Water Scarcity at ICTP Italy: A Concerned Indian Friend's Inquiry

[cosmoboy]

hi,
one of my friends will be visiting ictp (italy) very soon, she learned from somebody that water is scarce and
expensive there (compared to indian standard) is this true ?

I will be thankful to your answer

by

 

[brewnog]

For the most part, italy seems to have running water like most other places else in Europe. I wouldn't say it's 'scarce'.

However, to me it's always seemed incredibly hard. It can make your hair go crispy...

Most things are probably expensive anywhere in Europe compared with India.

 

[marlon]

water (that we actually can drink) will become scarce though

marlon

 

[mathwonk]

this is a joke right? there is no where i would rather be then the ICTP in trieste. That town and general; area has the best restaurants I have ever encountered in the world.

But is your friend a Hindu vegetarian? That could make a difference. Gee, italian pelegrino water is the best in the world as well.

Doesn't the ICTP have free dormitories? or is that only for speakers?

also this is not exactly academic advice, unless you find it hard to study with a dry mouth.

 

[cosmoboy]

Dear All,
I am very much thankful to your responses !

with best wishes

 

[misskitty]

Pelegrino is pretty good. Eventually water might become scarce. However I do not believe it will be any time in the near future.

 

[so-crates]

I don't understand how water can become scarce. The Earth is covered in 2/3 of it, and although plants use it to synthesize sugar it is regenerated in cells during cellular respiration not to mention several other chemical processes. Water which is not 'used up' simply evaporates into the atmosphere where it eventually returns to the Earth in the form of precipitation. The 'scarcity' of water will only be limited by how expensive it is to expend the necessary energy to extract it.

 

[Phobos]

The 'scarcity' of water will only be limited by how expensive it is to expend the necessary energy to extract it.

If you know where it is, then extracting it is not too tough. (Granted, it can be too expensive for most people to have their own private water well.)

Like marlon said, finding a sufficient amount of drinkable water is what "scarcity" refers to. Most of the Earth's water is in the oceans (too salty to drink...and very expensive to desalinate) or locked up in faraway ice caps. Once you find a usable source of water (nearby river/lake/groundwater) you need to make sure it's clean enough to drink and if not, spend tons of money to clean it. And then there's distribution.

Consider Los Angeles...it's located next to the largest ocean in the world and yet it doesn't have enough usable water within its city limits to sustain itself...they have to pipe in huge amounts of water from another area (upsetting people from that area of course). Same goes for New York, Boston, etc.