Water Sustainability and Water Scarcity
Water scarcity occurs when physical limitations keep people from accessing clean and safe water. It can come from a lack of clean water sources in their area or a lack of government and infrastructural support to provide them with the necessary tools. Water scarcity affects people globally and increases with the world population.
Important Facts About Water Scarcity
To understand the severity of water scarcity, here are some powerful facts:
- While 3% of the world’s water is freshwater, only about 0.6% is fit and available for consumption. The remaining portion is either inaccessible, in ice caps, glaciers, or underground, or too polluted for people to salvage.
- Water conservation, use, and quality affect whether a country is able to meet its demands.
- Over 4 billion people worldwide experience water scarcity at least one month of the year.
- If all the world’s water were only 26 gallons, the freshwater available for use would equal about half a teaspoon.
- Without access to clean water, people cannot build proper health, sanitation, and hygiene procedures, leading to an increased risk of death and disease.
- Access to clean water can help children stay in school. Local access can prevent them from walking miles every day, especially young girls, who typically shoulder the responsibility of water collection.
- About 1.8 billion healthcare employees and patients were at higher risk of having COVID-19 in 2020 because of a lack of clean water or proper sanitation tools in their facilities.
- Diseases that spread in unclean water cause more deaths for children under age 15 than any type of violence in countries in conflict.
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The Reality Of Water Scarcity
Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, and with a number like that, it’s easy to misunderstand the reality of water scarcity. But the truth is, 0.6% of the world’s freshwater is accessible for consumption. So while our continents may be surrounded by water, sustainable practices and water conservation have never been more important to combat the very real threat of water scarcity.
Water Scarcity and Health
Lack of access to safe drinking water poses increased risks of health problems for people. Every year, an estimated 1 million people die from diarrhoea caused by unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. A lack of clean drinking water leads to more deaths in children than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined, and is the top cause of death in childbirth in developing nations. Increasing access to clean water leads to lower child mortality rates and improved health.
In addition to poor health, places experiencing water scarcity often lack access to the water they need to maintain proper sanitation and hygiene, leading to increased health issues. Over 1.5 billion people globally lack access to a proper bathroom.
Clean water and proper facilities can decrease the risk of aquatic diseases, reducing the financial strain on families paying for treatments. Additionally, around 400 million kids miss school each year because of water-related diseases. When children can stay healthy, they can dedicate more time to their education.
Availability Versus Usability
Unfortunately, plenty of rainfall or an abundance of naturally occurring freshwater does not mean that an area cannot experience water scarcity. How water is conserved and used in the community, along with the quality of the water available, are all factors that affect whether there is enough water to meet the demands of households, farms, industry, and the environment. Without proper rainwater collection methods, including testing and treatment, even areas that experience abundant rainfall may have periods of water scarcity.
Rainwater and fresh groundwater are not necessarily fit for use without treatment, making these seemingly available resources difficult to access. MECO works to develop both effective and sustainable water purification systems so people can test and treat water beyond just consumption. With proper tests and treatments, people living in areas with little freshwater can reduce the risk of consuming or using polluted water.
Necessity Versus Safety
As population, urbanization, and water usage continue to rise, demand for water continues to grow, and the supply cannot keep up. In fact, water scarcity now affects one in 10 people on every continent. That means worldwide, nearly 785 million people have limited access to clean water.
Young women and girls spend 250 million hours per day collecting suitable drinking water, often leaving them no time to pursue their education, because the infrastructure does not exist to collect and treat water from aquifers. In those situations, bathing and cleaning cannot be done properly, because they must use water that has not been purified. If they try to store water in their homes, they risk creating an environment of contamination and mosquito breeding, which leads to the spread of diseases.
Proactivity Versus Immediacy
For those who do not regularly face water scarcity, it is almost hard to believe this resource could ever run out. After all, the Earth is covered in water! But the reality is, if 26 gallons represented all the world’s water, the freshwater available for use would equal about half a teaspoon.
What Are the Reasons for Water Scarcity?
Water scarcity is a complex, multifaceted issue driven by natural and human-made factors. Understanding these causes is essential for developing effective solutions.
Climate Change
Climate change is one of the main contributors to water scarcity. It alters rain patterns and increases temperatures worldwide, causing more frequent and severe droughts in some areas and floods in others.
Melting glaciers are another issue. They store freshwater and slowly release it into rivers and streams. Rising temperatures and shrinking glaciers impact the water resources of areas that depend on glacial runoff for freshwater.
Population Growth and Urbanization
The world’s population has surpassed 8 billion, increasing the demand for freshwater. More people mean more cities, and rapid urbanization strains existing water infrastructure, especially in developing regions. Aging or poorly maintained systems also lead to significant water loss through leaks and contamination. As a result, water shortages increase while infrastructure fails to meet the demand.
Pollution and Contamination
Industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and untreated sewage pollute freshwater sources. Facilities discharge untreated water into lakes and rivers, making the water unsafe or unusable. More than 80% of the world’s wastewater is released into the environment without adequate treatment. As a result, our already limited freshwater resources also become contaminated, leading to greater water scarcity.
The Consequences of Water Shortage
Water scarcity has far-reaching impacts on individuals, communities, economies, and the environment. The consequences are especially severe for vulnerable populations, but they ultimately impact everyone. Here is how water shortage affects people.
Health Issues
A lack of clean, safe water can lead to the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. The World Health Organization states that better access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene can save the lives of 1.4 million people every year. Children are particularly vulnerable to water shortages. Unsafe water and poor sanitation are leading causes of child mortality and stunted growth.
Increased Conflict
Transboundary rivers or aquifers are shared between countries and regions. An increase in competition for water can act as a catalyst for local and regional conflicts over usage and control.
Food Insecurity
Water availability and food production are directly linked. Agriculture accounts for around 70% of freshwater withdrawals worldwide. When water is scarce, crop yields and livestock productivity decrease, leading to food shortages.
The Future of Water Scarcity
Conservation should not just be seen as a proactive movement for the future, but as a necessary part of life today. Consider the outlook of water scarcity in the not-so-distant future:
- 140+ million people may soon become “climate migrants,” due to floods, droughts, and water scarcity.
- Freshwater availability is shrinking. In fact, 70% of the population lives in 101 countries that have lost freshwater since 2002.
- By 2030, severe water scarcity could result in the displacement of 700 million people.
- By 2040, one in four children will be living in zones with severe water scarcity.
Discover Sustainable Water Purification Solutions With MECO
Sustainable water practices can be exercised on an individual level, but they should be prioritized on the industrial front as well. MECO has been 100% dedicated to providing sustainable water purification technologies for 90 years and counting. It’s more than a commitment to us — it’s a mindset and everything we do. Our innovative technologies make water accessible now and for years to come.
