Global Water Crisis
Photo Credit: Fleno De
Many of us realize that the global water crisis is a serious issue. But did you know that by 2050 a third of the people on Earth may lack a clean source of drinking water? Or that 40% of people in Africa and 53% in India don’t have access to clean drinking water today? This definitely surprised me at first and put things into perspective. I was happy to find out that serious efforts are being made to help diminish the water crisis.
One of the leading contributors to the water crisis is the extreme population increase. An increase in population means an increase in waste, including wasted water. As people continue to use more and more water, water resources are becoming depleted. The problem is that people that do not face water scarcity have the mindset that access to water is an obvious and natural part of life. They do not realize that having such easy access to water is a privilege that should not be taken for granted.
Thankfully organizations such as the World Water Council and the Global Water Policy Project are devoted to making changes in the way the world consumes water. Many other organizations are dedicated to creating safe water conditions in areas that do not have easy access to water. An organization called New Vue has a project called the Nouveau Haiti Project that hopes to provide freshwater for those in need in Haiti. Their focus is to deliver on-the-ground action within days of being funded for certain projects. This pro action mindset is what is needed to help curb the global water crisis.
Read more about drinking water and sanitation!
Learn more about the Nouveau Haiti Project
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National Geographics April issue is focused on the water crisis and the editor points out that 97% of earths water is salty and of the 3% remaining, 2% is ice or snow, leaving us with only 1%. As you point out, population and pollution are straining this fragil resource. Here is another “how to help” link from National Geographic:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/04/water-is-life/how-to-help
This article is timely. Those of us who think nothing about the source or quantity of the water available to us when we turn on the tap, need to be more aware, especially as we enter the high water use seasons of spring and summer. As major consumers of this precious resource, we have a moral obligation to help protect our planet’s water. Thank you for providing information on organizations that are working toward this end and for making fresh water available to those in need.