Water, water everywhere, / Nor any drop to drink.
3 facts on Water Scarcity and Climate Change
Written by Tara Gupta for Map-Collective.com
The way we are managing our water resources, namely, the 3% of earth’s water that is freshwater, is creating a growing scarcity. It’s time to take a good look at some hard facts, so we can start restructuring our water usage practices:
1. Water Scarcity is here, now, for more than half of the world.
2.2 billion people currently do not have access to safely managed drinking water, and about 4.2 billion people face water stress at least one month out of the year. Sub-saharan Africa is one of the places where water scarcity is most evident, with many people walking miles daily for access to water.
More than 5 billion people could suffer water shortages by 2050 due to climate change, increased demand and polluted supplies, according to a 2018 UN report on the state of the world’s water.
2. We are using a lot of water, mostly agriculturally.
Over 410 billion gallons of water are consumed every day by Americans. That equates to over a thousand gallons per person. 80% of this is used in producing, transporting, and consuming food. Freshwater withdrawal primarily comes from agriculture (69 percent), followed by industry (19 percent) and municipal use (12 percent). Our washing, flushing and cooking represents only about 3 percent of our total water consumption.
Beyond agricultural use, manufacturing of processed foods accounts for great volumes of water usage as well. For example, the water footprint of a single bottle of soda is 175 liters of water. This includes the water to grow the sweetener and coffee for the caffeine, process the flavors, mold the plastic, add to the drink, and manufacture and ship the product.
The good news is that, with a concentrated problem, we can focus our efforts on addressing the agricultural industry. What does water efficiency mean for this industry?
Drip irrigation can save 30–70% of water used, and improve crop yield. Rotational grazing can make it much more efficient to manage livestock. Compost and Mulching practices build good soil, which holds the water much better, and produces resilient crops. Cover crops, as an extension of this, also help protect the soil, and build better structure.
3. Wastewater is a big problem.
Between 80% to 90% percent of wastewater is not reused or treated before it flows back into the environment. But this water doesn’t just disappear, because the whole water system is connected. Instead, it cycles back to us, bringing back the disease and poor hygiene that is compounded by our population size. As a result, each year, 297,000 children under five die from diseases related to unsafe drinking water and poor hygiene and sanitation.
Furthermore, wastewater contributes to Greenhouse Gas emissions, accounting for an estimated 3% to 7% of all emissions. This leads to the physical degradation of the land, and a lack of access to water due to climate change and landscape, rather than solely the existing economic disparities preventing access to clean water.
Further Resources:
World Water Day 2020: How Can We Stop the World from Drying Up https://healthyhumanlife.com/blogs/news/world-water-day-water-scarcity-solutions
UN, World Water Development Report, March 22, 2020 https://www.unwater.org/world-water-development-report-2020-water-and-climate-change/
Everything You Need to Know About America’s Excessive Water Usage, and How You Can Help https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/everything-you-need-to-know-about-americas-excessive-water-usage-and-how-you-can-help
10 Ways Farmers Are Saving Water https://cuesa.org/article/10-ways-farmers-are-saving-water
Water shortages could affect 5bn people by 2050, UN report warns https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/19/water-shortages-could-affect-5bn-people-by-2050-un-report-warns
