Water & Climate Change Essay Example

caused significant strain on freshwater systems. (Evolutes) The potential impact of climate change is a growing concern for individuals and businesses alike. A region's climate directly affects its agriculture, tourism, and recreational activities, ultimately influencing local industries.

According to Degrading (2012), climate variability results in more frequent and severe floods and droughts globally, causing an increase in mortality and morbidity due to extreme heat, cold, drought or storms. Additionally, Mushier (2012) forecasts that increasing temperatures will intensify the water cycle, causing alterations in current hydrological resources and exacerbating the pressure on future water availability in certain regions worldwide.

According to Water Resources Impacts ; Adaptation, regions with warming climates will have a higher evaporation rate of water into the atmosphere. This may cause some areas to dry out while other areas experience excess precipitation. Heavier downpours can also affect our ability to store and use runoff. Runoff can quickly return to the ocean, or it can carry pollutants and other materials into water supplies, making them unusable for humans and requiring expensive water treatment.

Coastal cities are at risk of overwhelming their water infrastructure due to increased levels of water from downpours. Sewer systems and wastewater treatment facilities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of storm surges and rising sea levels, as noted by Water Resources Impacts ; Adaptation. Additionally, warmer weather during winter months causes more rainfall and earlier melting of snow and glaciers. As a result, the timing of stream flow in rivers originating in mountainous areas is directly affected.

The increase in water supply from the temporary melting of glaciers results in less fresh water reserves for the summer

months when demand is high. Moreover, if glaciers continue to melt, the advance of salt water upstream becomes a possibility. Additionally, as the world heats up, ice caps melt faster and contribute to rising sea levels.

The rise of sea levels endangers freshwater resources found near coasts. This can lead to the contamination of freshwater resources. As indicated by Water Resources Impacts ; Adaptation, temperature rises disrupt aquatic ecosystems by altering ocean chemistry and increasing acidity. This negatively impacts coral reefs, which serve as a habitat for a significant portion of ocean biodiversity. The destruction of coral reefs harms other species, including fish that are consumed by people, and other marine life that is admired by many (NCSC).

The modifications impact both "coastal inhabitants" and "other sectors operating in those marine areas," including shipping, swimming, and fishing.

Regions with heavy precipitation resulting from changing weather patterns experience crop damage and soil erosion, while droughts increase soil salinity. Due to altered plant growth cycles, farmers and gardeners are forced to adjust their planting strategies (NCSC).

Water, a limited resource, requires improved management to sustain the growing human population. However, the potential impacts of climate variability make it difficult to implement a command and control approach that would necessitate an unattainable increase in water volumes. To cope with the extreme weather conditions that we have limited technical control over, water management must become more adaptable.

The implementation of adaptive and integrated management strategies does not only depend on demand management but also acknowledges diverse ways of enhancing resilience against climate change effects on water resources.

To restore the natural hydrology of flood-prone areas, the EPA

recommends building green stemware infrastructures like rain gardens, stemware planters, and green roofs. Even though efforts are underway to combat global warming and its consequences, greenhouse gases that have already been emitted will lead to a rise in atmospheric temperature for the next thirty years.

According to the EPA, the rise in atmospheric temperatures will lead to a heightened energy in the hydrological cycle with significant impacts on various sectors globally such as agriculture, production, infrastructure, human health, and ecosystems.