It's difficult to make a direct link. Yet, the reality is there. In the name of climate warming, the Earth must endure more and more natural disasters. In several regions of the world, especially in at-risk areas, the price to pay is heavy. Having access to quality water in daily life becomes a problem. But climatologists are clear: we should expect heavier consequences. In this mini-report, discover the interaction between climate disruption and the water cycle and indirectly on access to drinking water.
Global warming and access to drinking water for populations: what links?
Every March 22, the world celebrates World Water Day. But access to water on our planet is increasingly threatened due to human activity and changing lifestyles that continue to exacerbate global warming.
Given industrial activities, the gases and dust emitted by factories, an ever-increasing volume of greenhouse gases is constantly being emitted into the atmosphere. Thus, the ozone layer is taking a hit and becoming fragile. The greenhouse effect, which is a natural phenomenon of heat retention on Earth, is becoming excessive.
Since 1850, the climate has been getting warmer with a rate of increase greater than 0.6°C since the 20th century, even though the effects are unevenly distributed across the globe. And by 2100, the C.I.eau expects to see the level of climate warming caused by human-origin atmospheric pollution rise from 0.5°C to 1.5 or even 2°C.
But what are its impacts? Why, for example, in Mayotte, do nearly 41,000 people lack access to safe drinking water services? What happens to the right to water, which consists of each human being having access to affordable, easily accessible water in sufficient quantity and of acceptable quality for personal use?
The impact of climate disruption on access to drinking water
It is important to know that climate change directly affects the hydrological cycle in its entirety. Between disruptions in rainfall patterns, changes in runoff, and the multiplication of natural disasters, the consequences are terrible.
More intense drought in high altitudes
When temperatures begin to rise sustainably, we witness the intensification and prolongation of drought in many regions of the world. In subtropical areas, that is to say in high altitudes, water resources are depleting at a faster rate due to intense drought.
However, for the population to have access to drinking water, there must be a sufficient quantity of water in the underground aquifers and in the rivers. With drought and the reduction of the volume of water available in these environments, it becomes difficult for the population to have enough water for their domestic needs.
From a certain point, populations really only have access to surface waters which are known for their unsanitary conditions and for their vulnerability to pollution. Water scarcity is clearly the first direct consequence of climate disruption.
According to studies, in about twenty years, nearly 600 million children will not have access to drinking water in the world. For some areas with limited water resources, the risks could be exacerbated.
The contamination of freshwater reserves by seawater
Moreover, under the effect of global warming, the ice located at the poles as well as the glaciers begin to melt. However, glaciers are responsible for capturing freshwater that will subsequently be gradually returned to ecosystems during dry seasons to serve nearly 1/6 of the world's population.
With the widespread melting of mountain and sea ice and the disappearance of glaciers, the flow of rivers increases and the sea level begins to rise, as high temperatures cause the expansion of seawater, which thus occupies a larger volume. Since the 1990s, an average annual rise of nearly 3.36 mm in ocean levels has been observed.
Given the lack of efficient capture and storage infrastructures, seawater spills into freshwater reserves and contaminates them, considering their proximity and the natural porosity of the rocks.
The alteration of the chemical and biological balance of water
Global warming causes the increase of the temperature of deep and surface waters. Far from being a trivial phenomenon, this increase causes an imbalance in the quality of water available for consumption, especially since the chemical and biological balance is altered. The pH of the waters, for example, can be modified.
Pathogenic agents from the sewers invade the sea and can end up in freshwater sources, making drinking water dangerous, with risks of infection, gastroenteritis, etc.
An increase in precipitation
In other parts of the world, particularly in regions located in the northern hemisphere, climate disruption does not cause drought, but the opposite effect. One should expect greater precipitation. However, coupled with humanity's inability to retain excessive amounts of water, excessively heavy and violent rains cause even more damage, such as floods, inundations, tornadoes, storms, landslides, coastal erosion, etc.
Greater mobility of pollutants
With the intensification of precipitation caused by climate change in certain regions of the world, recovery, purification, and wastewater treatment facilities are under strain. They reach a maximum saturation level. As soon as their capacities are exceeded, they begin to spread fecal matter, leading to an increase in water-related or waterborne diseases.
This includes malaria, dengue, cholera, diarrhea, etc. It should be noted that theunsanitary conditions of water are among the main causes of child mortality in the world, far ahead of armed conflicts.
The runoff of water in high altitudes promotes the mobility of pollutants and carries waste that overflows into sewers and spreads, reaching underground aquifers and the network, thus making water unfit for consumption.
On the other hand, with the industrial development, an incredible number of physicochemical compounds emitted by factory activities are found trapped in rainwater, exposing water reserves to significant risks. By 2025, it is estimated that nearly 38% of the global population will face water stress.
In summary, as indicated by the UN in its report of March 22, 2020, on the right to water, "climate change will affect water services, access to water, the availability of water, the quality and quantity of water available to meet basic needs, which will undermine the enjoyment of the fundamental rights of billions of people to drinking water and sanitation." Thus, as early as 2019, France had been ranked 59e position on the list of countries exposed to water scarcity risks.
Climate change and limited access to drinking water: What solutions?
Knowing that it is unequally distributed across the globe and that it is more than ever threatened by climate change, water deserves all our attention. What can be done to reduce the weight of the consequences of global warming on populations' access to drinking water?
Even though the level of poverty can exacerbate the problem, high-income households are not really spared, as it is not enough to have a roof over one's head to have sufficient quantity and quality of drinking water.
Public authorities and populations continue to seek sustainable answers to the problem. One of the most efficient solutions found is to rethink our modes of water production and consumption in order to preserve our water resources, avoid wasting them, and prevent overconsumption. We are talking about circular economy.
The principle of the circular economy is the opposite of the linear model which wants that we produce, we consume, and we throw away. For example, nearly 85% of this water is discharged untreated in the world's major cities. But wouldn't it be important to think about providing populations with means of sanitation and wastewater treatment? According to the principle of the circular economy, it will be necessary for example:
- Prefer showers to baths;
- Detect and repair water leaks early;
- Prefer water-saving devices;
- Install flow regulation solutions on taps for example;
- Promote and encourage industrial and territorial ecology;
- Recover and recycle water, especially for watering flowers and other similar needs;
- Promote the adoption of water filters, to purify tap water and reduce health risks.
In short, the circular economy wants water resources to be managed efficiently, so that they are available infinitely. Starting from the observation that drinking water mainly comes from non-renewable water sources (the groundwater for example), the circular economy consists of producing better to consume better and to better value in order to continue to produce and consume. Thus, the world would be better sheltered of the water scarcity problem.
