The Water Crisis
By Grace Hunsberger
The Issue
All humans and animals need water to survive. A large percentage of Earth is made up of water, unfortunately ninety eight percent of that water is seawater and is unable to drink because it is too salty. Only two percent of Earth's water is freshwater, but most of that water is frozen and inaccessible. Most of Earth's freshwater is not used for drinking, it is used for agriculture and household needs. Each day billions of gallons of the freshwater we need is wasted due to leaky faucets. In certain places global warming is causing bad droughts which is resulting in a large loss of human lives. Water is so scarce that certain areas areas beginning to fight over it. The availability of freshwater will define life in the twenty-first century.
Freshwater Scarcity
Freshwater is extremely rare and is causing problems around the world. Only 3% of earths water is freshwater. About 1.1 billion people lack access to the clean, drinkable water they need to survive. Countries such as Egypt and Ethiopia are fighting over water sources. There are lots of causes for this problem. Pollution is one of the causes that is effecting weather and water scarcity for several places.
The picture to the left shows the Aral Sea in central Asia, it used to be the world's fourth largest lake. Now it has lost an area the size of Lake Michigan and is as salty as the ocean.
Effects of the Crisis
Climate is being affected deeply by pollution and the scarcity of water. Rivers and lakes are drying up in some places because of global warming from pollution. Climate change due to global warming is causing floods and droughts. The demand for water is becoming greater as the population grows, it is estimated that Earth's water could run out in less than fifty years.
the picture to the left is a map of projected water scarcity in 2025. The southern countries are deeply affected by the loss of water.
Solutions for the problem
Solutions can be done to make this problem less serious. We can help this problem by promoting water stewardship and protecting wetlands. It can also be avoided by adapting to intense climate change.