African Wildlife & Environment Issue 79

W ater in the environment

The Earth’s surface is covered by 71% water with only 3% reserved as freshwater that can be used for human consumption. Water is an essential commodity that helps support and sustain terrestrial and aquatic life on Earth through oceans and wetlands (e.g. lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes and floodplains). Water conservation is essential for ensuring that water resources are well preserved and always available to support all living organisms. With the implication of climate change, water availability in the past years has depleted, making water a very vulnerable resource. Prevent water pollution : Water pollution has a negative impact on the quality of water and the life it supports. When polluted water make its way into a river, the contaminated water is further transported to other water bodies. This results in a network of highly polluted water downstream. 2. Decrease excessive use of water : It is very critical that the use of water is decreased to avoid an increase in the extraction of water from water bodies. Recycling (grey water, rain water harvesting) of water in the households can help decrease the water demand. 3. Use permeable paving : The use of permeable material for paving promotes the diffusion of rain water into the soil. When impermeable paving is used, the rain water, along with any pollution quickly runs off into the storm drains, limiting the recharge of groundwater aquifer. 4. Removal of invasive species : Invasive species need a lot of water to sustain them and their presence near water is detrimental to natural water resources. Thus, these species need to be carefully controlled. Actions you can take : 1.

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53 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 79 (2021)