After Cape Town, 10 Cities Awaiting No Water Situation

Cape Town become the first major city in the modern era to face the scarcity of drinking water, but it is more alarming that 10 other Cities of the world, are waiting to face Cape Town like situation. The situation in Cape Town is anticipated much before by experts, but since no planning to deal with the problem of water scarcity is undertaken, the situation turned from bad to worse.

As we all know that 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water, but drinking water is very limited. Only 3% of the 70% water on earth is fresh and can be considered for drinking.

In the world more than 1 billion people lack access to water and another 2.7 billion find it scarce for at least one month in a year. A 2014 survey of the world's 500 largest cities estimates that one in four are in a situation of "water stress".

The global demand for fresh water will exceed supply by 40% in 2030. Cape Town is just the tip of the iceberg. 10 other cities waiting such situation are as follows.

1. Sao Paulo

The financial capital of Brazil, Sao Paulo and one of the 10 most populated cities in the world has gone through Cape Town like situation of water crisis in the year 2015, when the main reservoir went below 4% capacity. 

It is thought a drought that affected southeastern Brazil between 2014 and 2017 was to blame. But United Nations in Sao Paulo believes that is the authorities lack of planning and investment, which are forcing more towards the untoward situation. As at the start of 2017 it was found that its reserves has 15% below the required water limit for the whole city.

2. Bangalore

The rise of Bangalore's as the technological hub, followed by the growth of new property developments is making the situation vulnerable. Local authorities and government are struggling to manage the city's water and sewage systems. According to a recent survey by the government found the city loses over half of its drinking water to waste, making the matter worse. Though the city's lakes have 85% water but that could only be used for irrigation and industrial cooling. Not a single lake had suitable water for drinking or bathing in Bangalore. So the situation is not comfortable.

3. Beijing

China is the world’s largest populated country with 20% of the world's population. The country faces an acute shortage of water with having only 7% of world’s total fresh water. The World Bank classifies water scarcity as when people in a determined location receive less than 1,000 cubic meters of fresh water per person a year. In 2014, each of the more than 20 million inhabitants of Beijing had only 145 cubic meters.

Official figures from 2015 showed that 40% of Beijing’s surface water are polluted to the point of not being useful even for agriculture or industrial use. Though the Chinese authorities have tried to address the problem by creating massive water diversion projects. They have also introduced educational programmes.

4. Cairo

The River Nile, which was the base of the world’s ancient civilization, is now struggling. The river satisfies Egypt’s 97% water need but residential and agricultural wastes have polluted the river. According to WHO, Egypt ranks high among lower middle-income countries in terms of the number of deaths related to water pollution. 

5. Jakarta

Jakarta the coastal capital of Indonesia is facing a threat of being below the sea level. 

Less than half of the Jakarta's 10 million residents have access to piped water, illegal digging of wells is rife. As a result, about 40% of Jakarta now lies below sea level, according to World Bank estimates. 

6. Moscow

Though the 25% of world’s fresh water reserves are with Russia, but because of Industries, the pollution problem is making situation bad. Moscow depends 70% of his water needs on surface water but according to official records 35% to 60% of total drinking water reserves in Russia do not meet sanitary standards.

7. Istanbul

The government of Turkey has already declared that it is technically in a situation of a water stress, as the per capita supply fell below 1,700 cubic meters in 2016, the situation of water scarcity will be worse by 2030.

In recent years, during the dry months, heavily populated cities like Istanbul (14 million inhabitants) have begun to face shortages of water. The main reservoir of the city has declined below the level of 30 percent at the beginning of 2014, which indicates the situation is not right.

8. Mexico City

Mexico’s struggles for water and its not new for the 21 million population of the city who are now habituated with this daily struggle. The city rarely gets water from water taps and therefore the city has to import 40% of its water from distant sources but has no large-scale operation for recycling wastewater.

9. London

London draws 80% of its water from rivers (the Thames and Lea). According to the Greater London Authority, the city is pushing to its water limit and therefore is most likely to face supply problems by 2025 and "serious shortages" by 2040.

10. Tokyo

The Japanese capital reserves water mostly from rain. Around 750 buildings in Tokyo have in built capacity for the collection rainwater and its utilization. But rainfall is limited only to just four months of the year. Home to more than 30 million people, Tokyo also has a water system that depends 70% on surface water (rivers, lakes, and melted snow), but with growing inhabitants and industrialization the situation is moving towards worse.

We have to take a lesson from the situation in Cape Town, as it is not good for the humanity and the generations to come. It is therefore our duty and responsibility to ensure better water facilities for the future generation by ensuring plantation of trees and misuse of water.