Africa's Air Pollution

Water Pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater) (absoluteastronomy.com/topics/waterpollution).


Water Pollution is a tough subject for many people to discuss. In everyday life, we use water for almost everything we do. We use water for food, to drink, to bathe, to swim, and the list continues. Some areas, such as Africa and China, have water pollution that is so bad that the people there can barely live near these bodies of water because it is so polluted. They are exposed to many toxins and chemicals that can potentially be fatal to their health. Christopher Gordon, author of
 　
Africa is a country where they do not have the proper resources to acquire clean, freshwater. This is a country where almost all the people live below the poverty line of making less than $2 a day for purchasing power (Berg and Hager 2009). Africa's water is contaminated and the chemicals are released into the bodies of the individuals. The individuals are then exposed to the contaminated water, become very ill, and their lives might end in death. This is an unfortunate situation and something must be done to help this nation recover.
In my opinion, I believe that the water pollution in Africa is unsafe and unhealthy. It is devastating that a country, such as Africa, has to endure the pain and suffering of their water being polluted. I do not agree with the government by allowing their own people to be in an environment where it is unsafe. I think that the government should do a better job of regulating the toxins and chemicals being dumped in the bodies of water. One way that the government can regulate this is by setting laws that do not allow waste dumping at all. They could take tiny steps by making a public service announcement to inform the people what waste dumping does to the water and the consequences that come along with it. It is a small step but it could work miracles for this country. Freshwater Ecosystems in West Africa: Problems and Overlooked Potentials, states, "Freshwater is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development, and the environment" (Gordon, 1998). When water pollution becomes a high risk factor, people of that area are not able to live there comfortably. They have to be careful of how and when they use the water and take extreme measures to protect themselves and their families.

Berg, RL and Hager MC (2009). Visualizing Environmental Science. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. NJ.

Gordon, C (1998). Freshwater Ecosystems in West Africa: Problems and Overlooked Potentials. http://www.aaas.org/international/africa/ewmi/gordon.htm

Water pollution. (absoluteastronomy.com/topics/waterpollution)