Water Consumption in the World

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Introduction

The results of the investigative study into the daily water usage within households in Abu Dhabi show a mean average of 135 gallons/per day for the 15 households that were involved in this project.

When comparing this average with that of the U.S. which is estimated at 145 gallons per person it can actually be seen that households in Abu Dhabi actually consumes less water than their counterparts in the U.S., however, when compared to the global average of 31.41 gallons/per person per day it can clearly be seen that water consumption within Abu Dhabi is four times that of most other countries.

What must first be understood is that population density as well as the degree of modern day infrastructure within a country directly affects the consumption of water within a given area. The greater the population density within a country the higher the likelihood is of larger industrial complexes existing in a certain area which directly contributes to the rising rate in water consumption.

While this may be true, this particular study involved individual households and as such does not factor in the consumption of water through industrial processes.

Furthermore, Abu Dhabi, unlike other regions in the world, has a low population density and as such has fewer people per household as compared to areas such as China and India where communal living with several families living under one roof is quite common, however, their average per person water consumption, estimated at 19.5 and 39.6 gallons respectfully, is far lower than the average rate seen in most households within Abu Dhabi.

As such, the researchers for this project developed the notion that while the number of people within a household does increase the amount of water utilized, (as seen in the case of the survey where the greater the number of people within a household the higher the water usage became) this does not mean that such usage immediately translates into a greater than average per person daily use when comparing their consumption of water (water per gallon per household) with the global average.

Such a case can clearly be seen in the case of China and India wherein despite their higher population the amount of water consumed per person is still far lower than that of either Abu Dhabi or the U.S.

Explaining the Results

Further examination of the study results reveal that the lowest per person daily consumption within the survey is placed at 96 gallons per person/day for a 10 member household while the highest is 184 per person/day for a 3 member household.

Even though such numbers may seem low, they are still considerably higher when compared to the global average per person per day consumption of 31.41 gallons.

One of the reasons behind this disparity, as assumed by the researcher, is connected to the degree of infrastructure development and access to clean water that is prevalent throughout Abu Dhabi as compared to the case of other countries around the world whose citizens do not have the same degree of access.

As such, it was assumed at the onset of this project by the researchers that easy access to water translates into a higher predilection towards usage as compared to instances where access to clean water is not as prevalent.

Thus, it was not surprising to see higher degrees of water consumption as compared to the global average. Evidence of this can also be seen in the case of households within the U.S. who also have a similar level of access to drinkable water sources.

Household size does not limit consumption

One of the more interesting discoveries by the survey was the fact that household size did not necessarily limit the total amount of water used. In fact, it was seen that the per person consumption of water was greater in small households as compared to individuals from larger households.

While the researchers for this particular project have no concrete answer as to why this occurred, it is assumed that there is a certain “communal” attitude within larger households which actually creates a certain self-imposed limit on the amount of resources consumed. This may be attributed to the “sharing mechanism” often seen in communal settings.

On the other hand, individuals who live in smaller households are often not subject to such attitudes, as such, their consumption of resources (such as water) is often uninhibited. Evidence of this can be seen in the case of the U.S. whose per person water consumption exceeds that of Abu Dhabi where households are often limited to 2 – 4 individuals.

Does the Environment Play a Factor in Household Water Consumption in Abu Dhabi?

When the researchers originally examined the results of the surveys it was thought that the environment played a factor in the amount of water consumed per household within Abu Dhabi. Such an assumption was connected to the normal state of affairs within the region which consists of temperate environment of 40 degrees or more.

Various studies have in fact emphasized the fact that high temperatures often does cause people to drink more in order to replenish the fluids within their body. Yet, the researchers were not fully convinced of this claim in the case of Abu Dhabi due to several factors:

Most, if not all homes, are air conditioned with enough insulation in place to keep the heat out.
People rarely stay out in the heat and prefer to be in doors most of the time.
When examining our own water usage most of it was not due to drinking water or by taking several showers in a day.

Taking such aspects into consideration, it cannot be stated that the reason why the water consumed per household in Abu Dhabi is so high is due to the heat.

Conclusion

As the demand for water grows so too will necessity of increasingly larger means of water extraction and delivery be needed. The inherent problem with this is that the price of finite resources continues to increase over time as demand grows.

There will eventually come a time where the world will have to deal with the dwindling supply of water and the aftereffects it will cause on the environment.

There are already squabbles breaking out between India, China and Egypt regarding sharing the water resources that feed into their respective territories with no end in sight in finding an effective solution.

It is based on this that the researchers for this project advocate better methods of water conservation as well as a certain degree of self-imposed limitations on population growth so as to ensure that water resources are not completely depleted within the coming years.

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