A way forward.

There are however a number of technological solutions available to human beings which could prove crucial in their attempts to adapt to the changes that lie ahead.  Desalination, for example could provide ample additional supplies of water although it is energy intensive and creates large amounts of brine as a biproduct which will need to be disposed of.

Investments in family planning facilities, especially in poorer areas where unwanted pregnancies are a huge burden to impoverished women could greatly help to bring the accelerating population growth under control.  Fewer people being born each year will in time slow down industrial growth and put less pressure on natural resouces in the future.  Informing and educating families on the environmental repercussions that having more than one child will have could assist in decision making as well as increasing the level of awareness about the effects of an increasing population in a world with limited resources. (Brown, L. 2007)

Due to the nature of ‘shared’ bodies of water and boundary rivers, enviromental policies will need to be addressed and strengthened as countries will need to establish transboundary cooperations should they wish to avoid hostility and the potential of war.  As the demand for water heightens and it’s supply continues to be depleted, nations will begin to look at ways of retaining water resources.  It is therefore of crucial importance that governing bodies employ a sence of leadership when planning freshwater resource management.  Water should be recognised as a great priority with a focus on the objective to create awareness of the global water crisis.

Conservation is not to be overlooked as it too plays a vital role in preventing the depletion of our natural water resources.  Water is being wasted all over the world and at every level.  Many environmentalists suggest that the solution to freshwater scarcity is not in establishing ways to create more, but rather looking at ways in which we can utilise that what we have more efficiently.  All elements within the environment are so interconnected that it is feared that if we try to build on one resource using that of another that it will cause another problem further down the line.

It is easy to blame the current state of affairs on industry or agriculture, but we need to be reminded that at the heart of every action is an individual or group there of and it is therefore our responsibility to take charge of our actions to ensure that the resources that are currently available are sustainable for generations to come.  Critics would argue that it over idealistic or utopian discourse to believe that people from different backgrounds will band together to bring about change, but in my opinion it is the only solution. 

A shift in individual perspectives will alter behavioural patterns.  This is essential if we are to overcome the negative projections that are evident in global trends.  Human solidarity is the only force that is capable of facing an issue of this scale.  There needs to be solidarity in both regional and international governance.  We need to establish political will between governments so that they can work in good faith with their own people and those of neighbouring nations.