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Global Water Crisis

India’s water crisis, made worse by high consumption amid rapid economic growth and frequent natural disasters, may “negatively affect” its sovereign credit strength, according to Moody's Ratings.
India's average annual water availability per capita is likely to drop to 1,367 cubic metres by 2031 from an already-low 1,486 cubic metre in 2021, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. A level below 1,700 cubic metre indicates water stress, with 1,000 being the threshold for water scarcity, according to the ministry.
What I can see living in the most populous country of the world is 'the fear surrounding a potential water scarcity crisis is real'. As a kid, I used to witness water flowing above well and in 25 to 30 years those wells are drying up! Rivers are receding or flooding! No supply of drinking water for days to a week in major cities is a normal in summers! People are forced to buy water at premium through tankers! With the heat wave running at full swing, this year, it's getting worse day by day...
As for Moody's ratings, I can only say that this data isn't posing a reality. India is already under the scarcity zone.
What's the situation in your country?
There is problem in my city too
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I don't understand why countries are hesitant on turning desalination to 11/10
Maybe India I get it it's cost. But e.g. California? Just pump tons and tons of desalinated seawater dude
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The operational costs per litre of desalinated potable water is about 19 paise (roughly 1/5 of a USD cent). India currently have 4 desalination plants generating 36.5 million cubic metres of water annually. While India need approax 1400 Billion cubic metres of water annually.
Now, you can understand how many more plants do India need if only dependant on them.
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First of all they can't do it. Yes, to fool people, they will try it with smaller rivers here and there. That's all. Nothing more.
By this project, they are trying to convince everyone that it can be healing India's water shortage problems, but in fact, if this, by any chance, culminates, the monsoon will never be the same, the biodiversity won't be the same, the ecosystem in which India is located right now would not be the same.
In short, it's just another propoganda plan to give a false hope to people. NOBODY CAN AND NOBODY SHOULD PLAY WITH NATURE IN LARGE SCALES.
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India is already under the scarcity zone.
I can affirm it with you. Most Indian cities, especially in Summer time do not get adequate supply of drinking and usable water. Unddoubtedly, there's no drinking water left under earth in big cities but government never prepares for such situations is even making it worse!
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We have issues in the arid western states, where aquafers are drying up and much of the available fresh water is sent to California.
I've been expecting water to become one of the major commodity markets in the near future. Many aquafers around the world are being drained and desalination is too expensive to keep treating fresh water as though it's abundant.
The world needs markets in water, but people are going to resist the idea of commodifying it.
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I don't think that world really needs markets in water as of now. You can say I'm one of the resistants.
Water actually needs a proper distribution or people need to relocate near the abundance of water, as they used to do in ancient times.
How can water resources of any place sustain when more than 120 million people living with a density of nearly 30000 people every square mile.
India, as I can see still has a lot of fresh water resources. Thanks to the great Himalyas. ...
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Water actually needs a proper distribution
That's why it needs a free market. There's no better distribution system.
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I don't mean it from the PoV of selling it. It should be distributed as free.
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Price controls cause shortages. I'm all for charity, but charity is not sufficient for the entire distribution.
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For water, it's a 'nah!'
Water is a human right. It needs to be managed as a common good. Considering water as a commodity or a business opportunity will leave behind those that cannot access or afford the market prices.
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"Human right" isn't a magic spell that causes distribution. Centrally planned distribution will be more costly and lower quality. Also, absent a profit motive, there won't be any innovation in this space.
The sectors that work the best have market mechanisms. Why wouldn't you want that for the most important things?
For example, food is commodified and it gets where it's needed and the productivity of agriculture goes up every year.
If you said food needs to be free and centrally planned, because it's a human right, there would be mass starvation.
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Water is not only there for our bellies. It's also used for many other things. I think, water, if commodified, will be more expensive than food for everyone. There are various types of foods for hunger, some are costly and some are cheap. All can survive, no matter poor or rich. But water will not have that advantage and will be available in the same form for everyone. Say, it had a severe shortage, and the prices would touch skies, could you come up with alternative or could you refrain drinking it?
Colorado river and Hoover Dam
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