Water Scarcity Calls for Desperate Measures
DENEN DANIEL
Water, food and air are the three basic requirements for the survival of all living things. Water is the most important of all the three. As a result of the importance of water to all living things, it is evident that the entire history of man has never for once neglected its quest in making sure water is made available.
The Holy Scripture does not spare to mention the distinguished role of water to man. Scarcity thrust its crude dagger down the bowls of average inhabitants of Nigerian communities. There is no knowing when these firm and crooked fingers of agony will relieve the sufferers as the gloomy clouds of anguish enjoy a steady flight on the wings of population explosion without meaningful signs of efforts to commensurate the demands for water. Water scarcity is almost as old as man himself. Economically speaking, the unfair and insufficient availability of resources for man’s use spread to include water. In fact, the adage that “water is life,” has never for once in the history of man lost its relevance and substantiated posture In the insistence for availability of water for both domestic and industrial consumption. This is a fact which has come to be through scientific proof.
As ways of life continue to improve through the relentless stirring of the oars of science and technology, the demand for water occur correspondingly. For instance, improve in the health sector has occasioned longer life expectancy, safer ways of child delivery and a tremendous decrease in the infant and child mortality which put together have accelerated global population growth. In a bid to ensure a peace, equality and a widespread access to natural resources, the United Nation through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) captured in goal number six (6) its intention to ensure available and accessible means of clean water and sanitation. Despite this obvious population rise of Nigerians (200, 000, 000), there is no meaningful effort either at the individual or government to fashion concise measures towards ensuring the availability of sustainable sources of water.
Since the creation of the League of Nations in 1918 (renamed in 1945 as the United Nations), there remains persistent call to eliminate water scarcity. These calls have so far engulfed huge amount of monies with surprisingly little or no corresponding alleviation of the ugly situation of water scarcity. Over time, both the federal and the state governments have continued to budget monies for the provision of clean water both for domestic and industrial uses in the country. But nothing is yet on ground to provide adequate and portable water.
According to statistics on the official website of the United Nations, a number of well over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress. These huge and threatening figures are projected to assume an existential threat where it is estimated that by 2040, one in four of the world’s children under 18 some 600 million in all will be living in areas of extremely high water stress. Paramount on the warnings of these figures is the need to step up critical commitments towards avoiding bleak futuristic forecasts which again according to Global Water Institute, 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030. As bad situation continues to progress towards the superlative, it has never been more incumbent on the both international, national and local governments to step up measures to avert the impending doom lurking not far in the future against humanity. As the Coronavirus (Covid 19) continued to ring global alarm with calls for improved hygiene, it is viable to look into the area of water treatment and reticulation. As established, water is essential and should be so considered for the good of humanity.
