Water and wastewater treatment plants in developed countries provide potable water and help prevent discharge of pollutants into waterways. Even areas that are arid or have fewer natural water resources can provide these conveniences through built infrastructure. For example, the Hoover Dam provides water to southwestern United States. Developed countries also have many environmental regulations to protect the environment and human health. Even with regulations, however, environmental accidents of widely varying ranges can still threaten our environment. The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 is a great example.
Less developed countries often do not have the necessary resources to provide treatment facilities and/or enforce environmental regulations. In fact, many people do not have easy access to potable water, or they have to watch as their water is contaminated by industry, without the ability to take legal action.
For this discussion, find information about a conflict over a water supply or water quality anywhere in the world and summarize the conflict for your classmates. Discuss your views on how a growing world population affects a resource such as water and how water quality impacts human health. Does this differ in developed versus undeveloped countries? Relate your initial post to this week’s readings and resources. Follow proper citation methods.
IMPORTANT: Read through earlier posts in this module to ensure that you pick a conflict that has not already been covered by one of your classmates.
After reading through your peers’ posts and thinking about the different conflicts discussed, comment on the following:
- Do you think potable water is a basic right for all humans? Why or why not?
- Who owns or should own the water supply?
- Should people expect to pay for access to potable water?
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