Automobiles are needed to transport people and products. Power machinery is needed to build homes. The availability and quality of a community s water and air greatly influences the quality of life in that community. A community lacking water, for example, must import water in order for the community to survive. If the water is not potable, the water must be purified for the community.
Air quality can influence the health of a community s citizenry.
Poor air quality, for example, can cause an increase in asthma attacks. Water and air also help to physically shape the environment. In nature, water and air are two of the strongest agents for causing erosion of the Earth s surface. Water transported to a desert can enable a once non-viable land to become productive. In order to manage water, humans store water in reservoirs.