Hydraulic fracturing also known as fracking is a simulation technique used in mining of natural recourses.  Fracking is when a liquid is made of water, sand and chemicals is pressurized and then used to fracture a rock, which is creating deep cracks to allow for the exit of oil or natural gas.  The image below shows how the fracking process works.

The practice of hydraulic fracturing is used widely around the globe prominently in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, United States and South Africa.  Fracking is very controversial topic because of the environmental concerns associated with the technique.  The high amounts of water that is used and contaminated ranges from 1.5 to 16 million gallons of water.  All of the water used in the fracking process needs to be refined before it to be safe for human use and consumption.  Once the water has been used it needs to be cleaned up and moved to a safe holding tank.  If the water is not cleaned up properly it can lead to the contamination of the natural water sources in the area.   If the natural waterways become contaminated the water is then unusable until treated.  Below is a map of hydraulic fracturing water use in the United States. With limited freshwater supply around the globe the limited resource should not be used and contaminated at the levels needed for the mining practice of fracking.  Although some of the water used for fracking is recycled the majority of it is drilled deep into the earth where it is taken out of the water cycle and will never be used again. 

Lebanon was formerly known as one of the richest middle eastern countries when it comes to water, but sadly this is no longer the case. The shortage in rainfall, mismanagement of water resources and the political corruption of authority resulted in a serious water crisis in Lebanon with mass shortages and pollution. Even more, the absence of an autonomous regulatory agency and the current outdated water legislation and non-existent enforcement mechanisms have had an adverse effect on the sustainability of Lebanon’s water supply.

As per the growing demand for water, a recent study made by Fransabank stated that “Lebanon is facing a water deficit of up to 610 million cubic meters by the year 2035 as growing demand and a stagnant supply come into play” (Azar, G. 2018). Retrieved from https://en.annahar.com/article/769710-lebanon-water-shortage-on-the-horizon. Current available water stands at 4.7 million cubic meters, 1.4 out of it is wasted through border crossing rivers as well the sea-end rivers. For a country rich in water (it has 14 river), the Lebanese people still must pay 2 bills to cover the water shortage in dry summer, one for the government and the other for a private water supply company (Grace, H. 2017) retrieved

Often times, many of the issues regarding water crisis that are talked about on the Canadian News are about issues happening in other areas of the world. However, the news rarely talks about the water crisis’ that are happening in Canada.  The water problems that Canada is facing are comparable to Flint, Michigan in the U.S.A and other countries and should not be turned a blind eye to. These issues often happen in small towns, fly-in communities and most of  all, First Nations Communities across Canada and The United States.

There is a reservation 30 minutes away from Hamilton and 2 minutes away from Caledonia and the water crisis there is epidemic. With a population of 20,000, Six Nations is one of the biggest reservations in Canada and out of that 20,000, 9% of residence whom live on the reserve have access to running water. Six nations as well as 60 other reservations across Canada have been under a water boiling advisory for some time now. The more recent issues Six Nations faces with water and corporations are the current issues with Nestle. They have asked to buy water from the grand river and the reservation denied the request, but the company has gone ahead and continued anyways. This brings a lot of issues with water as well as respecting the Treaty of Haldimand Tract of 1784 as well as the people of Caledonia and anyone else whom is drinking that water as well. The issue in Canada is that companies have a lot of say in the resources we have and how they are used. The people who are in charge of those things need to take these things serious. Canada is one of the biggest countries where we are fortunate enough to have fresh water we need to take care of those things that we are given.

For more information and an inside look into the Six Nations Water Crisis check out the CBC article and video here.

Uganda is a country in Africa that is facing a water crisis that is among the worst in the world in terms of scarcity and contamination. Uganda’s population growth rate is roughly triple the global average which causes a severe need for water and sanitation services. Sadly, 24 million people don’t have access to safe water and 29million are in need of improved sanitation. Those who have access to water, face long walks multiple times a day in order to get water that is often dirty. Almost 40 percent of people in Uganda, must walk at least 30 minutes for water. The child mortality rate caused by contaminated water is high, with 4,500 kids dying every year and that number is increasing. Luckily, there are organizations acting to make a difference and help those in need. Water.org is an organization that has helped not only people in Uganda but all over the world. Water.org has reached 134,000 people in Uganda thus far and has $4.7 million in loans towards their efforts in Uganda. The water crisis is one of the leading cause of death and illness in Uganda. This country is in urgent need of more help and possible solutions to this problem and requires this support from Canada and other countries.

 

Sources:

Uganda’s Water Crisis – Water In Uganda 2018. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://water.org/our-impact/uganda/

Uganda’s Water Crisis. (2017, December 05). Retrieved from https://drop4drop.org/ugandas-water-crisis/