A water shortage is occurring in the south Pacific, causing nations to declare a state of emergency. The island nation of Tuvalu, and Tokelau, a nation of New Zealand, are severely low on drinking water and have begun rationing water supplies. People are unable to wash their clothes and do household chores, public restrooms are shut off, and most people are bathing in lagoons.
Engineering Approach
The main cause behind this water shortage is due to a lack of rainfall from the current La Nina weather pattern. La Nina is triggered when there are large differences in water temperatures across the Pacific Ocean that cause trade winds to increase in strength and push rainfall to the west, leaving places such as Tuvalu and Tokelau dry. Reports say that there has not been any precipitation in seven months. These islands are not able to use ground water because their reserves have become spoiled by saltwater from rising sea levels. Many scientists have linked these rising levels to climate change. Because of this, the areas are almost entirely reliant on precipitation collected on the tops of houses and government buildings.
Behavioral Approach
People who live in these areas experience La Nina and El Nino weather patterns every year. The current drought has left these areas virtually uninhabitable with the complete lack of water available. Although not likely a viable option for most people, they may want to consider living in another area where they are not so susceptible to water shortage. The climate change that has caused sea levels to rise and contaminate underground water reserves could also be related to increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere stemming from human industrialization.
Development Approach
The islands of Tuvalu and Tokelaun are very small and have populations of 11,000 and 1,400, respectively. They are not very wealthy nations, and when they are faced with a desperate situation like this, they must reach out to other nations for assistance. The Red Cross is currently sending large quantities of bottled water and desalination units to the areas. It is a proven fact that people need water to survive. As the world's population grows, it is putting more and more stress on the world's freshwater supply. This makes many people vulnerable to water shortages, particulary during droughts. In the future, places like Tuvalu and Tokelaun might have to make agreements with countries who possess large quantities of freshwater for water. They also might want to look into permanent desalination facilities to convert salt water into freshwater.
Complex Approach
The water shortages are having great consequences on the interactions between nature and society. For example, people are having to leave schools and businesses to go home and use the bathroom because public facilities are shut down. Due to the severe drought brought about by La Nina weather patterns, crops being grown on the island are in very poor shape, which will likely lead to a food shortage as well. The process of collecting water on the tops of buildings is not working because of the drought, and groundwater reserves are contaminated. Water sources are being heavily rationed, and the people of these islands are completely dependent on outside sources for freshwater and medical supplies at the moment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15163543
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/04/south-pacific-water-crisis-rainfall
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/south-pacific-water-shortage-means-some-islands-have-only-a-weeks-worth-of-water-left/2011/10/04/gIQAosZALL_blog.html
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110908_lanina.html
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