Table of contentsIntroductionThe water crisis in IndiaSolution neededConclusionClean water: don't live with it. I can't live without it – Miki KimuraSay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayIntroductionOne of the major global problems we face today is the water crisis, as it is a problem that affects all global communities. “The water crisis is the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities for a given population”, although water is a human right and the planet has enough fresh water to meet its needs. of seven billion people. Unbalanced distribution, amount of wasted and polluted water, natural disasters and all these aspects create the water crisis. Worldwide, 2.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, of which 4.5 billion do not have basic water for sanitation services. Many areas that suffer heavily from water scarcity do not have latrines and practice open defecation, which ends up spilling communities' water supplies. As billions of people have no choice to drink fresh water since there is none, many develop waterborne diseases because they consume infected water contaminated with human waste. . Additionally, undisinfected water increases infant and maternal mortality rates. Waterborne diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and death, with more than 3.4 million deaths occurring each year worldwide. “When our very survival is at stake, how can the economy remain unscathed? Widespread water shortage will affect millions of lives, not only humans, but also those of trees and animals. As humans die and water scarcity persists, this impacts employment and all aspects of the economy, as water is the fundamental pillar of our lives, supporting businesses, agriculture and industries. it's up to them to find the water necessary for families to survive. They would go to great lengths and pay a large amount of money, stand in long queues or walk long distances to get the water they need. Water harvesting carries many negative health risks, such as physical discomfort, emotional stress, and risk of sexual violence. “Women and children generally have less physical capacity to carry heavy loads than adult men,” making the task more difficult and exhausting. Physical pain is due to endless walking with heavy loads every day. This tires and drains their body and other areas, leading to poor posture, neck problems, headaches/back pain, etc... Additionally, women experience emotional stress due to lack of water and managing their menstrual hygiene. The water crisis creates emotional stress as many opportunities lead them to face obstacles and desperate decisions. Women constantly have to decide whether to die without water or face the consequences of drinking dirty water which could potentially lead to the death of their family. This also includes pregnant women, who carry large gallons of water, which harms their unborn child and greatly affects their emotions due to pregnancy hormones. As noted earlier, many rural areas lack latrines and practice open defecation. This causes women and girls to go to the toilet as it is embarrassing for them to defecate in the open. However, while waiting for nightfall, there is arisk of sexual violence and they are either raped or killed. In a world of 7.7 billion people, some do not have access to drinking water, which is the cause of many difficulties, particularly for women and children in India. In parts of Asia and Africa, the average distance traveled by women and children is six kilometers. However, in India, women and children in rural areas travel an average of five to 20 kilometers per day. The research question I focused on is: “Why is India experiencing a huge water crisis and what is the specific impact on women and children?” Since India is the worst water crisis in history, as the world's population of 16% exceeds the amount of fresh water available to India, which is 4%. It's very unbalanced because I wanted to explore the reasons for this crisis. Additionally, in India, women usually have to fetch water, which means they lose hours of time, whether for education, work or free time. So how does this water shortage specifically affect their physical and mental state. This article answers my question by providing information on the situation in India and the specific situations that women experience in their daily lives. India's water crisis The information in this paragraph is largely taken from 'India faces 'worst water crisis in its history' - BBC News - BBC.com.' India is the second most populous country in the world and half the population suffers from the worst water shortage as it continues to worsen. Due to groundwater depletion, population increase and climate change eliminating water reserves. 600 million out of 1.3 billion Indians face water stress, despite India exploiting the largest amount of groundwater in the world. It is likely that by 2020, 21 Indian cities will lose all their groundwater. The demand for water increases as the population increases and the urban area expands. A report estimates that by 2030, water needs will be twice as great. The Himalayas are one of the suppliers of drinking water to India. However, due to climate change, evidence shows that the Himalayan glaciers are disappearing as the water would no longer contribute to the region's water supply. Climate change affects other factors like temperature and weather conditions. Creating droughts during the summer months, further drying up most wells and taps. Floods contaminate rivers and lakes. Monsoon rains are necessary for agriculture as weather conditions have become unpredictable. The monsoon would be delayed or inadequate. These situations lead Indians to extract more water from the ground, even though groundwater sometimes fails due to poor irrigation techniques and frequent leaks. It has been reported that 50% of groundwater is contaminated with toxic elements from landfills, pollution and industrialization. Additionally, 40% of surface water is contaminated by bacteria. There are two types of water pollution: geogenic, caused by nature, and anthropogenic, caused by humans. Geogenic disasters are the natural disasters mentioned above, such as droughts, floods, etc. Anthropogenic disasters are pollution and open defecation by humans. In India, almost half of the population defecates freely, polluting their own water due to lack of toilets, contributing to disease, economic losses,violence against women and has a serious impact on rural areas where there are no hospitals or medicines within reach. This quote explains the reasons for the high percentage of contamination in Indian water. "India does not have a sufficient number of sewage treatment plants, so untreated urban sewage is often added to the water flowing downstream - the same contaminated water used in urban areas rural areas for consumption, according to the report." Only 30% of wastewater is treated and the remaining 70% of untreated water is discharged into rivers, lakes and groundwater. Like every year, 200,000 Indians die due to lack of access to safe and clean water. India has overexploited its water, forcing people to look beyond their homes. As women are breadwinners in India, they have many responsibilities. It's not just about collecting water. In rural areas where water is difficult to obtain, women and children have difficult daily routines as they set foot at sunset to find a well with water. “Indian women can make up to six trips a day just to collect and transport enough water.” On each trip, they carried around 20 liters of water in jars and buckets. Women's main necessity is water, as their other duties include cooking, cleaning and washing. Not only women in India, they also take over the fields to plow and weed. They raise livestock, including their own children, while the men seek work in urban areas. Obtaining water, doing housework and resuming farming take a toll on women's physical and mental health, as does drinking dirty water. “Her family's health and that of herself are in danger and her education is neglected due to her long daily tasks. As a result, the whole family is affected. » Indians drink contaminated water and develop waterborne diseases, and because children are more vulnerable to diseases, around 500 children under the age of five die from diarrhea every day in India alone. Criminals rely on women and children to take advantage of them when they are exhausted and weak. There was an incident in India when two girls aged 14 and 15 went to the toilet in the dark and were gang raped and killed. They can run the risk of being raped, murdered and sometimes stalked by a human or a wild animal: wild boars, hyenas and snakes. Other cases involve girls slipping and diving to the bottom of the well about 40 feet or more, breaking bones. All aspects of the water crisis are dangerous. Women lose their own opportunities and possibilities. From the age of ten, many girls in India drop out of school to help with household chores. Another reason is the lack of toilets at school, as girls start menstruating around the age of ten. It is embarrassing and difficult to take care of oneself where there are no toilets for women and girls. “In India, 23% of girls drop out of school at puberty due to lack of water and sanitation facilities. » When they drop out of school, they are stuck in a cycle they cannot escape from and must continue to collect water every day as the water crisis continues to worsen. “Across India, it is estimated that women spend 150 million workdays each year on fetching and transporting, which equates to a national income loss of INR 10 billion/USD 160 million3.” little, it is one of the main contributors to water scarcity. People must be.