Many of us have easy access to water in our daily lives, but have you ever stopped to consider where this seemingly endless supply comes from? The truth is: only a tiny percentage of Earth’s water is actually drinkable! Only 2.5% of the world’s water is freshwater, and just 1% of this freshwater is stored in lakes and rivers. The rest is locked away in frozen glaciers, or in groundwater deep beneath the surface. Thus, lakes are important and easily-accessible sources of our drinking water. But, many countries are threatened by water shortages because of the decreasing water supply from these lakes!
See It Before It’s Gone: The Aral Sea
It was once the fourth largest freshwater sea in the world, but today the Aral Sea has lost over 90% of its volume. It’s located in the arid Central Asian region and shared by two countries, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. They were once controlled by the Soviet Union throughout the 1960s, which used the Aral Sea’s water for agriculture. In the harsh desert climate, they wanted to grow cotton, one of the most water-demanding crops. It takes nearly 10 million litres of water to produce 1 ton of cotton!
However, excessive water usage caused the sea to shrink in volume. This caused a vicious cycle, where less water meant the Aral Sea heated up more quickly, which caused even more water to evaporate. When scientists realised this was happening, it was already too late to stop the shrinking process. By 2014, the eastern part of the sea had completely dried up.
The loss of the Aral Sea had devastating impacts on communities in the surrounding area. Residents were deprived of potable water as the sea’s salinity drastically increased. Groundwater was also affected and became unsuitable for agriculture, causing food shortages in the region. Towns around the Aral Sea were dependent on fishing for their income, but the receding water levels caused them to become abandoned. Although there have been efforts to restore the sea to its original size, the high water consumption by cotton farms in Uzbekistan have limited the success of these programmes.
United States of America: Meet Lake Mead
If you think that water shortages only happen in dry, developing countries, you would be mistaken! Lake Mead is a reservoir in the USA that supplies water to states in the southwest region. But, due to droughts and high water consumption, over 25 million people are at risk of losing access to water.
The water levels in Lake Mead have decreased drastically in recent months, with its capacity reaching a historic low of 27% in July 2022. Climate change has caused extended periods of drought in the US, greatly reducing the amount of water that the lake receives. US government agencies have issued urgent requests to cut down on water usage by 2.5-5 billion gallons in the next 18 months, as failing to do so could damage the lake’s ability to regain its original volume.
The tale of Lake Mead shows that even in developed countries, we need to take measures to ensure water security. With residents in developed countries using far more water than those in developing countries, it is crucial that wealthier countries take steps to promote the sustainable consumption of water. Regardless of a country’s level of development, it is always important to conserve water as its supply is not infinite.
Singapore’s National Tap: Linggiu Reservoir
Despite its focus on water security, even Singapore isn’t safe from the threat of water shortages. Singapore diversifies its sources of water with its 4 national taps: Imported water, desalinated water, NEWater and local catchment water. Out of these 4 taps, imported water is the biggest source, supplying Singapore with nearly 60% of its water!
Singapore’s imported water is extracted from Linggiu Reservoir in Johor, Malaysia. However, the reservoir’s water levels have fluctuated in past years due to unusually dry weather. From 2015 to 2017, Linggiu Reservoir’s levels decreased drastically, and it even reached a historic low of 20% in October 2016. There were fears that if the drought continued, the reservoir could’ve completely dried up in 2017.
Fortunately, Singapore’s other national taps helped to compensate for the shortfall in imported water, with NEWater and desalination plants being able to meet 30% and 25% of Singapore’s water demands respectively. It was only in 2021 when Linggiu Reservoir reached healthy levels again, with heavy rainfall helping the reservoir to recover. However, another extended drought could cause the reservoir’s water levels to fall once more. With the growing threat of climate change, unpredictable weather patterns could hinder Singapore’s ability to rely on imported water for its supply.
Future Solutions: Consuming Water Sustainably
As drought and water shortages threaten more and more countries, we need to develop new methods to meet the growing demand for water. Unsustainably exploiting freshwater lakes will cause their river systems to collapse and leave surrounding communities without potable water, as seen in the example of the Aral Sea. Not only should we diversify our sources of water, but we should also develop solutions to reduce water consumption.
Sustainable water use is an increasingly relevant issue for governments nowadays, but is it possible for ordinary citizens like us to contribute? We can reduce the amount of water consumed in our daily lives, by adopting good practices like turning off the shower while soaping, or using the half-flush when possible. If your household is planning to purchase a new washing machine or cistern, choose a product which has high water efficiency to reduce water usage. Although these steps may seem small, we can save vast amounts of water if everyone makes these changes, ensuring that our freshwater sources remain usable for future generations!