Limited Water, Unlimited Backfire
It's been a while since the news issuing draught of Korea took over the first page of most newspapers. Korea is the country where water runs short, but many people use large amount of water without acknowledging the fact. There are various factors that affect the water shortage. Natural disaster like draught is the first, and the pollution of water is the second. Also, many people seem to forget the seriousness of water shortage, but it is a huge disaster for the mankind.
What human use to wash, eat and manufacture are freshwater which is only 2.5 percent of the whole water supply of the Earth. Seawater is the most abundant water source, but salt and impurities included in it hinders the further use of sea water. Water has the cycle of flowing towards the ocean, evaporating and returning as the part of weather phenomena. Due to the cycle, the water supply may seem constant on every place, but it is not. Earth's weather is very complicated. The weather change on the other side of the Earth may affect Korea's weather as well. All weather changes are organically connected. So sometimes periodically, and sometimes suddenly, natural disasters like draught takes place. Draught happens when water cycle is broke. Evaporation process still takes place, but the process of raining and snowing is not enough to resupply the evaporated amount of water. If draught goes on for years, it fatally influences the water supply. Although the technology development of water supply control helped the country to suffer less severe water shortage during draught season, the amount of water that people can use is still limited.
Pollution is another factor that affects water supply of a country. Water is polluted as people use water as domestic and industrial purposes. Domestic water waste is something that comes from people's living. People cook, wash, eat, drink and do variety of things with water. As we live, we pollute water. These wastes were not much several hundred years ago, but the amount doubled and tripled as people developed and improved their living. For industrial purposes, people mix chemicals with water and it cannot be used until it is purified within chemical process. Earth itself has natural purification process but it could not purify the huge amount of waste water that humans made. So people had to purify water on their own. Even if water is polluted, people can use the water by purifying them. However, some of these purification processes are complicated and it need huge amount of money. Accordingly, severely polluted water went out of use, which led to the water shortage.
What happens when water resource is limited? Many scientists and experts have given out several extreme endings human will face in the future when water shortage goes on. All the animals, including human and plants cannot live without water. Land without water becomes desert, where not much plants and animals live. First, it will lead to the shortage of food and basic resources. Deserted lands are hard to develop and manufacture something. Some products need water requisitely. Water shortage will limit these products' production. Second and third, it will lead to shortage of land resource and other goods. Water price will hike through the price ceiling as it is the fatal source for living but has to be purified. People, who are unable to pay for the price will wash less, drink less or use dirty water as a secondary option. Fourth, it will lead to disease increase and majorities' health failure. In the end, since water resource is limited but needed, the third World War will break out in the extreme ending.
Water is not abundant in every place. Its shortage is much severe problem than what people think. In long run, the shortage can lead to another shortage which will affect human fatally and furthermore, lead to the disastrous future of World War; the war for survival. People of Korea and the world should be aware of these facts and stop the overuse of water and pollution of water.
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