water resources are not suitable for drinking - it is a salty liquid, and humanity needs fresh water not only for drinking, but also for growing crops and feeding livestock.
Depletion of water supplies
Today water is a global problem for humanity. About half a million people in the modern world experience an acute shortage of it, and by 2025 experts predict that their number will increase fivefold. If the trend towards increasing water consumption continues, by the 50s of the 21st century two thirds of the planet's population will experience water shortages.
Fig 1. Map of distribution of fresh water reserves.
If everyone turns off the tap when brushing their teeth, then in just one morning they will save 20 liters of fresh water.
As in other cases, the main reason for the worsening water problem of humanity is urbanization. In order to adapt the Earth to its needs, humanity violates and pollutes the ecosystem, which leads to a worsening of the situation. The problem is also affected by population growth, especially in regions with the most unfavorable situation. The greenhouse effect also makes its contribution - expanses of water evaporate without a trace from the surface of the planet. Plus, every person wastes water thoughtlessly in much larger volumes than he needs.
Rice. 2. Polluted fresh water reservoir.
Solving the problem of water conservation
There are ways to solve this problem. First and the simplest one is saving resources by every inhabitant of the Earth. This will give much more significant results than it seems at first glance, making it possible not to develop new water deposits.
Second A way to save money is to develop purification technologies that will allow repeated use of this important resource.
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Third– is the protection of water from pollution due to urbanization, which causes great harm to the entire ecosystem.
To achieve this, governments are developing joint programs that prevent the discharge of waste into water bodies and involve the installation of treatment facilities at all industrial enterprises.
But the use of glaciers, which were previously proposed as an alternative source of fresh liquid, according to experts, can lead to irreversible climate changes.
Fresh water (not counting polar ice) makes up only 0.3% of the total resource, so there is about 1 cubic kilometer of liquid per person.
Water is the most valuable natural resource. Its role is to participate in the metabolic process of all substances that are the basis of any life form. It is impossible to imagine the activities of industrial and agricultural enterprises without the use of water; it is indispensable in human everyday life. Water is necessary for everyone: people, animals, plants. For some it is a habitat.
The rapid development of human life and inefficient use of resources has led to the fact that Environmental problems (including water pollution) have become too acute. Their solution comes first for humanity. Scientists and environmentalists around the world are sounding the alarm and trying to find a solution to the global problem.
Sources of water pollution
There are many reasons for pollution, and the human factor is not always to blame. Natural disasters also harm clean water bodies and disrupt the ecological balance.
The most common sources of water pollution are:
nuclear weapons testing;
radioactive waste discharges;
major accidents (ships with nuclear reactors, Chernobyl nuclear power plant);
disposal of radioactive waste at the bottom of oceans and seas.
Industrial, domestic wastewater. Having not undergone a system of purification from chemical harmful substances, when they enter a body of water, they provoke an environmental disaster.
Tertiary treatment. The water is treated with powders, special compounds, and filtered in multiple stages, killing harmful organisms and destroying other substances. It is used for household needs of citizens, as well as in the food industry and agriculture.
- radioactive contamination of water
The main sources that pollute the World Ocean include the following radioactive factors:
Environmental problems and water pollution are directly related to contamination by radioactive waste. For example, French and English nuclear plants contaminated almost the entire North Atlantic. Our country has become the culprit of pollution of the Arctic Ocean. Three underground nuclear reactors, as well as the production of Krasnoyarsk-26, have clogged the largest river, the Yenisei. It is obvious that radioactive products entered the ocean.
Pollution of world waters with radionuclides
The problem of pollution of the waters of the World Ocean is acute. Let us briefly list the most dangerous radionuclides that enter it: cesium-137; cerium-144; strontium-90; niobium-95; yttrium-91. All of them have a high bioaccumulating capacity, pass through food chains and concentrate in marine organisms. This creates a danger for both humans and aquatic organisms.
The waters of the Arctic seas are subject to severe pollution from various sources of radionuclides. People carelessly dump hazardous waste into the ocean, thereby turning it dead. Man has probably forgotten that the ocean is the main wealth of the earth. It has powerful biological and mineral resources. And if we want to survive, we urgently need to take measures to save it.
Solutions
Rational consumption of water and protection from pollution are the main tasks of humanity. Ways to solve environmental problems of water pollution lead to the fact that, first of all, great attention should be paid to the discharge of hazardous substances into rivers. On an industrial scale, it is necessary to improve wastewater treatment technologies. In Russia, it is necessary to introduce a law that would increase the collection of fees for discharges. The proceeds should be used for the development and construction of new environmental technologies. For the smallest emissions, the fee should be reduced, this will serve as motivation to maintain a healthy environmental situation.
The education of the younger generation plays a major role in solving environmental problems. From an early age it is necessary to teach children to respect and love nature. Instill in them that the Earth is our big home, for the order of which every person is responsible. It is necessary to save water, not to pour it thoughtlessly, and to try to prevent foreign objects and harmful substances from getting into the sewer system.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to say that environmental problems of Russia and water pollution probably worries everyone. The thoughtless waste of water resources and the littering of rivers with various garbage has led to the fact that there are very few clean, safe corners left in nature.Environmentalists have become much more vigilant, and numerous measures are being taken to restore order in the environment. If each of us thinks about the consequences of our barbaric, consumerist attitude, the situation can be improved. Only together will humanity be able to save water bodies, the World Ocean and, possibly, the lives of future generations.
