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Water Sustainability In The Developing World Term Paper

Water Delivery Water sustainability has been of increasing concern in academia as a political as well as an environmental problem. My dissertation will specifically focus on water sustainability in the Caribbean and how to improve methods of delivery. Water is a finite, not an infinite resource, and must be treated as such. Additional research is needed to see how best to improve current quality and availability in the region. One useful method of doing so is reviewing how governments have tried and in some cases failed in the past to improve water sustainability in other areas of the developing world.

Technology provides many potential benefits for improving water quality, according to Jha (et al. 2007). In the article "Groundwater management and development by integrated remote sensing and geographic information systems: prospects and constraints" the authors examine how the pollution and exploitation of groundwater is causing a critical problem for the environment in India. Remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) can work to circumvent some of these issues, although the technology is still in its nascent stages. The uses for RS and GIS include the assessment of current resources and damages; selecting artificial recharge...

Groundwater is a critical natural resource because of its relatively low level of vulnerability even when the rest of the region faced with drought so maintaining it is vital to future survival.
Unfortunately, several logistical barriers exist to the use of RS and GIS technology in nations where there is the deepest and most critical need for it, such as India. A literature review reveals that current studies proving the utility of technology in improving groundwater in the region is limited and not scientifically rigorous. While the developed world is currently monitoring its groundwater using cutting-edge technology, developing world governments often impose security restrictions that prevent the free dissemination of information and there is a lack of funding for facilities. The authors conclude with recommendations for improvement, including offering more affordable technology and facilitating greater data-sharing about groundwater and training about how to use the technology. Improvements in infrastructure are also critical (Jha 2007: 461).

The Jha (et al. 2007) article highlights how simply having high-quality technology is not enough. It must be used in an effective fashion. Moreover, government intransigence can result in a failure of proper training and delivery as can financial constraints. According to Jonker (2007), in his article "Integrated water resources management: The theory -- praxis -- nexus, a South African perspective," in the nation of South Africa, the use of…

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References

Biswas, A. 2004. Integrated Water Resources Management: A reassessment.

Water International, 29:2, 248-256. DOI: 10.1080/02508060408691775

Jha, M. et al. 2007. Groundwater management and development by integrated remote sensing and geographic information systems: prospects and constraints. Water Resource Management 21:427 -- 467. DOI 10.1007/s11269-006-9024-4.

Jonker, L. 2007.Integrated water resources management: The theory -- praxis -- nexus, a South African perspective. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 32, 1257 -- 1263.
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