Freshwater resources are vital for meeting basic human needs and inadequate protection of the quality and the supply of freshwater can set important limits to sustainable development. Many health hazards in developing countries and transition-economy countries are related to poor water quality and limited water quantity. Many of these countries use more than their annual freshwater renewal rate by satisfying demands from non-renewable resources. This water shortage is expected to worsen as a result of several factors including population growth compounded by continued rural-urban migration, pollution of surface water sources, and an increase in the standard of living resulting in growing demand.
Traditionally, governments respond to extra demand by increasing the water supply for urban dwellers; a practice which is becoming more and more difficult as sources of good quality water become geographically more distant, making it more expensive to explore and develop. Abstraction of......
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Approximate Word Count: 330
Approximate Pages: 2 (260 words per double-spaced page) |