Industrial nations more readily adapt to variations and shortages in water supplies, while less-industrialized nations, those dependent on agriculture primarily, find droughts and floods more difficult to manage, competing for scarce resources. In some areas, water shortages lead to conflict and migration.
Among the leading
countries now, not much effort is being made concerning planning for future
water shortages. As often happens, while there is no problem, it seems that we
do not need to pay attention to the factors that could lead to its formation.
Here
are some suggested measures that would help improve the internal situation of
the leading countries and further their economic enrichment:
Firstly, it is
necessary to ensure stable financial support for the water sector in the U.S.
For this, it is necessary to form an economic mechanism for apportioning water
use at national and interstate levels. Financing of the water sector at the
expense of various income sources should cover its costs, considering the
prospects for further development.
At the same time,
targeted social protection of the population should be ensured. Note the
importance of the attraction of appropriate incentives for private
entrepreneurship in solving the problems of the water sector. Progress in water
financing will be facilitated by state support for producers of relevant
material resources and owners of water supply and sanitation systems through
subsidies, subventions, soft loans, customs, and tax incentives.
Also, attention
should be given to training the staff needed to manage modern, innovative
technologies to increase the attractiveness of water and environmental projects
for international donors. Measures should be undertaken to ensure the
availability of credit - all this will also contribute to progress.
Considering the
world-wide need for potable water, it is necessary to strengthen external
financial assistance to poorer regions of the world, which is why it is
worthwhile to assess the financial needs of each country, balancing sources of
financing and providing directions (water supply, sanitation, irrigation,
hydro-power, mud protection, recreation).
It will take much
work to develop innovative financial mechanisms. For example, it is possible to
develop both domestic and international donor programs that will invest in
human development and help the needy obtain fresh water; such programs in the
future will help provide confidence to the countries’ leaders to develop
economic mechanisms in the sphere of providing fresh-water resources.
Besides needing innovative financing and management methods, innovative technological fixes may include the creation of artificial forests in arid regions, the harnessing of glaciers and the drilling of deep wells. Moreover, weather modification, while quite exotic now, may be entirely feasible in the future - increasing the precipitation from clouds and perhaps even the release of moisture from fog.
I will continue serializing here the Microsoft Word transcription of the final galley proof .pdf copy ot WATER WARS, and the book itself is most conveniently found at amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Water-Wars-Sharing-Colorado-River-ebook/dp/B07VGNLSMX/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=water+wars+by+carter+and+cooper&qid=1577030877&sr=8-1
or at DWC's amazon.com author's book title list https://www.amazon.com/s?k=douglas+winslow+cooper&i=digital-text&ref=nb_sb_noss
