Water Pollution

Over two thirds of Earth's surface is covered by water; less than a third is taken up by land. As Earth's population continues to grow, people are putting ever-increasing pressure on the planet's water resources. In a sense, it's not too long until we ran out of clean water to use. But it's not only us that's being affected but also aquatic organisims. If we don't do something about it soon, generations to come will suffer.

What is Water Pollution?

Water pollution can be defined in many ways. Usually, it means one or more substances have built up in water to such an extent that they cause problems for animals or people. Oceans, lakes, rivers, and other inland waters can naturally clean up a certain amount of pollution by dispersing it harmlessly. This, in turn, could affect the health of all the plants, animals, and humans whose lives depend on the river.

Fact: Polluted drinking waters are a problem for about half of the world’s population. Each year there are about 250 million cases of water-based diseases, resulting in roughly 5 to 10 million deaths.

Most water pollution doesn't begin in the water itself. Take the oceans: around 80 percent of ocean pollution enters our seas from the land. Virtually any human activity can have an effect on the quality of our water environment. The main causes of water pollution are:

Sewage
Fertilizers
Chemical waste
Oil Spills
Plastics

What are its effects?

The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in which locations.

Many water bodies near urban areas (cities and towns) are highly polluted. This is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by manufacturing industries, health centers, schools and market places.

Death of aquatic organisms
Disruption of food-chains
Diseases
Destruction of ecosystems

How can we reduce it?

Dealing with water pollution is something that everyone (including governments and local councils) needs to get involved with. Here are a few things you can do to help. Learning about the issue (like you are doing) is the greatest and most important step to take. Here are a few more:

Never throw rubbish away anyhow. Always look for the correct waste bin.
Use water wisely. Do not keep the tap running when not in use.
Do not throw chemicals, oils, paints and medicines down the sink drain, or the toilet.
Buy more environmentally safe cleaning liquids for use at home and other public places.
If you use chemicals and pesticides for your gardens and farms, be mindful not to overuse pesticides and fertilizers.
If you live close to a water body, try to plant lots of trees and flowers around your home, so that when it rains, chemicals from your home does not easily drain into the water

Do your part and together we can stop water pollution!