Although around 70% of the surface of the world is covered by water, only approximately 2.5% of all this water is freshwater, which is why we need to look after our groundwater. The earth’s surface is around 70% water and the human body is also around 70% water; makes one think, doesn’t it?
We need water; there is no way around that fact – without water to drink we cannot keep our bodies hydrated, and if we become dehydrated we cannot function at our best. The more dehydrated we become the less we can function, and within just a few days we will lapse into a coma and die.
We Need to Look After Our Groundwater
Groundwater is the water that collects in underground aquifers in various ways, sometimes over thousands of years. This water is then brought to the surface in a number of ways and used for various purposes such as drinking water, water for agricultural purposes and for industrial purposes.
The amount of water on earth is the same as it was when earth was born; why is it then that we have water shortages, water scarcity and droughts? Doesn’t the water just seep back into the earth again when we have finished using it?
Well, it is not that difficult to understand really. Yes, the water on the earth is the same as it always was, but there are problem areas where there is insufficient water due to:
· A Changing climate
The earth has been experiencing a changing climate for the past decade or so now, due to what some refer to as global warming. This has meant that the seasons have been changing somewhat, and some areas that received little rain before are now getting even less, or less often, while the reverse is happening in other regions.
· Burgeoning Population
Even though the amount of water on the earth is the same as what it always was, the population in most areas has grown as such apace over the past couple of centuries that the current freshwater supplies are being severely strained in many regions.
· The Water Cycle
The water that is drawn from underground aquifers does return to the earth, but not always in the same region as from whence it came. Some of the water returns to the soil when crops are irrigated, some of it seeps back in to the earth from runoff and some of it in the form of sewage. Some of the water, however, evaporates and is taken up into the sky in the form of clouds which can travel for thousands of kilometres before they get too dense and the water then falls as rain in another region.
Lowering groundwater levels mean less water for the local communities that depend on this source for drinking water, water for personal hygiene and other reasons. We need to ensure that we do not waste water, and that we grow water-friendly gardens. If farmers are forced to face harder times due to the lack of groundwater to grow their crops, they will be forced to change the crops that they currently grow to less water-intensive crops, or even change from produce farming to ranching for instance.
We need to look after our groundwater so that we will have sufficient drinking water, water for hygiene purposes and food preparation, and not be forced to change the amount of or even what we eat.
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