Water supply can be managed through hard engineering

• There are several things that can be done to increase the amount of water available in an area and increase water security. Some of these involve hard engineering of a technological fix:
• Water transfer schemes:

  • Water transfers schemes involve moving water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit
  • This is morally done by pumping it through pipes, channels, canals and aqueducts 
  • Water can also be moved by redesigning the entire river course so that it flows into the required area. There has been an increasing need to transfer water between whole regions, such as the South North water Transfer scheme in China, or even between whole countries
• Mega dams: 

  • Water can be stored during times of surplus to ensure there's enough water during times of deficit 
  • Building a dam across a river traps water, creating a reservoir. The reservoir is filled during periods of extended rainfall, and the water is released during drier periods. This ensures a consistent flow of water in the river all year around 
  • There are many large scale dams in the world, e.g. on the Yangtze River, China and on the Colorado River 
• Desalination plants:

  • Desalination is the removal of salt from seawater, so that it can be used as a water source. Sea Water is heated until the water evaporates, leaving the salt behind. The water vapour is then condensed to produce freshwater. Alternatively, seawater can be passed through a series of membranes to remove the salt. This is called reverse osmosis 
  • Seawater is abundant in many areas that lack sufficient freshwater but have a coastline, so desalination can significantly increase water security 
  • Saudi Arabia has over 20 desalination plants, more than any other country
• Choosing the right type of water management scheme is made more difficult because there are many different stakeholders and players that need to be considered