Do you know that by 2025, nearly 2.5 billion people will be living in regions or countries with absolute water scarcity? It is quite easy to say that water covers 70% of our planet and that it will always be plentiful, but we forget that the freshwater which we use for drinking and other purposes is only 3%. And two-thirds of that is saved in glaciers and is unavailable for our use.
According to WWF, around 1.1 billion people across the world lack access to fresh water and 2.7 billion people face water scarcity for atleast one month of the year. On the other hand, billions of people are dying because of poor sanitation. They fall prey to water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
The situation is getting worse with time. The water systems which feed the rising population are drying up and becoming populated because of the human activities. Wetlands are disappearing! And in the upcoming years, the world will suffer even more.
But what are the causes? Why this situation is getting worse? Let’s have a look at some of the causes.
Climate change
Rapidly changing climate is altering the weather and water situations around the world. This is precisely because of human activities. The more humans are producing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the more drought and floods will become common. Because of this, less freshwater will be available for communities, energy generation and agriculture.
Pollution
Water pollution is largely caused by fertilizers, pesticides, human wastewater, and industrial waste. Oh! Plastic bags and bottles can’t be forgotten. All of these sources are contaminating the water affecting the marine life as well as making the water unfit for drinking.
Population growth
In the past few years, the population has rapidly grown. With the increase in population, the consumption of freshwater by people is rising too. And 41% of the world’s population lives in river basins that are already under water stress.
We need to think about the situation seriously and save water for the future.
