The importance of water around the world
Our new topic to discuss this year is “The Water Cycle”, so as to talk about it we made research and we separate it into two topics:
- The Water Crisis
- Water Distribution
- Water-Rich countries
- Water-Poor countries
The Water Crisis
To begin, we know that water is indispensable for us, we can find water in every part of the world but not all of it is clean and drinkable, “Water is a precondition for human existence and for the sustainability of the planet.” - UN WATER
Water scarcity can mean scarcity in availability due to physical shortage, or scarcity in access due to the failure of institutions to ensure a regular supply or due to a lack of adequate infrastructure.
Water scarcity already affects every continent. Water use has been growing globally at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and an increasing number of regions are reaching the limit at which water services can be sustainably delivered, especially in arid regions.
If we look closer,around 2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the world’s population, live in areas of scarcity. 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).Around 700 million people in 43 countries suffer today from water scarcity.
All of these have solutions, some of them involve campaigns so as you to donate and help to bring safe water and sanitation to the world through access to small, affordable loans. There is both a need and demand for these loans, because when people have access to safe water, they get time back to go to school, earn an income and take care of their family. It changes their world.
Water Distribution
- Water-Rich
The United States is one of the biggest freshwater sources in the world, but we are also one of the biggest water users. Not all areas of the country are full of water, however, with the eastern and northwestern United States being far wetter than the western half of the country. According to the study, “The Water Footprint of Humanity” printed by the National Academy of Sciences, water use also varies regionally, with the eastern half of the country showing a higher pattern of water use than the western half. The largest single use of water in industry is for cooling in thermal energy production. Despite being a wet country, the U.S. is drawing on too high of a percentage of the U.S.A total available water supply to be sustainable.
Freshwater withdrawals around the world have increased as well, growing 300% since 1950, and the world’s demand for water is only increasing with population growth and the increasing water use of new agriculture practices and energy demands. Global warming may create more freshwater in the future from increased rainfall, but it will also deplete more stores of freshwater through increased evaporation.
Just as in the U.S, global water sources and use vary dramatically from region to region with climate, normal seasonal variations, droughts and floods contributing to local extreme conditions.
- Water- Poor
Over 1 billion people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water, and 2.6 billion do not have access to improved sanitation. 6 to 8 million people die every year from water-related diseases. One of the biggest water-related risks that water poor countries face is water scarcity for businesses, farms and communities. There are at least 36 countries facing extreme risk of scarcity by withdrawing 80% or more of their available water supply annually. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, current water use policies around the world will soon make it impossible for farmers to produce enough food for the world population, and the hardest hit will certainly be the world’s poorest people.
