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 Worried about prices at the pump and a shrinking oil supply? Most of us are. As we are well aware, this commodity literally fuels our economy and its deficit is enough to spark war. But look behind the oil headlines and you’ll find the story of another developing global crisis, one likely to spark future armed conflicts and threaten the very fabric of life on Earth—a shrinking freshwater supply.
A Planetary Mirage
Seen from space, our dazzling, cerulean-colored planet has a misleading appearance. More than 70 percent of its surface is water, yet only a miniscule amount is freshwater, and thus fit for human consumption, Furthermore, most of that freshwater is inaccessible.
Of all the water on earth, nearly 98 percent is ocean saltwater. The other two percent?
- 1.6 percent locked up in glaciers and polar ice caps
- 0.36 percent located underground in aquifers and wells
- 0.036 percent found in lakes and rivers
So only a very limited amount of the planet’s water supply is consumable and reachable. Yet that’s always been the case; why, then, the sudden angst about its availability?
Thirsty Billions
A major cause of concern is the world’s booming population, which since 1900 has grown from 1.6 billion to 7 billion, generating so great a demand for fresh water that scientists fear many thirsts will soon go unquenched—meaning possible death for many.
But our population explosion is just part of the story. Rising water consumption mirrors standard-of-living increases across the globe. The wealthier the population, the more goods and meat are consumed. Both require large quantities of water to produce, leaving at risk not only those in developing nations, but also future generations.
In fact, according to a 2003 report developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), water shortages affect at least 400 million people, and will affect four billion by 2050. The report adds that unsanitary conditions compound the freshwater crisis, noting that adequate sanitation facilities are lacking for 2.4 billion people, or about 40 percent of humankind.
Developed Countries, Too
Developing nations aren’t alone in facing water crises. The United States, for example, has for years grappled with adequate water supplies across its great expanse, even causing it to consider siphoning off the Great Lakes’ water for a parched Southwest. The Great Lakes contain the largest supply of freshwater on the planet. The Great Lakes Compact, a 2008 agreement between the United States and Canada, in conjuction with the bordering US states and Canadian provinces, successfully averted a drained and weakened Great Lakes Basin, but the near miss leaves many in the region nervous about the security of their water supply.
Elsewhere in the nation, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas—three leading grain-producing states—are rapidly depleting aquifers to irrigate land. According to a US Department of Agriculture report, the underground water table in the region has dropped by more than 100 feet, drying up wells on thousands of farms.
However, people from both rich and poor nations aren’t the only creatures affected by water shortages and degradation.
Species Up a Creek
Freshwater ecosystems harbor the world’s greatest concentration of species, and recent human-induced damages are depleting aquatic populations at a rapid pace.
According to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), “The continuing decline of animal species is greater in fresh water than in any other habitat,” WWF indicates that more than half of the earth’s freshwater biodiversity has been lost since 1970, blaming conversion of wetlands, dams and canals, and misuse and overexploitation of water resources.
What You Can Do
There are many easy ways to save water:
- Fix leaky faucets and running toilets as soon as you notice them; usually it's as simple and inexpensive as replacing a rubber gasket or adjusting a toilet-tank float.
- Save three to five gallons of water a minute by taking shorter showers and turning off the water while brushing your teeth and washing your hands.
- As dishwashers use between eight to 12 gallons of water per load, use the dishwasher for full loads only.
- Make sure your clothes washer is full before turning it on; each laundry load requires 50 or more gallons of water.
- Use a self-closing nozzle on your garden hose.
- Don’t use water to clean off your sidewalks or driveways; use a broom instead.
- Use drip irrigation and don’t water gardens or lawns during the hottest part of the day (up to 90% of water used is lost through evaporation).
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Besides conserving water and encouraging others to do so, you can join and support organizations dedicated to protecting freshwater supplies today and for future generations. Around the world, many public and private organizations are working hard to ensure fresh, accessible water. Explore those listed below. Become involved and aware. Our continued safe water supply directly depends upon the actions we take today.
American Rivers
Center for Watershed Protection
Clean Water Network
EPA Office of Water
Groundwater Foundation
National Institutes for Water Resources
Natural Resources Defense Council
River Network
The Nature Conservancy
United Nations Environment Programme: Freshwater
US Federal Government Water Related Agencies
Pacific Institute: The World's Water
Water: Making Every Drop Count
There’s Something in the Water...and It Shouldn't Be There
Fresh Water Supplies At Risk
Deep Ocean Reverence: An Interview with Wallace 'J.' Nichols
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