Water Conservation: EVERY DROP COUNTS

Author: Muhammad Hannan Khan


Water is an important source of all existing organisms. Some can make use of salt water but many organisations including the vast majority of superior vegetation and most mammals must have access to fresh water to live.

Fresh water can be obtained from surface fresh water such as rivers, lakes, canals etc. Groundwater sources such as bore holes and wells are important in those areas where rainfall is not sufficient to meet the requirements of human existence. The source of almost all fresh water is from precipitation in the form of mist, rain and snow.

Water is a matrix of life. It is important because plants, humans and animals all need water to survive. Without water, the earth would have no life. earth;s 7.3 billion people use fresh water for agriculture, industry, recreation, tourism and municipal use. Fresh water is an important natural resource necessary for the survival of all ecosystems. the excessive use of water and chemical contamination by humans has adverse effects on ecosystems. 

Water scarcity and water contamination is nowadays a serious problem arising globally and our country, Pakistan, is also suffering from it. Pakistan is the sixth largest country with a population of more than 175 million. Due to increasing population and lack of surface water storage development, pressure on groundwater has increased. Pakistan's 92% land is covered with arid or semi-arid regions. It is further disadvantaged by its reliance on a single river - Indus - for its water surface.

There are several factors which are causing water degradation and water scarcity. Factors such as climate change will amplify pressures on natural water resources. It can also change the availability and distribution of fresh water. The lack of rain has led to insufficient supply for irrigation. This has affected agriculture and has led to a lack of food. The removal of trees changes the flow of fresh water in the local environment and also affects the cycle of fresh water. Pollution and water due to industrial exploitation and overpopulation are a serious threat to our freshwater resources. Pumping too much water from underground supplies or river can result in dried-up river beds and wetlands.

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed"

Mahatma Gandhi

Unfortunately, not everyone can just turn on a tap and get fresh, clean water. In fact one in ten people do not have access to clean water. Desalination is an expensive process for purification of water so we must save fresh water. Fresh and unpolluted water accounts for 0.003% of total water available globally. 

Any beneficial reduction in water use, loss or waste is water conservation. This encompasses the policies, strategies and actions to administer fresh water as a sustainable resource, to shelter water environment, and to meet current and future human demand. Population, household size, growth and prosperity effects the usage of water. 

 Some ways to conserve water are to dispose garbage properly, don't let the water run while washing or bathing, use bucket to wash vehicles, water the garden early in the morning. Students must be educated in the schools about water conservation. It is need of hour to save every drop we can. Treated water should be used for car washing, laundry, gardening, washing etc. while fresh water must be saved for drinking and agriculture purposes. 

We have the same amount of water as there was when earth was created. This is the water we have and we must preserve its quality. Water is the foundation of food and life. Many areas of the world are already experiencing stress on water availability. Saving water helps to preserve our environment. It reduces the energy required to process and deliver water, which helps in reducing pollution and in conserving fuel resources. A shortage of water in future would be detrimental to the human population as it would affect everything from sanitation to overall health.

 “It is life, I think, to watch the water. A man can learn so many things.”

― Nicholas Sparks, the Notebook

We must save water today so that it can be available to us in future. We need to think of future generations, people who will not have ample supply of water unless we become more concerned with how we use water today.