‘Water, the essential fluid on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.’ Prepare an essay based on the depletion and redemption of this valuable resource.
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Answer:
World-renowned oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau once said, “Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.”1 A report by the World Health Organization estimated that, in 2012, more than one in four deaths of children under the age of five were caused by the unhealthy environments in which they lived.2 These adverse environmental exposures include air pollution, unsafe water, poor sanitation, and hazardous contaminants. While it is quite well recognised that a large concentration of hazardous pollutants comes from industrial waste, there is a general lack of awareness about the rapidly growing amounts of hazardous waste generated by farmers, households and residences.
Household hazardous waste in our midst
Household hazardous waste (HHW) comprises leftover household products that contain toxic, flammable and corrosive materials.3 These include used computers and monitors, mobile phones, electronic appliances and devices, fluorescent lamps, batteries, mercury-containing thermometers, motor oil and paints, pesticides and insecticides, chemical cleaning products, and materials containing polychlorinated biphenyl.
A study conducted across 20 European countries, Mexico, Canada, Greenland, Japan, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Nepal and several states in the United States estimated that the amount of HHW generated per person between 1992 and 2013 increased from about 0.4 to 7.9 kilogrammes per inhabitant.4 This amount is growing rapidly, and a report by the Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability at United Nations University predicts that the generation of global electronic waste may reach 49.8 million tonnes, or around 6.7 kilogrammes per inhabitant by 2018.5 Electronic waste, in particular, accounts for a major part of the waste stream. As mobile phones and other electronic gadgets become more affordable, Asia, with its large populations, now contributes the most waste—to the order of 16 million metric tonnes annually as of 2014
Depletion and redemption of water
Water is the most essential component required for our survival. It directly supports life on Earth. The Earth is abundantly filled with water,i.e. almost 71% of it has water but only a small part of it is accessible to humans. This makes it all the more necessary to save water.
On the other hand, it has been exploited and depleted lately due to human activities. In spite of the importance of water, there's an increasing occurrence of water pollution and thereby arises the growing need for water conservation. This requires a concerted effort for water conservation.
People should adopt ways to conserve water, one of which is rainwater harvesting. The other way is groundwater conservation as depleting groundwater level is another alarming sign. Recycling of water should be facilitated to avoid wastage of water. Water pollution needs to be checked by preventing the disposal of garbage in the water bodies.
Shortage of water can adversely affect agriculture and thereby this needs to be looked after. Every individual should come forward to save water by limiting the use of this resource, avoiding wastage, and also by conserving it for future use. Therefore, the prime focus should be to sustain life on Earth by protecting all our natural resources.