Why water is a renewable but limited resource

To start defined renewable or inexhaustible resource Like anyone who comes from nature and is generated with greater speed than consumed. Thanks to Water cycle We have water for use and enjoyment.

Water originates from two ways, one inside the earth and another on the surface. The internal route consists of a series of chemical reactions that occur inside the earth’s cortex and that produce water, going to the surface by rashes, hot springs or geyseres. On the other hand, the external route begins with the evaporation of the water of the seas, reservoirs, rivers and other water sources. Also animals and plants provide water vapor to the atmosphere due to sweating and perspiration. This steam rises to the atmosphere and when it cools for low temperatures, the clouds are condensed and forms. The clouds move in the interior of the continent and cool are promoting their precipitation in the form of water, snow or ice depending on the atmospheric temperature. Once it rushes, part of the water infiltrates the ground, giving rise to the existence of groundwater, another part drains through the surface through the rivers until the sea reaches again and another part is used by living beings.

But, Why is water a renewable but limited resource? In the following lines we put examples of the use that humans give to the water, to have more data to understand this issue, and then we answer this doubt.

The man, as a living being who is, needs and uses much of the water for his activities. Next, the most important uses we give to the water.

• Domestic and urban use: We use a large part of the water for personal and home hygiene. In cities, water is used in fountains, to water the gardens and clean the streets among others.
• Industry: Water is used for the development of products such as in the food or cosmetic industry in as refrigerant or diluent of effluents in other production processes.
• Agriculture: In some cases, water that arrives naturally is used, but irrigation systems are usually used that increase and ensure the existence of crops.
• Energy: Water is also used as a source of energy. We distinguish the hydroelectric energy, which uses the water currents generated when the gates are opened in the reservoirs and the water passes, the mareomotor energy used by the movement of the currents produced by the tidal movements and the undymoth energy, which results from taking advantage of the kinetic energy that the waves have.
• Aquaculture: Much of the fish and seafood we consume comes from fish farms, so water is also needed as a culture means.
• Recreational use: Other human uses of water are related to leisure and sport such as pools, tourism, fishing, etc.

Now that we have seen that Water is considered a renewable natural resource But that it is really scarce, we will clarify that in fact we can consider Water as a limited resource.

There are several reasons why water is, and more and more, a limited resource. It is true that the Earth is covered by 70% water, however, fresh water, indispensable for our survival, only represents 2.8% of the planet’s water. Fresh water reserves on the planet are limited. 77% of fresh water is in the form of ice and snow. 21.3% is the fresh water in the subsoil. 0.69% is the fresh water in lakes, rivers, swamps and other reservoirs. And 0.1% is the fresh water in plants and animals. This means that only about 22% of fresh water is available for direct consumption.

However, that percentage is not entirely Not all fresh water is potable And, therefore, it cannot be consumed directly. In order for water to drink it has to be pastelized, that is, it has to suffer a process of eliminating pathogenic and mineral microorganisms. Nor should it be forgotten that many waste is poured into the waters, contaminating them and therefore making them inappropriate for consumption and use.

To all that we must add that not all parts of the world receive the same amount of water and also the more the population grows, the more valuable it becomes. The third part of the world population lives in areas where water is scarce Often and one in six inhabitants does not have access to drinking water. Unfortunately, people who suffer most scarcity and contamination of waters are those who live in poor countries where there are hardly any means to treat waters and waste.

Another factors that limit water as a renewable resource is the excessive use of it, especially in countries with more development and comfort. It is estimated that 8% of the water is consumed in houses, 22% is used for industry and energy production and 70% is used in agriculture, from which half evaporates or runs through the soil and the rest is absorbed by plants and earth.

For example, in our homes we can spend half a liter of water only in washing our teeth, between 30 and 60 liters in the dishwasher, between 70 and 120 liters in putting the washing machine and taking a bath is equivalent to spending 150 liters of drinking water. That is why it is important to close the tap when we are not using the water, shower instead of bathing or putting the washing machines and dishwasher when they are full. In factories, about 250 liters of water are needed to make 1 kg of paper and about 300 for 1 kg of steel. And, on the other hand, in the field they would be needed as 2.5 liters of water to grow a lettuce, 74 liters to grow a corn plant and 38 liters to water a cherry.

He Excessive use of water and irregular distribution of rainfall makes Water becomes a scarce good. If we continue to extract water at high speed and pouring waste without care Soon the water will become a non -renewable resource and will become the new oil: a expensive and difficult resource to achieve. Water is life and we should become more aware of the use we make of it and how we distribute it.

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