Prepare: Read Chapter 4 in Environmental Policies and all required resources as listed in the Student Course Guide.

Reflect:Just as clean air is irreplaceable and necessary for life, so is clean water. Similar to clean air, the prevalence, causes, and sources of water pollution vary from location to location and within geographical regions. However, while clean air problems seldom involve quantity challenges, water resources are often evaluated based on both quality and quantity standards. Every country in the world, including the United States, is challenged by water pollution problems that threaten water quality. In addition, most countries on the planet have regions that do not have enough clean water for the people, flora, and fauna that inhabit these regions. As a result, maintaining water resources is often a two-fold task that requires not only providing clean, potable water, but also enough water for human, non-human, industrial, agricultural, and municipal users.

Write: In your initial post of at least 250 words, using the required resources and any additional credible resources that would enhance the strength of your argument, complete the following:

• Discuss one major challenge to maintaining water quality and one major challenge to maintaining water quantity.
• Describe one social, one ethical, and one political factor related to either water quality or water quantity challenges that affect the management of this resource.