Water Usage: A Study Guide

Conflict can also occur within a country, for example the states situated within the Colorado river basin have been constantly squabbling over who owns the water supply and who should be allocated the most water. In the 1920s the ‘Law of the River’ established the division of water amongst the upper basin states, it also defined their responsibility to supply water to the lower basin states. This division had been based on an estimated annual flow of 21 billion m3/yr in 1920, however this was a time of above normal flows, recent studies have indicated that long term average flows are around 18 billion m3/yr. The deficit between the flow and the allocation has become more apparent as the population in the clorado basin states continues to rise. As a result of this deficit tensions are rising between the states, California receives a large percentage of the water as a result of its large population and political power even though the river does not directly flow through it. This has heightened tensions with the states

The Aral Sea was the world's fourth largest freshwater lake in 1960. Since then, there has been a water transfer project using mainly a canal that sends water to numerous locations across Asia. It is now almost dry because of our use. Some ways it has been effected include: it's lost 72 feet of height, 89% of its volume, and has been split in half. Also, its salinity increased sevenfold while toxicity increased (resulting in contaminated drinking water and health issues). Recovery efforts soon began in 1999, and with the contribution of 600 million dollars from the UN and the World Bank. Surrounding countries also worked hard, and now the situation, though still progressing toward the worse, is more or less stable.

DBQ In places such as India, waterways have always played a huge role in their history. In the past India used to be a huge ship-building country until Britain conquered it, and their reputation dropped. Still, productive oil fields and fisheries are found ways along shorelines, and are actively used for trade. Throughout history, it’s been evident that the usage and control of waterways has economic and political effects on many societies.

First a background on the problem with water pollution must be given. Both oceans and freshwater

In research, we reviewed national laws and the constitutions of countries across the world, to determine how successful governments were in both acknowledging a human right to water, and enforcing it. Our findings varied, and rather than creating a comprehensive list of water laws by country, I will refer you to The Water Law and Standards Website — a joint

Since the beginning of time, water has played a key role in societies all over the world. The earliest recorded civilizations have all been found along large river valleys, such as, the Indus River in India and the Yellow River in China. Water is an essential part of life; it does not just sustain the life of all human beings around the globe, but also sustains the life of every living thing known to this Earth. All of the major cities that we know today are surrounded by large river systems that supply its people with the means to survive in that region. These rivers also link our different communities together and allow us to prosper, but these rivers are being taken advantage of. Our once great rivers are falling victim to pollution and

In the United States, the available water resources is also under assault. Half of water collected and stored by existing infrastructure is usually used in the production of electricity. This forces the population to use and divide what little there is left. This has always been a “good enough” approach until now, when water prices and population is on the rise.(3) There are already calls for charging water resources in order to increase efficiency of use.(3) Water protection is already being carried out and has been for years, but there is still water pollution occurring within the United States. After the Civil war, America strived to provide its population with clean water

In the United States, there are two primary water right laws; the first is riparian water rights and the second is prior appropriation water rights. Riparian water rights has two methods of use. One method is the person who owns the land by the water source owns the water, but cannot interfere with the natural flow of the water. The other is based upon reasonable use. A person can use the water if it is reasonable for the purpose of his needs. This is based on case by case usage. Prior appropriation water rights gives the right of the water to whoever claimed the land by it first. The person with seniority has right to use as much water as wanted.

For years, there has been debate over who has access to the water in the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes provide about 20 percent of the world’s freshwater resources and many areas would like to use that water for various purposes. Water is also becoming a valuable resource, with many areas lacking the access to it necessary for their area’s needs. Because of this, lawmakers passed a compact in 2008 that was designed to protect the Great Lakes against pressure from other States to withdraw water (Kalsness, 2011). A compact is an agreement between states or nations that bind them to whatever they agreed upon. This compact makes sure that areas outside of the Great Lakes region do not have access to the water. Despite this compact, some want to use the Great Lakes to pipe water to other states that do not have the same natural resources. Proponents of this piping say that is gives water to areas that need it and that it will provide additional income to the area (Cauchon, 2006). Opponents say that piping would go against water conservation and environmental protection as well as water management. They also say that it is a natural resource that belongs to the area and should not be taken away to other areas of the country (Dempsey, 2008). Currently, the debate continues about the correct use of the resource of the Great Lakes.

Water usage for agriculture in Ontario is exceeded by two other sectors but, does play a large part and quite important as it generates a lot of economic revenue for the citizens. In Ontario, the Canadian Government requires all farmers who will be withdrawing more than 50,000 L of water to obtain the “Permit to Take Water”. This allows for the government to monitor how much water is being allotted to the agricultural sector. There are several issues faced by the government when trying to track water usage rates in Ontario. Agricultural water use in Ontario is distributed amongst 60,000 farms (figure 1) mostly in Southern, Ontario (Loë, 2005). The allocation of water in Ontario depends on accurate information from the sources of water, users

Although water conservation helps, some people have misconceptions about what water conservation can and can't do. If we all work together to conserve water, we can help assure a bright and prosperous life for future generations. Become an advocate of conservation in your community. Help promote conservation as a wise and important water management principle.

The Aral Sea’s main reason for it to shrink is the human activity that has been taken place there for more than 52 years. On Discovery ED page 6 it states, “The Aral Sea covered an area of 26,300 square miles just 52 years ago. Today, it is only one-tenth of its original size and is shrinking daily.” The humans used the Aral Sea for irrigational purposes without considering the consequences. It is decided that the Aral Sea has shrunk because of the human occupation.

Priscoli, J. D. & Wolf, A. T. (2009). Managing and Transforming Water Conflicts: USA: Cambridge University Press.

Many countries are also highly dependent on water that originates outside their borders; the water diversion provided by dams for countries that are downstream exacerbates an already serious problem. The diversion of river systems is an area of international concern, the nature and extent of such interdependency is already extensive: 145 countries share over 261 international river basin. As demand increases, and as indigenous sources of water become fully utilized or exhausted, the only alternatives are likely to be international (Dolatyar, 2006). Ironically, the very solution of one country's scarcity, plunges another into water shortage, this is the reason why water security is one of the most crucial foreign policy considerations of a globally connected economic and political atmosphere.

One of the most important yet under-appreciated conflicts in the Middle East is over water resources along the Jordan River. As population and demand for water in the riparian states of Israel, Jordan, Palestine, and Syria have sky-rocketed, water scarcity in the desert region has reached crisis proportions. In response, leaders on all sides have entered into a dialogue, known as "hydro-politics," that has been characterized by an unyielding attitude of political conservatism set against an understanding that regional cooperation is the riparians' surest salvation. The answer lies in a combination of hydro-diplomacy and technology. With the aid of countries and NGOs outside of the regions,