The Editor
Navhind Papers and Publications,
Navhind Bhavan,
Panaji,
Goa 403001
7th September 2013
Dear Sir:
Re: Fresh water problems due to rising sea levels
Experts currently meeting is San Juan, Puerto Rico are sounding a new alarm
about the effects of climate change for parts of the Caribbean.
Rising sea levels could contaminate supplies of fresh water and changing
climate patterns could result in less rain to supply reservoirs in the coming
decades, scientists and officials warned at a conference in St. Lucia this week.
“Inaction is not an option,” said Lystra Fletcher-Paul, a land and water
officer for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. “The water resources will
not be available.”
Some possible solutions include limits on development, increased use of
desalination plants and better management of existing water supplies. But there
will still be challenges in a region where many governments carry heavy debts
and have few new sources of revenue." (Ref. 1)
The problem of rising sea levels affecting aquifers has also been reported in
other parts of the world from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Now that Goa is approaching the end of the monsoon season it may be appropriate
to take a good hard look at the conditions currently in Goa.
It is a known fact that most hotels and multi-rise buildings cannot survive
without daily replenishing their water reservoirs with water supplied by water
tankers. Today these vehicles are ubiquitous in Goa. These water tankers mostly
obtain their water from ground water via bore wells.
According to the meeting of experts in San Juan, this situation is not
sustainable in the long term. Very soon the ground water in coastal areas (like
Goa) will be contaminated with sea water due to rising sea levels.
Goa is in a fortunate position because of regular and more or less predictable
tropical monsoon rains. It is time for the government to incentivize the
citizens of Goa to harvest this naturally occurring bounty instead of letting
it just run into the sea. This can be done mainly by education and perhaps
interest free loans.
Another more expensive option would be to build new giant reservoirs
specifically designed to collect this rain water. The more modest schemes by
encouraging homeowners to implement simple water harvesting may be a better
solution.
It is prudent to act proactively in situations like these.
Tim de Mello
Canada
Ref.1: Toronto Star article (Saturday, September 7, 2013):
Get ready for climate change or risk water scarcity, parched Caribbean told
Scientists warn that changing weather patterns are leaving many Caribbean
islands parched and action must be taken quickly.
(http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/09/06/get_ready_for_climate_change_or_risk_water_scarcity_parched_caribbean_told.html)
