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  • Essay / Analysis of water issues from an economic, environmental and social perspective

    Table of contentsIntroductionWater sustainability in CorkWater sustainability in IrelandGlobal water sustainabilityWater sustainability and societySustainability water and the environmentWater sustainability and the economyIntroductionThe United Nations has described food security as "the condition in which all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, which meets to their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. »Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay With the continued growth of the world's population, the goal of implementing sustainability and food security around the world becomes even more challenging. By 2050, the world's population is expected to increase by two billion more people and during this time, food demand is expected to increase by 60% according to Fan et al. Because of this expected increase in food demand, there is the question of whether Earth's natural resources, such as land and water, will be too scarce to feed this drastic increase in global population. This poses a considerable challenge to society which will have economic, social and environmental impacts. Together, these three areas can be described as the “triple bottom line” of food sustainability. The triple bottom line is the belief that these areas of the food system contribute to each other to help establish a sustainable system of food production. This is a theory that sustainability and food security are not achievable. One of the most common myths about this is that trade-offs between the three goals cannot be avoided. Nonetheless, they argue that these perceptions are detrimental to attempts to demand a sustainable food system globally and that they believe this is possible with proper planning and knowledge in the area of ​​food sustainability. This report will focus on the topic of water and how agricultural and industrial processes have negatively affected it. The aim is to give an analysis of water sustainability and the problems caused by water pollution. Water problems will be addressed from an economic, environmental and social angle, that is to say according to the triple objective. As the population grows, this only fuels the problem of water security. These next 30 years will be crucial because the demand for fresh water will increase rapidly. This is extremely worrying because freshwater stocks are decreasing and this needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Globally, our largest natural resource is water, but only 3% is fresh water. Of this 3%, only a third is available for use, the rest being either too buried below the earth's surface or frozen. According to the Global Environment Facility, rising global incomes are positively correlated with rising incomes. demand for products with high water consumption. Water sustainability is also massively affected by climate change, raising concerns among policymakers about how society is a direct cause of the problem. Additionally, policymakers are concerned about how the agricultural industry affects water sustainability, as more than 70% of fresh water used globally comes from this sector. This level of water consumption will not be sustainable for very long, especially as demand increases. Despite all this, different programs are put in placewith the aim of making agricultural practices less water intensive. These programs will be discussed later in the report. This issue of water sustainability is vital and this article will discuss its importance at local, national and global levels and how economic, social and environmental aspects affect food sustainability.Sustainability in CorkWater Sustainability in Cork City and County has never been a major problem. However, last summer the country experienced a drought, leading to necessary conservation restrictions being put in place. At the time, while this drought was occurring, the fresh water level had declined at Inniscarra Dam, which is of great importance to farms in the county and has also provided fresh water to the town since its existence in 1953. However, this was stopped during the drought as the ESB assured that "electricity generation at Inniscarra Dam had been interrupted, priority being given to ensuring the flow of water to Cork ". This allowed the city to avoid many of the problems that the rest of the country endured because of the drought. Maintaining the water flow of a river can be crucial because if the water flow becomes still, it would decrease the water quality. fresh water, which would in turn impact households and businesses that rely on high quality fresh water. This fresh water, along the leeward river, also plays a key role in protecting the ecosystems that exist there, called environmental flow. Environmental flow cannot be underestimated as it plays a key role in the climate change agenda. If water flow is not properly controlled, it will impact the triple bottom line of sustainability. The ecosystems established along the Leeward River and Inniscarra Dam in terms of maintaining water flow are vital to its survival, particularly during periods of drought, as they would not be able to continue to thrive as long as the water flow stagnates. Socially, the people of Cork would be massively affected both in health and economic terms. This would impact how local businesses are run, particularly those that rely on fresh water. Farmers in Cork would be most affected, as they rely heavily on properly managed water flow. Heineken, located in Cork city, is an example of a company that constantly engages in new, innovative ideas in an attempt to achieve the triple bottom line. of sustainability. Heineken is one of the largest beverage companies in the world and for its cork brewery it has a program called “Brewing a Better World”. This was put in place in an attempt to achieve full sustainability and also to show that the myths about the different possible trade-offs when it comes to the triple bottom line are not always true. This system pays particular attention to economic and environmental factors. This article will discuss Heineken's sustainability report, paying greater attention to their water use and the different techniques they use in Cork, to try and achieve sustainable water use. Water is the main ingredient used in beer brewing, with beer being made from approximately 95% water. However, Heineken has managed to reduce its water consumption level by 20% compared to different Heineken breweries around the world. Cork's Heineken Brewery is also working with Ecolab to help it improve the way it uses its water to ensure the amount of waste is kept as low as possible. All wastewater left in the brewery is thentransported to the Cork City sewage treatment plant. Heineken is a great example of a cork