Water Scarcity and Unsustainable Practices: A Detailed Report

This report delves into the critical issue of water scarcity, framing it within the context of sustainable development. It highlights water's central role in social, economic, and environmental systems, emphasizing its importance for human existence and civilization. The report identifies the increasing water scarcity as a major concern, exacerbated by population growth and climate change, leading to potential conflicts and threats to environmental peace. The study focuses on the unsustainable practices contributing to water wastage and their impact on human and environmental development. It poses a research question on the environmental impacts of such practices, supported by a literature review and a qualitative methodological approach using semi-structured interviews and secondary data analysis. Ethical considerations, including informed consent, are addressed, and recommendations for sustainable water practices are provided. The report aims to analyze the global problem of water shortage and how it affects the socio-economic growth of any country.

Introduction
Sustainable development has been explicitly popularized and contextualized in many
aspects. It is basically a development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the needs of the future generation. Water is positioned as the core of
sustainable development and it plays the crucial role in strengthening the resilience of social,
economic as well as the environmental systems (Cosgrove & Loucks, 2015). It is
fundamental for human existence and civilization. Even, we all depend on water not only for
our lives but for the economic wellbeing as well. Life without water is not imaginable ever.
The overall development of any country is indirectly dependent on the natural resources
including water.
Statement of the problem
In order to maintain and enhance the welfare of all species, adequate water supply is
highly essential. But, with the increased population, water scarcity has become one of the
paramount concerns that affect the sustainable development and parallels the climate change
effects. According to many literatures, water is becoming a scarce and crucial resource
people as well as industries both need water for survival and electricity respectively (Balooni
& Venkatachalam, 2016). Due to the wasting or excessive usage of water, the water concern
is challenging the human security worldwide. In local, regional, national as well as
international levels, the impact of water crisis is widely noticeable. Apart from accelerating
the existing conflicts, it creates many new conflicts as well and threatens the peace of
environment (Balooni & Venkatachalam, 2016). Water insecurity leads to regressive
developmental changes.
Purpose of the study

Water security is one of the greatest issues that create barrier in front of the
sustainable growth of human and environment. The problem regarding water scarcity is
increasing at an alarming rate. This study is basically focused on the unsustainable practice of
wasting water. It will find how the environment as well as the human development is
threatened by the water security issue worldwide. In this regard, it will construct a research
question and after a through literature review, this study will design a research method to
collect data and information. After the analysis of data, it will find the answer of the main
research question. The study will define all the ethical considerations needs to be maintained
and followed before conducting the research. The recommendations to apply principle of
sustainability by saving water will also be provided in the paper.
Research question
On the topic, which is being discussed in this paper, the research question that can be
formed is as below:
What are the impacts of unsustainable practice of water into the environment?
Literature review
Water shortage is a global problem and it affects the socio-economical growth of any
country. Increasing globalization is motivating many new rules and procedures for
development which is linked to the water usage directly as well as indirectly. Researchers
indicated that if the usage of water is not controlled from now that it will be a huge threat for
the future generation and they will be the worst sufferer of water scarcity (Cosgrove &
Loucks, 2015). In a study conducted by the researchers it has been found that water scarcity
is affecting the farmers over large parts of the world. Due to acute shortage of water for
irrigation, middle-east countries are more likely to suffer over the next five years (Dobricic,

2013). Apart from this, drought, which is one of the greatest threats to farmers, can also be
caused by the scarcity of water. This is mainly happening due to the over exploitation and
unsustainable practices of natural resource, water (Midgley, Dejene & Mattick, 2012). In a
research, it has nbeen analyzed by the researchers that scarcity of natural resources of water is
taking place due to the demographic growth and it is creating many environmental threats and
one of them is deforestation because of drying up or soil loss (Dobricic, 2013). Water scarcity
threatens the food security, through a number of political, economical and ecological
pathways. Many studies revealed that it is also a hindrance to a variety of development
projects such as construction of bridges, roads, complexes etc. which may impede to
economic growth as well (Machethe, 2011).
Research design
In order to find the answer of the main research question, the research design will
follow a qualitative methodological approach.
Data collection
Data will be collected from semi-structured interviews in which the participants will
be from various sectors such as from farmers group and people working in the industries.
Apart from this, a secondary data collection will include various types of publications,
literatures and other official from recognized organizations.
Ethics
During interviews, recorder and camera will be used to facilitate the writing process
and analysis and thus consent from the participants will be taken. Also, before using the data
freely from the available sources, written permission from the research team will be obtained
in order to avoid any ethical issues (Tripathy, 2013).

References
Balooni, K., & Venkatachalam, L. (2016). Managing water for sustainable development: An
Indian perspective.
Cosgrove, W. J., & Loucks, D. P. (2015). Water management: Current and future challenges
and research directions. Water Resources Research, 51(6), 4823-4839.
Dobricic, K. (2013). Water scarcity in the Jordan Valley; Impacts on Agriculture and Rural
livelihoods: Threaths and opportunities to local sustainable agriculture; the case of al-
Auja, Jordan River Valley.
Machethe, E. M. (2011). The causes and impact of water shortage on the households of Ga-
Kgapane Township in the Limpopo Province (Doctoral dissertation, University of
Limpopo (Turfloop Campus).
Midgley, S., Dejene, A., & Mattick, A. (2012). Adaptation to climate change in semi-arid
enviroments: Experience and lesson from Mozambique. FAO, Rome (Italy).
Tripathy, J. P. (2013). Secondary data analysis: ethical issues and challenges. Iranian journal
of public health, 42(12), 1478.