Sustainable Water Resource Management and Conservation

Water as a Resource and Overexploitation

About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, and its liquid form is the essential substance that makes life possible on Earth. Most of this water is salty, which, except for certain specialized activities, cannot be used by humans. Of all fresh water, only a small portion is readily available for use. Water that is safe to drink is called potable water.

The availability of water in the world has declined significantly over the past fifty years. High population growth, the rapid development of large cities, increased agricultural and industrial activities, deforestation, soil erosion, and pollution are the main causes. Water is a renewable but limited and sometimes scarce resource. Water scarcity and limited availability pose major obstacles to the development of human societies.

Regarding water use, if water used for an activity cannot be used again, it is considered a consumptive use (including agriculture, industry, or urban uses). If water can be used again, it is called a non-consumptive use, such as energy generation or navigation. Most water consumption takes place in farming activities, followed by industrial and urban sectors.

The Threat of Water Overexploitation

Humans obtain water from rivers, streams, lakes, and groundwater. As long as we extract an amount equal to or less than the natural turnover rate in these reservoirs, water reserves are preserved. The problem is that many regions have not taken renewability into account, causing some water reserves to decrease alarmingly, especially groundwater.

The overexploitation of groundwater means that water is drawn from an aquifer at a rate faster than it is replaced by natural recharge. If this over-extraction continues for a long time, it can completely deplete the aquifer. The exploitation of groundwater is common in many parts of the world due to the continued growth of cities and the irrigation of crops.

Water Management Plans in Action

Water planning seeks to regulate water use, providing solutions to address declining water resources in an area or country and meeting the demands of the population using the principles of sustainable development. Measures for better water use planning can be categorized into three types: saving, technical, and political.

Water Saving Measures

• Reduction of agricultural consumption: Improving irrigation systems and crop pipelines, or selecting crops that are more appropriate for each specific zone.
• Reduction of industrial consumption: Implementing technology to use less water, recycling water from cooling systems, and preventing pollution.
• Reduction of urban consumption: Using low-power water-saving devices, treating and reusing domestic wastewater, promoting environmental education among citizens, and pricing water in a way that is more in line with its true cost.

Technical Measures

These consist of different types of engineering works designed to increase the availability of water. Although expensive, they include the construction of dams and reservoirs, as well as performing water transfers to move water from one watershed to another.

Policy Measures

These are based on the development of national laws and international agreements that attempt to solve the problem of water shortages in vulnerable areas.