Water Scarcity 

Introduction

There is enough fresh water available to meet the needs of people globally yet we will be facing water shortage. Some will be facing water crisis by 2025 and some in next few decades. Should you be worried about water scarcity, the answer depends on which part of the world do you live in? 

There are two type of water crisis: physical and economic. Physical water scarcity is when a place does not has enough water to meet all the demands such as Central Asia, West Asia  or North Africa because of the desert climate. Economic water scarcity is when there is not enough investment to build infrastructure to draw water from the rivers or other water resources. For instance in Sub-Saharan Africa people face water shortage due to economic water scarcity. In this blog I will share with you the background of water scarcity, global warming's impact on water scarcity, the overuse and wastage of water and some of the facts related to water crisis. 

Background

Many governments around the globe have failed to come up with smart ways and frame work for proper water usage. Earth has 70% water. 97% of all the earth water is salty and 2% is frozen which means only 1% of water is drinkable. It is still enough for the entire world's population but it's not. There is uneven distribution of water, when and where water is available and when and where people need water. One person in one part of the world has to walk for miles to just get one container of water whereas the other person in other part of the world simply has to turn on the tap in home and get as much water as they need. 

However, this advantage of turning on a tap and getting as much water as you need will not last for too long. Many developed countries have an outdated water infrastructure and because of not properly managing water usage major developed cities will be facing water crisis. In 2018, Cape Town, South Africa became the first major city to face sever water crisis. Droughts, outdated water infrastructure, and poor water management led the city to be at brink of “day zero” which meant the cities 4.6 million residents were going to run out of water. They were going to end up going to city hall to collect their limited water. Fortunately, with getting more rain the water level in dams was increased and with proper planning Cape Town was saved from day zero. However, it is still at the risk of water shortage as the demand for water usage is increasing. Many major cities such as London, Tokyo, and Mexico city to name a few will be facing water crisis in the coming few decades unless the governments start to layout frame work to manage water usage now. 

Global Warming's Impact On Water Scarcity

Climate change has led to extreme weather events such as floods and sever droughts. Rising global temperature increases the moisture that atmosphere can hold which results in heavy rains and storms; paradoxically as more water evaporates from the land the global weather pattern changes. The frequency of heavy rains, floods and storms will be increasing at the same time sever droughts will also be taking place. Global warming also leads to water pollution and rising water level in oceans and seas which increases salt in the water. The water is hence not drinkable which results in water scarcity. Floods also cause clean and polluted water to get mixed. Water gets contaminated with solid waste and toxic and poisonous waste. Furthermore, tsunami pollutes the water bodies near the sea and ocean shores as well rivers and lakes.

Over Usage Of Water & Increasing Demand For Water

 Overuse of water remains the main reason why the world will be facing water scarcity. Overuse of water by industries and factories and water contamination by the industries and factories is the reason why 6 people in 10 are facing water shortage crisis now. Solid waste by the industries and factories contribute directly to water pollution.

Water wastage is also a reason for water shortage. Growing world population means more demand for water and causing water shortage. By 2025 the demand for water will rise to 40% which can result in more conflicts in the world. 

Facts About Water Crisis

• Kuwait is one of the 10 the countries in the world with poorest water resources per capita but consumption of water in Kuwait is one of the highest in the world.

•  Canada is the country with most water in the world. 

• Since 2000 most flood related deaths and economic loses were recorded in Asia and most droughts occurred in Africa. 

• World's most water is used in agriculture. The second most user of water are the industries and 3rd most users are the domestic users. 

• Water shortage will also put pressure on food supplies as there will not be enough water for agriculture. 

• The biggest contributor to climate change are not the individuals but the industries, factories and greenhouses. Most of the carbon dioxide emission come from the companies around the world. 

• United States create more waste than any other country in the world and most of that waste is generated from the residents. One person creates about 2kg of solid waste per day in US. 

• Water footprint is the amount of water used to produce goods such as amount of water that it takes to grow rice or to produce a shirt. India, China, and United States are the countries with the highest water footprint.