Project Abstract

Abstract
Water is essential for life, but it can also pose significant safety risks and cause damage in various ways. This research project aims to explore the different aspects of safety and damage associated with water. The study investigates various sources of water-related hazards, including floods, waterborne diseases, and drowning incidents. It also delves into the structural damage that water can cause to buildings, infrastructure, and natural environments. The research examines the impact of climate change on water-related risks, such as the increase in frequency and intensity of storms leading to flooding and erosion. It also considers the role of human activities, such as urbanization and deforestation, in exacerbating water-related hazards. By analyzing historical data and case studies, the project seeks to identify patterns and trends in water-related safety issues and damage. Furthermore, the research project explores strategies for mitigating water-related risks and minimizing damage. This includes the development of early warning systems for floods, improving water quality through proper sanitation and waste management practices, and implementing regulations and policies to reduce vulnerabilities to water-related hazards. The study also investigates the use of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions to enhance resilience to water-related risks. Overall, this research project provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between water, safety, and damage. By understanding the various sources of water-related hazards and their impacts, stakeholders can better prepare for and respond to water-related emergencies. The findings of this study can inform decision-makers in developing strategies to enhance water safety, protect communities from water-related damage, and promote sustainable water management practices.

Project Overview

BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Water (H2O) is a transparent fluid which forms the world’s streams, lakes, oceans and rain, and is the major constituent of the fluids of organisms(Shiff, 2009). As a chemical compound, a water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogenatoms that are connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at standard ambient temperature and pressure, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice; and gaseous state, steam (water vapor)(Chandiwana. 2006). It also exists as snow, fog, dew and cloud.

Water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface. It is vital for all known forms of life. On Earth, 96.5% of the planet’s crust water is found in seas and oceans, 1.7% in groundwater, 1.7% in glaciers and the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland, a small fraction in other large water bodies, and 0.001% in the air as vapor, clouds (formed of ice and liquid water suspended in air), and precipitation(Shiff, 2009). Only 2.5% of this water is freshwater, and 98.8% of that water is in ice (excepting ice in clouds) and groundwater(Chandiwana. 2006). Less than 0.3% of all freshwater is in rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere, and an even smaller amount of the Earth’s freshwater (0.003%) is contained within biological bodies and manufactured products. A greater quantity of water is found in the earth’s interior.

Water on Earth moves continually through the water cycle of evaporation and transpiration (evapotranspiration), condensation, precipitation, and runoff, usually reaching the seaShiff, C.J. 2009. Evaporation and transpiration contribute to the precipitation over land. Water used in the production of a good or service is known as virtual water.

Safe drinking water is essential to humans and other lifeforms even though it provides no calories or organicnutrients(Garfield2003). Access to safe drinking water has improved over the last decades in almost every part of the world, but approximately one billion people still lack access to safe water and over 2.5 billion lack access to adequate sanitation(Shiff, 2009). There is a clear correlation between access to safe water and gross domestic product per capita. However, some observers have estimated that by 2025 more than half of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability.A report, issued in November 2009, suggests that by 2030, in some developing regions of the world, water demand will exceed supply by 50%.(Garfield2003)  Water plays an important role in the world economy, as it functions as a solvent for a wide variety of chemical substances and facilitates industrial cooling and transportation. Approximately 70% of the freshwater used by humans goes to agriculture(Shiff, 2009).