Shortage of Water and Solutions
Published by Yogesh Agrawal, Director (retired), Minor irrigation schemes, Water Resources Department at Govt of Rajasthan in Social
Most of the people are now talking about water. Actually the water problem is very simple to understand. The development activities (particularly by the governments) have very dangerously, adversely affected and damaged the natural water resources channels and reservoirs.
Mining and construction activities have heavily damaged the water resources. The solution is also very simple, which is to stop exponential growth of human population and to reduce use of water in agriculture activities.
The nations having too less young population, may like to attract young people for their requirements from nations, which have lot of young people.
We have to think for new ways to reduce population, population density and use of water in agriculture. The rich and mighty people on earth are also responsible in a big way for wastage of precious water and water resource, who need to be curbed by national / international laws with provisions of snatching their wealth by the Government and put them in prison for number of years.
Every construction and obstruction activity in flood plain areas causing hindrance in free flow of water, should be removed and person / ministers/ politicians/ government officials responsible for it should be put in prison for several years in addition to financial punishment
Tags
Category: Social
- Irrigation and Drainage
- Water Resources
- Water Supply
- Construction
1 Comment
Right you are Yogesh, agriculture should come first, since irrigation absorbs 2/3 of available fresh water. The simple answer to the problem is to reduce evaporation in hot and arid areas, which 50% of the water brought to the soil. Take a look at one the most promising technologies for this: http://guilspare.com This product reduces irrigation by 50% by coating soil particles to prevent evaporation to take place, while allowing air exchange in the soil. Another advantage of this is to allow the access to water to the plant at anytime (no more water stress for the plant and for the growers), while reducing the salt content by percolation effect (salt being brought down). Its price is paid back several times by the economy on water and by the increase of crop yield. Am afraid nobody understands this. How about you?
Published by Laurent Selles, WIPO Green Board Advisor, Geneva
1 Comment
I am not the right person to comment on the product you mentioned, Laurent. The soil scientist and agronomy expert may like to comment. However when we talk of saving water, we have to prioritize the areas, where efforts may bring better results. The agriculture sector utilize maximum water. If we grow crops, which utilise less water -sowing to harvesting, then water consumption can be reduced. There are two alternatives, one is growing rice , sugarcane and other high water consuming crops in much lesser areas and other is to discover/ invent new varieties of rice, sugarcane ,etc which consumes much less water.
Published by Yogesh Agrawal, Director (retired), Minor irrigation schemes, Water Resources Department at Govt of Rajasthan