Alex Wiley. Geo1110 Geology. Mrs. Ma. 2 February 2017 .

Climate change is arguably the greatest threat to humanity and the worst of it’s effects are fast approaching. It is the basis of a myriad of problems, one of which is water scarcity. As the world population grows and the climate warms, demand for fresh water has surged-- with water scarcity affecting more than 40 percent of the global population (United Nations, 2010). Conversely, the world’s fresh water supplies are dropping. Water is indispensable to biotic existence. While it aided in humankind's creation, it can also aid in its downfall. Bearing these elements in mind, one can consider the implications of this water crisis: What are the threats to its quality? Who will it affect? Is water a right or a commodity? What are the social, economic, and political variables and how do they connect? And ultimately, how can we fix this? Throughout my research I seek the answers to these critical questions.

The world’s supply of water is in steep decline as more and more is being used each year by more and more people around the globe. Currently, 800 million people do not have access to a drinking source. At the current rate, 1.8 billion people could be living in areas of absolute water scarcity by 2025.

There is a water crisis which faces many parts of the world and it is a threat to survival of human beings since humans are primarily dependent on water. Shortage in drinking water is beginning to show its effects in first world countries, but is a current major problem facing lesser developed countries which have not taken drastic steps to harvest water and purify it to make it safe for human consumption. In developed countries the population growth has strained available water resources and stretched the ability of governments and private firms to provide safe drinking water to the vast majority of the population. Seventy one percent of

Water, like food, is a necessity for human life that is used for many purposes such as agricultural, industrial, and domestic systems. While water is a common element around the world not all of it is clean and able to be consumed or used by humans. With only a percentage of the world’s water being clean and the use of water increasing, the availability of water around the world has become a common issue in the developing and even the developed world. This may be a smaller problem in areas close to clean water sources compared to areas far from a clean water source but, the availability of water is not strictly based on location, it also depends on the specific political and social needs and issues of the area as well. These all become issues that must be accounted for when deciphering whether water is a basic human right or a commodity and what action must be taken to aid the developing water systems in community’s that lack them.

Today, finding water is difficult although it was basic natural source which was easy to find. About 80 countries now have water shortages & 2 billion people face shortage in access to clean water according to World Health Organization (WHO).Also, 1 billion people has lack enough water to simply meet their basic needs. Two most significant dangers to global water stability are the increase in Population & groundwater reduction. In the last century, the human population has by 5 billion. , while the total amount of drinkable water has slightly decreased see figure 1(Alois 1).

A new comprehensive study conducted by Dr Arjen Hoestra of the Netherlands’ University of Twente, demonstrates that water scarcity around the world is a getting worst than ever. Water shortage is becoming a global issue that may result in regional conflicts, economic losses and environmental risks.

Internalizing that can produce the idea that we will never run out of water. That may be true, but what concerns scientists of many fields is that the water is safe, clean, and suitable for people to use it without fear. Climate plays an important role in the future of our water but using the geological perspective can also give a different insight as to how humans can find water sources that will continue to meet the demands of the world’s growing population and its

The United Nations indicated that by 2025 more than 2 billion people will live in places with poor access to fresh water ,which will force 700 million people to emigrate in search of water by 2030. Like in India, 60 % of its water source is salty water, and it doesn’t generate enough electricity (due to the high cost) ,in order to desalinate water and make it drinkable or good for the plants.

