Yashvi Patel

Mr. Paschalidas

CIA 4UO
April 11th, 2016

Source: Washington Post

Date of Article: February 12th, 2016

Author: Chris Mooney

Over Half the Worlds Population Suffers From

Severe Water Scarcity Entry #3
Summary:
Four billion people around the globe live in conditions of extreme water
scarcity at least one month during the year. The availability of fresh water is
less in certain areas when compared with the demand for it from agriculture,
industry and human household needs. High water scarcity levels appear to
prevail in areas with either high population density, or in presence of higher
agriculture levels, such as India or China. Moreover, if severe water
shortages occur, the main impact is usually upon agricultural systems,
farmers and food security.

Economic Concepts:
The main economic concept affecting this article is scarcity. Scarcity is the
fundamental economic problem of having seemingly unlimited human wants
in a world of limited resources. It states that society has insufficient
productive resources to fulfill all human wants and needs. In this article the

Edited By: Areeba Ahmed

scarce resource presented is fresh water. The need (demand) for water is
increasing, especially in areas of agriculture, but the supply is not enough to
fulfill all the needs. There is a lack of available water resources to meet water
needs within certain regions of the world, resulting in water to be a scarce
resource. Another example of scarcity is coal. Just like water, since coal is a
natural resource, it is scarce and the use of it in energy production is
relatively high.

Connections and Implications:

This issue of scarcity can relate to productivity. Access to quality water is key
to economic prosperity and better living standards. Businesses and schools
thrive when people come to work on time and not have to spend time
looking for water. Manufacturing activities, commercial farms, and mining
processes all need a lot of water to thrive. Poor water quality or limited or
unreliable access to water means higher costs for all businesses and
consumers. Lack of water means no economic activities will happen and the
people will be in constant poverty. In the developing world, the lack of proper
water and sanitation infrastructure constricts economic growth where growth
is needed most. In parts of the United States and in many countries, the
undervaluation of water has led to poor maintenance of aging infrastructure.

My Views:

In my opinion, though water is a natural resource and cannot be produced by

us, humans, through correct government intervention and regulations water
scarcity can be avoided. Educating individuals on how to conserve water in
developing countries can help with such an issue. Also government and firms
could advance technology related to water conservation. Agricultures are
often a huge culprit when it comes to water scarcity. Because of that, its
important to improve practices so that we dont use as much water and
those who are using water are using it to its fullest potential.