It is estimated that throughout the world, 2.1 billion people are faced with severe water shortages to the limit that they do not have access to clean drinking water. These conditions make them helpless and put them in a place where they are forced to consume dirty water which has been infested with a variety of bacteria and viruses.
The fundamental cause behind the scarcity of clean water is water pollution which has some long-term effects on struggling communities around the world. Keep on reading and you will come across all the details you need to know regarding the catastrophic causes and effects of water pollution throughout the world.
Spotlight on Bangladesh
Shortage and poor quality of water have led to stunted growth in ⅓ of Bangladeshi children. These adverse impacts negatively affect the overall growth of these children and directly influence the progress of Bangladesh as a nation. Moreover, people in Bangladesh living below the poverty line are forced to consume unsafe water which results in various lethal diseases.
Support ekplatebiryani by your donations in order to provide people suffering in Bangladesh with clean water.
Spotlight on Pakistan
According to the International Union on Conservation of Nature, 60% of infant deaths in Pakistan are caused by waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, and other stomach infections. This is considered the highest ratio of infant mortality in Asia. Now, you can imagine the poor quality of water, especially for people living in rural areas where sanitation and infrastructure are already in shambles.
Apart from water-borne diseases, a desert region in Pakistan known as Thar has caught the attention of international media due to severe water shortage and water pollution. Ekplatebiryani has been working for years to provide clean drinking water for the people of Thar.
Now it is your chance to feel the pain of people living in such conditions. Join hands with Ekplatebiryani and donate generously towards a good cause to provide easy access to water for people suffering in underprivileged areas of Pakistan.
What is Water Pollution?
As the name suggests, water pollution is the contamination of natural water resources and bodies through human activities. Ocean, seas, rivers, and streams are all-natural water bodies that can easily be contaminated and lead to wreaked-havoc water pollution effects.
No amount of evidence can ever deny the importance of water; it is highly essential for sustaining human and animal life. Although water supply is not limited yet, considering the consistently growing population, it is high time that we start appreciating every drop of water. Clean drinking water is required by every single individual on this planet hence, we need to be mindful of conservation plus the causes and effects of water pollution.
What are the Causes of Water Pollution?
There are numerous causes of water pollution, and surprisingly each cause is primarily related to human activities.
1. Global Warming
Global warming is one of the most alarming challenges that the world is facing currently. This rapid increase in the accumulation of greenhouse gases on earth results in excessively high water temperatures which is the cause behind the death of many marine animals. All these factors combined contribute greatly to water pollution.
2. Deforestation
Deforestation is one of the fundamental causes behind the low quality of water nowadays. Increased populations put a demand for increased housing and development hence, deforestation has become a common practice. Wiping out vast forest areas leads to increased runoff of silt and soil into water bodies. This results in low quality of water and contributes to water pollution.
3. Industrial Waste
Disposing of industrial waste such as toxic pollutants and harmful chemicals into water bodies including rivers, seas, canals, and lakes is a common practice of today\’s time. All these pollutants are responsible for not just contaminating water but making it lethal for marine life and humans who consume it.
4. Agriculture
All around the world farmers tend to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides to protect their crops from infestation and to enhance their growth rate. Over time the soil becomes chemically harmful and when it runs off into water bodies it leads to the production of harmful pollutants within the water.
5. Livestock Farming
Animal faecal waste and produce are usually dumped into water bodies which is the primary reason behind waterborne diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea, dysentery, and cholera.
6. Fuel Spillage
Typically fuel spillage is accidental yet it is highly catastrophic for oceans and their inhabitants. Effects of a fuel spillage can last up to a few months or even years in some cases.
What are the Effects of Water Pollution?
There are various harmful effects of water pollution that the world\’s underprivileged areas are facing currently.
1. Destruction of biodiversity
Water pollution tends to cease biodiversity from increasing. As water bodies keep on polluting marine life tends to die and in worst-case scenarios, some species even go extinct. This contributes to the destruction of biodiversity and the imbalance of resources.
2. Hindrance to the food chain
One of the harmful effects of water pollution is disruption of the food chain and imbalance in the ecosystem. As you already know water pollution leads to the extinction of species and this, in turn, leads to disrupted food chains and an imbalance of population.
3. Lack of potable water
One of the effects of water pollution is the severe lack of potable water. In this case, people from deprived areas are forced to consume unsafe water and this results in the spreading of various waterborne diseases. In some worst cases, these waterborne diseases lead to death.
4. Infant mortality
Water pollution leads to a high infant mortality rate. This is because infants have highly vulnerable and weak immune systems which are not capable of withstanding complications that come with the consumption of unsafe water. Moreover, one is prone to infectious waterborne diseases at such an early stage in life.
Types of Water Pollution
Likewise, different causes of water pollution there are numerous types of water pollution. These types are categorized on the sources that cause them.
1. Surface water pollution
This type refers to the contamination of only the surface of water bodies. This is mainly because of fuel spillage, and it can be labeled as an accidental cause.
2. Groundwater pollution
This type of pollution is usually caused by the seeping of contaminated water that contains harmful toxins such as pesticides and fertilizers into the ground.
3. Nutrients pollution
High usage of fertilizers can increase the growth of crops exponentially, this results in runoff of soil and silt into water bodies along with harmful toxins.
4. Chemical pollution
This is the most common type of pollution mainly due to the dumping of agricultural and industrial waste in open water bodies.
5. Oxygen depletion
Increased supply of crops leads to the uncontrollable growth of aquatic microorganisms. This excessive growth limits the supply of oxygen within the water bodies. Thus, it results in the death of many aerobic organisms and allows only anaerobic organisms to thrive. This is how harmful pollutants and waste level is increased in the water leading to water pollution.
6. Microbiological pollution
This is a type that refers to the contamination of water supply by microorganisms. These microorganisms can be traced back to sewage and faecal dumping of humans into the water bodies.
7. Suspended matter
There are various items in water bodies that are not ideal and won’t decompose such as plastic waste. These items tend to float on the water surface and cut off the oxygen supply that is required by the water. In addition to that, the floating matter that forms a layer on the surface is responsible for emitting harmful toxins into the water.
Conclusion
Ekplatebiryani realizes that clean drinking water is a necessity and no community or individual deserves to be deprived of it. Every single being on this planet has a right to access clean drinking water easily without facing any challenges. This is what drives ekplatebiryani to work tirelessly toward the cause of providing water to struggling communities and families all around the globe.
You are invited to join ekplatebiryani on this journey by helping people all around the world and get sadaqah jariyah!
