WATER SCARCITY

  FACTS AND FIGURES 72% of all water withdrawals are used by agriculture, 16% by municipalities for households and services, and 12% by industries. ( UN-Water 2021 ) When a territory withdraws 25% or more of its renewable freshwater resources it is said to be ‘water-stressed’. Five out of 11 regions have water stress values above 25%, including two regions with high water stress and one with extreme water stress. ( UN-Water 2021 ) 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries, of which 733 million live in high and critically water-stressed countries. ( UN-Water 2021 ) 3.2 billion people live in agricultural areas with high to very high water shortages or scarcity, of whom 1.2 billion people – roughly one-sixth of the world’s population – live in severely water-constrained agricultural areas. ( FAO, 2020 ) Today, 1.42 billion people – including 450 million children – live in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability. ( UNICEF, 2021 ) About 4 billion pe...

WATER SCARCITY Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater—the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with—is incredibly rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use. As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people—they are exposed to diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, and other water-borne illnesses. Two million people, mostly children, die each year from diarrheal diseases alone. Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed a growing human population have become stressed. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. More than half the world’s wetlands have disappeared. Agriculture consumes...

 UNICEF’s response As the factors driving water scarcity are complex and vary widely across countries and regions, UNICEF works at multiple levels to introduce context-specific technologies that increase access to safe water and address the impacts of water scarcity.  Identifying new water resources: We assess the availability of water resources using various technologies, including remote sensing and geophysical surveys and field investigations. Improving the efficiency of water resources: We rehabilitate urban water distribution networks and treatment systems to reduce water leakage and contamination, promoting wastewater reuse for agriculture to protect groundwater. Planning for urban scarcity: We plan for future water needs by identifying available resources to reduce the risk of cities running out of water. Expanding technologies to ensure climate resilience: We support and develop climate-resilient water sources, including the use of deeper groundwater reserves throug...

 Amazing Solutions to Water Scarcity 1. Save Water Whenever Possible This could mean limiting the use of water, the use of washing machines, taking short showers instead of full baths. Even if you are on vacation in countries where water is scarce, try to save water. You should also try to convince your family and friends to save water. Save it whenever and wherever possible. 2. Education There are plenty of opportunities out there that people can use to learn more about the world around them. By educating those who are not dealing with water scarcity, they can be in a position to help. Those who are dealing with it can get educated on how they can prevent the problem from becoming even worse in the future. 3. Recycle Water There are plenty of technologies available that allow you to recycle rainwater and other water that you may be used in your home. Consider learning about how you can recycle water. Not only does it help to prevent scarcity, but it can save you some money as well...

 Disastrous Effects of Water Scarcity 1. Lack of Access to Drinking Water The biggest problem that happens when you have water scarcity is that people are not able to get fresh, clean drinking water. The human body can hardly survive so long without water, and a lack of drinking water can result in a number of other problems, which we discuss below. 2. Hunger If there is no water that can be used to help water the crops, then you are going to have people that are going hungry. Animals will also die, which will result in a lack of meat as well. Water scarcity, in short, causes starvation to occur en masse for both people and animals that are located in the area. 3. Lack of Education Water scarcity makes it difficult for people to get the education that they need or that they deserve. Why? Mainly because those children are either too sick to go to school (which we will discuss below) or they are working to help get water to the home and the family. 4. Diseases If you don’t have clean...

 Causes of Water Scarcity 1. Overuse of Water Water overuse is a huge issue that a lot of people are dealing with. It may be overused on people, animals, land, or any other number of things. It may also be used for recreational activities without any care about the effects that it may have on the world around them. 2. Pollution of Water Water pollution is a huge problem, especially when you’re looking at areas that don’t necessarily have a good sewage system. Pollution can be anything from oil, to carcasses, to chemicals, and fecal matter. No matter what it is, it makes a lot of issues for the people who may need to use it. 3. Conflict If there is conflict over an area of land, it may be difficult to access the water that is located there. It may lead to the destruction of important local infrastructure that may cause disruptions of the water supply for many people. In the worst-case scenarios, people could end up dying if they try to access the water in these areas (due to violenc...

  WATER SCARCITY FACTS AND FIGURES Water scarcity results from insufficient available freshwater resources to meet the human and environmental demands of a given area. Types of Water Scarcity Types of water scarcity include economic and physical or absolute. Economic water scarcity is due to the lack of water infrastructure in general or to the poor management of water resources where infrastructure is in place; it is estimated that 1.6 billion people face an economic water shortage. Physical, or absolute, water scarcity occurs when the use of water resources outpaces the supply: 1.2 billion people live in areas of physical scarcity. Water on Earth Where is all the water? 97.4 percent of all water is salt water, with fresh water making up only 2.6 percent of all water on Earth. Of the 2.6 percent of fresh water, 72.5 percent is frozen, 28.15 percent is groundwater, and .30 percent is fresh surface water. Vulnerable Cities Several of the world’s great cities are among the most vulne...

WATER SCARCITY Water scarcity already affects every continent. Around 1.2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the world's population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this situation. Another 1.6 billion people, or almost one quarter of the world's population, face economic water shortage (where countries lack the necessary infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers). Water scarcity is among the main problems to be faced by many societies and the World in the 21st century. Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and, although there is no global water scarcity as such, an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water. Water scarcity is both a natural and a human-made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for seven billion people but it is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed. Even in count...