Everyday, hundreds of millions of people struggle to obtain the world’s most important resource, water. Around 844-million people lack access to clean water. This global crisis extends beyond just poor communities, as it affects even the largest cities throughout the world.
Water is the most crucial substance for all living things on Earth. For plants, it helps in the creation of energy through photosynthesis. For animals, it is important in regulating all bodily functions. Humans cannot function without water, and the capabilities of water stretch further than for individual health. It serves as a key for development in nations. Without water, citizens would not be able to carry out simple life tasks, such as washing hands or cleaning items. Sanitation is one factor that indicates the development of a country. Sanitation leads to less disease, which improves many demographics such as death rate and infection rate.
With high demand and population growth, water is becoming more and more scarce. By 2030, humans’ yearly global water requirements will surpass current sustainable water supplies by 40% (U.S. Intelligence Community Assessment of Global Water Security). Currently, consumption of water is far outracing the natural replenishment. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, 1 in 5 developing countries will face water shortages by the year 2050.
Not only are water supplies decreasing through increasing population, but pollution is becoming more prevalent as well. There is an exponential increase of pesticides and fertilizers being used over the past century. The use of these can lead to harmful chemicals washing into bodies of water. When pesticides wash up into bodies of water, the water can go through many changes that can make life unsuitable for organisms in the water, along with making the water undrinkable. Along with the use of pesticides and fertilizers, deforestation also plays a major role in the health of a body of water. Every year, millions of acres of land is cut clean of trees to make space for infrastructure. When trees become cleared, the sediment and soil of the ground becomes loose. This loose sediment can get picked up and carried into streams and rivers. An increase in the turbidity drastically decreases the health of the water.
So, What Now?
Over the decades, increasing amounts of awareness have been brought onto the Global Water Crisis. In 2000, the United Nations set the Millennium Development Goals. These set of goals included an objective to halve the number of people without sustainable access to drinking water by 2015. This goal was reached five years before its target date.
Over the last 30 years, over 2.6 billion people have obtained access to clean drinking water, and 1.4 billion have gained basic sanitation access since 2000.
While these numbers are increasingly positive, the water crisis is still a prominent issue that requires more action. Listed are some actions you can make at home:
Turn off leaking faucets
Limit showers to under 15 minutes
Implement the use of reusable bottles
Be mindful of any pollutants such as pesticides and seek alternatives
The Global Water Crisis has become a progressively concerning issue over the past century, as the world population has exponentially increased, and along with that came greater rates of pollution and deforestation. However, if greater actions begin being taken, the idea of sustainable water for all can be achieved.
Sources
“25 Facts You Should Know About the Global Water Crisis.” Seametrics, Seametrics, www.seametrics.com/blog/global-water-crisis-facts/.
Reid, Kathryn. Global Water Crisis: Facts, Faqs, and How to Help. 4 June 2020, www.worldvision.org/clean-water-news-stories/global-water-crisis-facts.