company trying to promote water sustainability while still being able to increase its market share. This just shows how businesses can strive to achieve a comprehensive level of sustainability in terms of the triple bottom line without compromising one for the other, as we so often see with other multinational corporations that only care to make a profit, even if it has a negative impact. the environment and society. It is crucial that Cork City Council does more to try and promote water sustainability around Cork to maintain sufficient levels of fresh water for Cork people to live healthier lives. This will also help keep businesses afloat and ensure ecosystems survive. Water Sustainability in Ireland At the national level, Irish Water is responsible for all WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) services in Ireland. They provide fresh water to more than three million people every day. Their job is to ensure that the people of Ireland have access to clean drinking water and to treat wastewater levels across the country. Karen Gallagher, principal engineer at Irish Water, said they would improve their water facilities. across the country with the aim of creating a fully sustainable water supply system. In her report for Irish Water (2015), she examines how they can improve their facilities to produce a fully sustainable water service across the country, which would be fundamental to "our health, our communities, the economy and the environment ". This report would examine the factors contributing to the triple bottom line of sustainable growth focusing on the economy, environment and social aspects that a sustainable water system would bring. This report also gives a compelling account of what the world would be like if every individual lived their life like an average North American, and if that were the case, we would need 5 planet Earths to maintain the amount of water used . This is why sustainability is so important to ensure we live within the capacity of one planet Earth rather than five. The report discusses the framework they will use to achieve a fully sustainable water system, their goals and how they will keep it at a reasonable level. at the economic, environmental and social level. The eight objectives addressed in the report are: “Resource efficiency, climate change, habitats and wildlife, economic development, health, amenity, social impact and culture and heritage”. These eight goals all attempt to provide a goal to achieve the triple bottom line of water sustainability. A closer look at the report suggests that, within these eight goals, the goal of water sustainability through the use of policies becomes much more effective in ensuring water security nationally whilst also reducing Irish Water's expenditure to become more economically viable. The agricultural sector is responsible for water sustainability in Ireland. This means farmers across the country play a vital role in how water levels are maintained. This topic is discussed in more detail in the 2017 report from the Ministry of Agriculture. This report discusses the creation of a water network that they set up to encourage sustainable water use by providing leadership advice and guidance. This water network is responsible for monitoring the water-related activities that different organizations support across the country with the aim of improving the overall sustainability ofwater. An example of these organizations is Teasgasc and Bord Bia. The Water Network has a number of guidelines to follow, paying particular attention to waste management, the protection of flora and fauna and the levels of nitrates emitted. In general, the Water Network encourages the promotion of water sustainability, not only in the agricultural sector, but also in the maritime and forestry sectors, which will benefit the country at all levels of the triple aim of sustainability. This report shows how the Government recognizes how sustainable water is crucial to ensuring long-term health and food security for the foreseeable future. The projects that have been implemented are in line with similar EU programs and aim at the same goal of increasing water sustainability while reducing water pollution levels. The problem of water security in Ireland will continue to be a huge problem in all parts of the country. the economy. Regarding the economic, social and environmental aspects of the triple bottom line, it is essential that the government continues to promote all levels of water sustainability to ensure a sustainable future for their people. Although programs are already in place, there is still much to be done. Global Water Sustainability Water sustainability across the world is currently a major concern. Water is the United Nations' sixth Sustainable Development Goal, which explains how the planet must ensure "sustainable sanitation and water control by 2030." However, at present, the world is far from achieving this. This is a topic of concern to members of the United Nations, particularly the UN Water Department, which is responsible for creating policies regarding water sustainability and water pollution. 'water. One of the fundamental human rights set out by the UN is access to clean, fresh water. However, this is not the case for millions of people around the world. “Fresh water, in sufficient quantity and quality, is essential for all aspects of life and sustainable development. The human rights to water and sanitation are widely recognized by Member States. Water resources are integrated into all forms of development, in maintaining economic growth in agriculture, industry and energy production, and in maintaining healthy ecosystems. » This quote, from the UN Water Synthesis Report, shows how sustainable water is aligned with the three lower pillars of water. sustainability and how it is socially, environmentally and economically relevant. This sixth Sustainable Development Goal focuses on dividing the area into different goals to achieve their goal successfully. These objectives will integrate the three pillars of sustainability and will be presented below: Water sustainability and society. In the United Nations Water Synthesis Report, it explains how water sustainability plays an important role in society in ensuring health and well-being across nations as well as successfully achieving food. security. There is a very strong link between poverty and levels of unsafe water, which is a fundamental objective, set out in the sixth development goal, to provide clean and safe drinking water to all societies here 2030. It is predicted that the decline in disease and poverty due to access to clean water would be so great that for every euro invested in water, sanitation and hygiene, there would be a return of one euro. This shows that by focusing on all sectors, sustainability can be achieved. Water sustainability and the environment Many ecosystems and.