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 more water than any other source and wastes much of that through inefficiencies. Climate change is altering patterns of weather and water around the world, causing shortages and droughts in some areas and floods in others.

At the current consumption rate, this situation will only get worse. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. And ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.

CAUSES

The human population has successfully harnessed many of the world’s natural waterways—building dams, water wells, vast irrigation systems and other structures that have allowed civilizations to grow and thrive. But water systems are increasingly stressed, and some rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up.

POLLUTION

Water pollution comes from many sources including pesticides and fertilizers that wash away from farms, untreated human wastewater, and industrial waste. Even groundwater is not safe from pollution, as many pollutants can leach into underground aquifers. Some effects are immediate, as when harmful bacteria from human waste contaminate water and make it unfit to drink or swim in. In other instances—such as toxic substances from industrial processes—it may take years to build up in the environment and food chain before their effects are fully recognized.

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture uses 70% of the world’s accessible freshwater, but some 60% of this is wasted due to leaky irrigation systems, inefficient application methods as well as the cultivation of crops that are too thirsty for the environment in which they are grown. This wasteful use of water is drying out rivers, lakes and underground aquifers. Many countries that produce large amounts of food—including India, China, Australia, Spain and the United States—have reached or are close to reaching their water resource limits. Added to these thirsty crops are the fact that agriculture also generates considerable freshwater pollution – both through fertilizers as well as pesticides – all of which affect both humans and other species.

POPULATION GROWTH

In the last 50 years, the human population has more than doubled. This rapid growth— with its accompanying economic development and industrialization—has transformed water ecosystems around the world and resulted in a massive loss of biodiversity. Today, 41% of the world’s population lives in river basins that are under water stress. Concern about water availability grows as freshwater use continues at unsustainable levels. Furthermore, these new faces also need food, shelter, and clothing, thus resulting in additional pressure on freshwater through the production of commodities and energy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CAUSES OF WATER SCARCITY

Image
 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...
Read more

Facts about Water Scarcity

Image
  IMPORTANT WATER SCARCITY FACTS To understand the severity of water scarcity, here are some powerful facts:  While  3% of the Earth’s water is fresh , only 0.5%   of the Earth’s water is fit and available for consumption.   The remaining portion is either inaccessible, in ice caps, glaciers, or underground, or too polluted for people to salvage.  Water conservation, use and quality affect whether a country can meet demands. Worldwide, water scarcity now   affects one in   ten   people , estimating around 785 million people . If you could put all the world’s   water into   26 gallons , the freshwater available for use would equal about   half a teaspoon . Without access to clean water, people cannot build proper health, sanitation and hygiene procedures, leading to an increased risk of death and disease.  Access to clean water can help children stay in school. Local access can prevent them from walking miles every day, esp...
Read more

TYPES, FACTS AND FIGURES

Image
  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...
Read more