Water treatment and reuse have not yet become a priority, especially in developing and emerging countries, despite water being the second most essential human need after oxygen. Pressure on global water resources is already high and continues to increase. Today, approximately 40% of the world’s population is affected by water scarcity, and this percentage is expected to rise in the future.
By 2040, one in four children is expected to live in areas suffering from water scarcity, according to the latest United Nations report. Persistent water shortages are caused by both natural and human factors. Climate change, population growth, and poor management of water resources and wastewater systems are the main drivers of global freshwater scarcity.
Scientific evidence clearly shows that climate change contributes to the increasing frequency and severity of extreme events such as floods and droughts. Addressing these challenges requires changes at the individual level, followed by coordinated regional and global actions.
Population growth also leads to increased demand for food production through agriculture, as well as a higher demand for drinking water. While this challenge is complex, sustainable water management and reuse provide viable solutions.
In Kurdistan, one of the most effective solutions is the engineering-based management of water resources and wastewater. On average, each person uses about 250 liters of water per day for daily activities, of which approximately 80–85% can be treated, reused, or safely returned to the environment.
Currently, most household wastewater in Kurdistan is discharged into the environment without proper collection or treatment. In some cases, this untreated water is directly used for irrigation and agriculture, leading to serious health risks due to the presence of harmful bacteria and viruses.
In a region facing the threat of depleting water resources, treating domestic wastewater and reusing it for urban landscaping and agriculture would be an important first step.
There are many methods and technologies available for wastewater treatment, the most prominent of which include SBR, MBR, MBBR, FBBR, UF, UV, and RO systems.
The Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) is a conventional wastewater treatment method; however, its use has declined in many cases due to the large land area it requires. In developed countries, more compact and efficient technologies are increasingly used, and treated wastewater is reused for purposes such as urban landscaping, agriculture, artificial lakes, heating and cooling systems, and street cleaning. In future articles, I will discuss each of these treatment technologies in more detail.
