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Q15. The world is facing an acute shortage of clean and safe freshwater. What are the alternative technologies which can solve this crisis? Briefly discuss any three such technologies citing their key merits and demerits

Model Answer:

Introduction

The world is facing an alarming shortage of clean and safe freshwater, with nearly 2.2 billion people lacking access to safely managed drinking water services, as per the United Nations. Factors such as population growth, climate change, and pollution have drastically reduced freshwater availability. Clean freshwater is essential for drinking, agriculture, sanitation, and industrial processes. Its scarcity poses threats like health issues, food insecurity, and economic instability.

Body

Alternative Technologies to Address Freshwater Shortage: Several innovative technologies have emerged to combat this crisis, offering potential solutions to increase access to safe water:

 Technology

 Merits

 Demerits

 Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG)
  • Independence from existing water sources (useful in arid regions).
  • Scalable from household to industrial use.
  • Renewable, utilizing humidity in the air.
  • Energy-intensive, often relying on nonrenewable sources.
  • Less efficient in low humidity areas.
  • High initial setup and maintenance costs.

 Water Treatment and Recycling
  • Efficient resource usage by recycling wastewater.
  • Reduces pollution, conserves natural water bodies.
  • Long term cost savings on water procurement.
  • Requires complex and advanced infrastructure.
  • Public hesitancy in using recycled water for drinking.
  • High operational and maintenance costs.

 Solar Water Purification
  • Uses renewable solar energy, reducing carbon footprint.
  •  Low operational costs after setup.
  •  Suitable for remote and off-grid areas.
  • Efficiency decreases in cloudy/rainy weather.
  • High initial investment in solar panels and purification units.
  • Limited capacity for large-scale demands.

Case Studies and Global Examples:

  • Israel has become a global leader in water recycling, treating and reusing 90% of its wastewater for agriculture. This approach has significantly reduced its reliance on freshwater and turned the country into a model for water management in arid regions.
  • Singapore’s "NEWater" project treats reclaimed water and uses advanced technology to produce potable water. This has helped Singapore reduce its dependency on imported water by more than 30%.
  • India's Jal Jeevan Mission: A government-led initiative aims to provide clean tap water to every rural household by 2024, focusing on sustainable water use and treatment technologies.

Conclusion

These alternative technologies, though not without challenges, offer viable solutions to address the freshwater shortage. With successful examples from Israel and Singapore, it's evident that technology, coupled with strong policy and public support, can transform water scarcity into sustainable availability. Collaborative efforts between governments, the private sector, and communities will be crucial in overcoming this crisis.

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