The Misuse and Scarcity of Water in Lebanon

The Misuse and Scarcity of Water in Lebanon Name Institutional Affiliation Course TitleInstructor Date The Misuse and Scarcity of Water in Lebanon Introduction The scarcity of water refers to the insufficiency of water to cater for the need of the people’s use within a particular area or region. Water scarcity results from its misuse, which is the poor managing of existing water. The distinction between its misuse and scarcity is not possible because its availability leads to reduced demand. The increased population, living standards and increased water consumption are some of the factors contributing to the increased demand for water in any region. The water sources are scarce and inadequate worldwide especially in arid and semi-arid areas like Middle East countries. Lebanon, one of the countries located along the Mediterranean shores of the idle east has more of it compared to other countries within the Middle East region. However, the nation still faces the challenge of water misuse as well scarcity which is prevalent in many areas. In agreement with El Kharraz El-Sadek Ghaffour and Mino (2012), its scarcity in the country is linked to the growing populace in the nation, which has highly expanded in the existence of Syrian expatriates within Lebanon. The high rising Lebanese population has amplified the commodity’s demand which is not adequately met. The country is being faced with the problem of water inadequacy when the supply and demand is concerned. Many trucks are providing water to households and which end up charging the residents high prices, and this makes it difficult for the citizens to meet their demand for water. Such exploitation of people regarding the water prices in Lebanon has been on the rise and which are not licensed by the state. So many wells are dug without the consent of the dangerous effect as they sweep away the salty water of Lebanon and this makes the underground water to be inadequate. One has to dig so many kilometers underground to reach the water level thus posing a noteworthy influence on the scarcity of water in Lebanon. Water resources in Lebanon are also facing the high level of pollution and the water captured is not viable for irrigation and household usage. Water pollution causes a significant impact on the scarcity of water as the water needs to be treated at a high cost for it to be viable. Lebanon‘s underground water rivers and springs face this enormous problem and households are not able to obtain the drinking water. Climate change within the region has impacted the water scarcity within the region as the temperatures increase the water volume also reduces. Finding adequate water in Lebanon is time-consuming and expensive because of the high rate of pollution as well as misuse of available water sources. Among the significant causes of water scarcity, is the overuse of water in the country, which is a huge issue the people are trying to deal with in Lebanon. The available water is overused in many things like recreation and on people and animals without caring the people and the demand of it which results to its scarcity. Effects of Water Scarcity and Misuse Water misuse and scarcity affects Lebanon’s social and economic development of Lebanon as it becomes time-consuming ...