The water resources data in USA has been collected from US Geological Survey, FAO, and NOAA. The data showed that US renewable freshwater every year is 3069 billion m3 of fresh water per year and this is translated to 16986.7 m3 per capita in year 1960 and 9703.8 m3 per capita in year 2012. This trend shows that the per capita of fresh water availability is declining and the consumption is increasing (Figure 3). Further Figure (4) shows the relationship between freshwater withdrawal, and human population during the years. This figure shows that the continuous increase in withdrawal of freshwater annually with the increasing the US human population. This implies the per capita declining of water availability and scarcity of water resources for the new generations. Furthermore, the Figure (5) shows that declining in human water renewable freshwater resources per capita and the withdrawal of freshwater resources per capita. For example per capita renewable freshwater resources in year 1960 was 16986 m3 and became in year 2010 was 9921 m3 with a declining is about 42% in 50 years. However the increasing of usage or withdrawal of freshwater is from 1494 m3 in year 1960 – to reach 1798 m3 in 2010 with increasing of 31% in 50 years as shown in Figure (6). Further, the water availability for US human population is declining from 6863 m3 of water per capita in year 1960 to reach 4008 m3 per capita in

Freshwater in the world makes up only a small portion of water on the planet. While the percentage of water in the world is nearly 70%, only 2.5% is consumable. Even further, only <1% is easily accessible to basic human needs. According to National Geographic, “by 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change.” With this current trend, water will become more immersed in environmental, economic, political, and social changes. Many of these in later years shall need to be addressed as tension rises:

According to the UN about 2.7 billion people across the globe will face water shortages by 2050 if changes aren’t put into place. That’s nearly ⅓ of the world’s population and on top of that 2.5 billion will find it hard to find enough freshwater to meet their daily needs.

Annually, 90 million people add to the current population of 6.5 billion. At this rate the global population will reach approximately 8.5 billion by 2025 (http://dieoff.org/page120.htm). As the global population grows exponentially, so does the demand for natural resources. Of all these natural resources, water, is the most vital for survival and expansion. Human's dependency on water will never go away, making it a key part to any civilizations future. It is used daily for purposes such as: drinking, washing, bathing, sustaining agriculture, acquiring energy, and transporting goods. All of which help sustain a society's stability. In Jared Diamond's book, Collapse, he reveals similarities and

Over the past decade, many brows have begun to raise about the current issue regarding water supply. The water supply crisis is a major world problem, and many countries around the world have started to feel the effects of water scarcity. There is a picture in the Few Resources article that shows the predictions of the world’s water scarcity in the year 2025 if the rate of water extraction remains the same as it is now. In the picture, almost every country will be facing some sort of water crisis, whether it be an economic shortage, or a physical shortage of water. As stated in the Few Resources article, “By 2025, 1.8 Billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world population could be under stress conditions.” (Powers) This statistic is very startling, as the majority of the world’s population will be effected by this problem regarding water supply. Many people wonder, how did this crisis come to be and what can be done in order to prevent any future problems? Both of those questions will be discussed within this essay, starting first with the history of this water crisis and how it came to be as big of a problem that it is today.

Throughout the world, human activity and natural factors are exhausting the available water resources. Although in the last decade, the society has been raising awareness of the need to improve the management and protection of the water, the economic criteria and the political factors still tend to direct all areas of the water policy. The science and best

With an ever-growing population, more water is demanded every single year. Every day I see multiple pregnant women, and I think to myself, what will the world be like in the future for all of these children? The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) has an article on the growth of the world’s population and how it is growing faster than ever before. The PRB states, “The growth rate of 1.2 percent between 2000 and 2005, when applied to the world 's 6.5 billion population in 2005, yields an annual increase of about 78 million people.” (“Human Population:...”). This may not sound like a lot, but it equates to nearly 214,000 babies born globally each day. That’s an immense amount of people consuming clean water and causing more waste. Asia has held nearly sixty-percent of the world’s population since the 1800’s, and it is predicted to stay there through the year 2050 (“Human Population:...”). The largest birth rates are in less developed countries, especially Africa, and they are predicted to continue to grow. The undeveloped countries already have clean water shortage issues. As populations grow, better water management practices must be put into place. Well-developed countries are expected to stabilize their growth, but that could also mean water usage could stay the same. The underdeveloped countries will build more infrastructures and broaden their agriculture, but they must be shown how to do so efficiently the first time. Many of the water systems in developed countries are