Why are we facing a global water crisis?
Introduction
We are facing a global water crisis. Water scarcity affects every continent and has serious implications for our planet's economy and security. More than 2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water at home, while 4 billion face severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year. Agriculture, which accounts for 70% of freshwater use worldwide, depends on it. Water scarcity reduces economic growth and increases corruption and violence, especially in developing countries. Of the 783 million people without access to clean drinking water worldwide, 263 million are children. 1 out of every 6 children under the age of 5 dies as a direct or indirect result of poor nutrition and contaminated water supplies
We are facing a global water crisis.
You may have heard that we're facing a global water crisis. You've probably also heard that we need to be more mindful of our water consumption and conservation, or else we'll run out of clean water soon. But what exactly is going on? Why are these issues happening now? How can we be proactive about saving our planet's most precious resource?
First off, let's get some definitions out of the way: clean water means drinking water that doesn't contain harmful contaminants such as bacteria or chemicals; scarcity means not enough water to meet everyone's needs—sometimes this means no access to any kind of sanitation facilities; pollution refers to contamination by substances or organisms harmful to humans; access refers to having the ability to use something—in this case clean drinking sources.
2.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water at home.
The number of people who do not have access to safe drinking water at home is staggering. According to UNICEF, 2.1 billion people lack this basic necessity, which is more than the populations of the United States and Europe combined! This means that roughly 1/3 of all humans on Earth lack access to clean water.
More than 4 billion people face severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.
Water scarcity is an inadequate supply of fresh water to meet the demand. This can be caused by both a lack of freshwater resources and an excess demand for water.
Water shortage happens when there isn’t enough available freshwater to meet all demands, such as from industries and households. Water scarcity differs from water shortage in that it refers to inadequate supply without taking into account how much we are using or how much we need.
This means that even if there is plenty of water available in a region, but it doesn’t meet human needs (for example due to pollution), then that region would still be considered as facing latent hydrological drought (or "hidden" drought).
Agriculture, which accounts for 70% of freshwater use worldwide, depends on it.
Agriculture is the biggest user of water worldwide, accounting for 70% of total global freshwater use. Agriculture uses water for several purposes, including irrigation to grow crops and livestock production. Irrigation is a common practice that involves supplying crops with enough water to grow and flourish in an arid environment. Livestock production is another major way that agricultural industries use water resources; cattle and sheep require large amounts of clean water for drinking, bathing, cleaning themselves and cooling off in hot weather. In addition to being a necessity for growing crops and raising livestock on farms around the world—and a key ingredient in making food products such as meat, dairy products and salad dressings—irrigation uses up huge amounts of fresh H2O every year: approximately 70 percent of all freshwater withdrawals in 2016 were used by agriculture!
Water scarcity reduces economic growth and increases corruption and violence, especially in developing countries.
Water scarcity increases the cost of agriculture, industry, living, doing business and providing public services.
In addition to increasing the cost of living and doing business in a country or state with limited water resources, water scarcity can also lead to violence between groups competing for access to it. Water is often used as a weapon by groups like terrorist organizations because it has been used as a tool for warfare throughout history.
Of the 783 million people without access to clean drinking water worldwide, 263 million are children.
While the number of children without safe drinking water might seem high, it's important to note that this statistic only accounts for those who live in areas where water is unsafe. In other words, there are likely many more children who don't have access to clean drinking water within their community or surrounding communities.
As you may have guessed, children are much more susceptible to diseases and infections caused by dirty drinking water than adults are. In fact, 80% of all deaths that result from diarrheal diseases occur in children under 5 years old. Additionally, when kids don't have access to adequate sanitation facilities (which means they can't wash their hands after using the restroom), they're more likely to develop chronic illnesses such as diarrhea or dysentery later in life.
1 out of every 6 children under the age of 5 dies as a direct or indirect result of poor nutrition and contaminated water supplies.
Even though we have the technology and know-how to provide clean water to everyone, there are still many children who die each day as a direct or indirect result of poor nutrition and contaminated water supplies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one in every six children under the age of 5 dies as a result of inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene. Most of these deaths occur in developing countries where lack of access to clean drinking water is common. In fact, according to WHO, diarrheal diseases caused by dirty water kill more people than any other single disease worldwide!
In addition to this staggering loss in life expectancy, hundreds and thousands more suffer from chronic illnesses like diarrhea due to poor nutrition and unclean drinking water conditions.
1 out of every 4 deaths among young children around the world is due to diarrhea from unclean water and poor sanitation conditions.
The UNICEF report, titled “Every Child Alive: The Lifesaving Promise of Clean Water and Sanitation”, includes a sobering statistic.
1 out of every 4 deaths among young children around the world is due to diarrhea from unclean water and poor sanitation conditions.
Diarrhea is caused by drinking contaminated water or food, which can lead to dehydration that can be fatal in some cases.
Put simply, lack of access to clean water keeps people poor, and those who live in poverty face higher rates of disease, hunger, and food insecurity than those who don't
Put simply, lack of access to clean water keeps people poor, and those who live in poverty face higher rates of disease, hunger, and food insecurity than those who don't.
The result is that one in eight people on the planet faces chronic or recurring shortages of safe drinking water. This means that more than 2 billion people are forced to rely on unsafe sources for their daily needs—including their primary source of hydration—which puts them at risk for illness. And this problem only gets worse as climate change impacts the availability and quality of freshwater resources in many regions around the world.
A number of phenomena are making it more difficult for people around the world to get clean water.
The world is facing a global water crisis. Some of the most populated countries on Earth, including India and China, have been experiencing serious droughts for several years. In regions like Africa and Central America, where many people do not have access to clean drinking water tap water or adequate sanitation systems, disease outbreaks are becoming more common as a result of contaminated sources of water.
A number of phenomena are making it more difficult for people around the world to get clean water:
● Global warming is causing sea levels to rise and weather patterns to become more extreme. This impacts rainfall—meaning less freshwater is available in some areas—and causes other changes that make it harder for farmers or others who rely on water from rivers or lakes to harvest crops. These storms also cause flooding in low-lying coastal cities like Miami Beach that typically don't experience tidal flooding due to rising oceans in ways that can be devastating for residents who live there—or even those who work there!
● Population growth means that demand for fresh produce will continue increasing over time unless we do something about our planet's shrinking natural resources today while they're still abundant enough (like available potable water). The best way you can help reduce demand pressure would be by eating less meat so you won't consume anywhere near as much protein per calorie consumed than if you ate plants instead!
Conclusion
So why is this happening? The answer is simple: we are using too much water, and we’re not recycling it. The effects of climate change, population growth and pollution will only make matters worse unless we take action now.