Page 170 - Ready for C2 Student's Book english0905.com

05.09.2024, 22:45 Ready for C2 Proficiency Student's Book Classroom Presentation

TALK OF THE TOWN
https://english0905.com/private/
B e n g a l u r u
J a k a r t a

M e x i c o C i t y

I n d e e p w a t e r s

A swampy delta with 40% of the city already sitting below
For Jakarta, the issue surrounding water is even
https://english0905.com/private/
more complex. Home to around 10 million
With a population of over 22 million inhabitants, according D people, Jakarta stands on a slowly sinking
to UN figures, Mexico City ’s water supply is in great
demand, yet this metropolis has seen what can only be
described as a water famine, with water access limited to a few sea level. North Jakarta has already sunk by 2.5 metres in
the last 10 years and every year the situation deteriorates,
hours a week for some homes during times of drought. The cause with the prospect of 95% of this district being submerged
of the city’s massive water shortage stems from a range of factors, by 2050, regardless of any further climate change issues.
such as disrepair in the pipe network which gives rise to heavy Some buildings have been long abandoned as ground
water losses. This damage is largely compacted by the fact that floors are filled with stagnant water, while in others,
the city is sinking at an alarming rate. In addition to this, with an residents try to block out the creeping submergence
estimated 40% of its water being imported from outside the city, a
with makeshift solutions. And despite all this, property https://english0905.com/private/
lack of large-scale water recycling systems and increasing numbers continues to be developed to meet demand, and many
of droughts brought about by climate change, access to sufficient
residents, with a host of critical infrastructure problems
water is becoming critically scarce. This issue continues to hang in to contend with, refrain from focusing too much on
the balance as initiatives to mitigate the problem continue to run the dire water situation. The problems are exacerbated
up against issues such as shortfalls in funding. by rising sea levels and excessive ground use which
deflates the land over time. A solution may lie in the Great
A water crisis also plagues residents of Bengaluru, in
Garuda, a 32km sea wall, however many experts have
Southern India. Despite, or in fact because of, its rapid
warned against relying on a one-dimensional approach,
r
i
B se to become India’s technological hub and its ensuing stating that this really should be done in conjunction with
to resort to taking what they need from the city’s lake, a source E
population boom, the city has stretched existing water stocks far
confronting overextraction of groundwater.
beyond the capacity for which they were designed. This growth
has also meant that, disastrously, a large number of the houses in
New Orleans is no stranger to harsh weather
the city do not have access to tap water, impelling some people
events, especially flash flooding, occurring when
high tides correspond with heavy rain, which
which is heavily contaminated. Although consecutive governments has caused catastrophic destruction of whole areas of
have vowed to find a solution, some residents criticise initiatives as the city in recent years. Like most flood-prone cities, it
failing to address over reliance on groundwater, which thanks to suffers from low elevation, and has fundamental flaws in
reduced rainfall during monsoon season – largely due to climate
its drainage infrastructure. As sea levels continue to rise,
change – is even more scarce than it was. New Orleans is in an increasingly precarious position,
with some experts forewarning that almost all of the city’s
The Egyptian capital, Cairo , has not escaped its share of
residents may be displaced by 2050. An extensive flood
water issues, despite being located on the banks of the
protection project costing around $15 billion is now in
i
R
C ver Nile, and these ripple out across the entire country.
place, setting many residents at ease. However, many
While the world-famous river is the source of 97% of Egypt’s
believe that systems that have been implemented are not
water, it is becoming increasingly polluted by untreated residential
keeping pace with the escalating risk of rising sea levels
and agricultural waste, leaving it unusable for many. For Cairo,
and stronger, more frequent storm surges. Moreover,
unlike other cities, relying on rainwater is ruled out as an option
vanishing wetlands, which once acted as natural flood
due to its arid climate, further narrowing down its options to
barriers, mean that governments need to urgently keep
existing river, lake or sea sources, using groundwater supplies and
up with changing predictions and conditions rather
water storage. Unfortunately, climate change has meant that many
than rest on their laurels.
of these supplies are dwindling. Efforts to solve the issues are
taking shape, with a National Water Resources plan to invest $50
billion into the system in many different ways, including increasing
https://english0905.com/private/
desalination to tap into marine water.
163
https://lms-cdn.mee.macmillaneducation.com/cdn/macmillanXHotspotMapping/readyfor_c2_cpk_studentbook_fullversion_productcontent/202405… 1/1