What is the Global Water Crisis?
Climate change is affecting rainfall patterns around the world. Some areas, such as Africa’s Somali Peninsula, are experiencing devastating droughts. Other places, such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, are dealing with extreme flooding. Ironically, flooding can also cause water scarcity by contaminating water supplies or, as happened recently in Summerville, Georgia, destroying water service.
Rivers in Europe are drying up. No region of the world is completely free of the problems caused by the global water crisis, even areas that have not previously been known for droughts or floods.
Global problems of water scarcity and water stress are made worse by worldwide population growth, increasing the demand for an already scarce resource. Rising prosperity also increases the demand for water. When people’s incomes rise, they use more electricity, which in many areas requires intensive use of water to produce. Industrialization also draws heavily on water supplies.
At the same time, global water supplies are decreasing due to crumbling infrastructure, deforestation, pollution, and dwindling groundwater reserves.
How the Global Water Crisis Impacts Communities
Because of the global water crisis, many regions are experiencing water scarcity. People living in these areas don’t have access to enough safe water for drinking, sanitation, and personal hygiene. These problems affect almost every aspect of life in a community.
Water scarcity is a threat to the health of the people living in the community. When there is not enough clean water, infectious diseases can spread through contaminated water used for drinking or bathing, or by eating food that has been contaminated by unsafe water. Diseases can also spread when there is not enough water for washing hands.
Droughts cause crop failures and the death of livestock, creating food shortages for the people in the area as well as destroying the local economy. Children are especially vulnerable to becoming malnourished. Severe food shortages and famines may force the population to leave, with many seeking shelter in overcrowded displacement camps, which themselves may not have enough food, water, or health care for the people who need them.
Violent conflicts can be both the cause and the effect of water scarcity. They are the cause when fighting destroys the infrastructure needed to store or distribute water. They are the effect when the scarcity of water and food creates conflict over who will control the scarce resources.
In some communities, clean water is only available at a distance. It has to be fetched on foot, and women and children may spend most of their time and energy walking long distances back and forth and carrying heavy loads of water back to their families.
When they have to spend so much of their time fetching water, children lose the opportunity to go to school, and women lose the time they need to take care of their families and to earn income. This can make it impossible for a family to rise out of poverty.
How We Can Combat the Global Water Crisis
Water stress affects three billion people or more around the world. Given the enormous scope of the global water crisis, much more needs to be done. Everyone can, and must, help. Assistance is needed both from individuals and from large organizations like governments, businesses, and research institutions.
The first step that the international community can take to combat the global water crisis is simply to raise awareness. The global water crisis does not get the attention it needs, considering the scope of the problem.
Water restoration efforts can have a significant effect when governments, international agencies, and local communities work together. For example, in areas where rainwater runs down steep slopes, eroding the soil and causing flooding at the bottom, farmers have built terraces and stone barriers. These slow down the rainfall, allowing it to seep into the soil and replenish lost supplies of groundwater, which they can access by digging wells.
Governments can help by increasing their efforts to combat climate change and by improving ways they currently manage water collection, storage, and distribution.
Research can help identify areas where the groundwater is becoming depleted. NASA and the University of California have partnered to use data from satellites to identify areas where the groundwater has dried up. The goal is to increase awareness and focus attention on the areas that need the most help.
Researchers can also find ways to obtain safe water from new sources, such as drilling deeper underground both on land and under the ocean floor, and extracting usable water from icebergs and from fog.
Work is continuing on improving existing technologies for extracting water. These include making desalination plants more effective, increasing the capacity of wastewater treatment plants, and reducing waste by using sensors that detect leaks in utility companies’ pipes and monitor and adjust the pressure in their systems.
Another way that we as a planet can address the global water crisis is by coming up with new ways to reduce the demand for the water that exists. These may include growing crops that need less water and using dry toilets.
One of the most important ways to address the global water crisis is by helping affected communities directly. These local interventions can prevent large-scale displacement, boost local economies, and save lives.
Countries Affected by Water Scarcity
Water scarcity is a global problem that affects many countries, particularly those in developing regions. Some of the countries that are currently dealing with water scarcity issues include:
- El Salvador: El Salvador has been experiencing a severe water crisis for many years. The country’s limited water resources are further strained by climate change and pollution.
- Guatemala: Guatemala has significant water scarcity problems due to its geographic location, with much of the country located in a dry corridor. Water quality is also a significant issue, with many rural communities lacking access to safe drinking water.
- Haiti: Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere and faces significant water scarcity issues. The country has limited infrastructure to manage water resources, and many people lack access to clean water and sanitation facilities.
- Mexico: Mexico is a country that has faced significant water scarcity challenges due to rapid population growth, over-extraction of groundwater, and pollution. Many rural areas in Mexico lack access to safe drinking water, and water shortages are increasingly common in urban areas.
- Colombia: Colombia is a country that faces significant water scarcity challenges due to its geography and climate. The country is home to many water sources, but many communities lack access to these resources due to a lack of infrastructure.
- Cambodia: Cambodia is a country that is heavily impacted by climate change, and water scarcity is a significant issue. The country’s rivers and lakes are under threat due to deforestation, pollution, and climate change, which has led to more frequent droughts and water shortages.
- Honduras: Honduras is a country that faces significant water scarcity challenges due to its geography and climate. The country has limited water resources, and many communities lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.
These countries are just a few examples of the many nations dealing with water scarcity. It’s clear that we need to take action to ensure that everyone has access to clean, safe water, regardless of where they live. By working together, we can create a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
What Can You Do To Help?
Healing Waters International provides a way for individuals around the world to help bring safe, clean, and healthy water to communities in need. Your donations allow us to provide custom-designed water treatment systems that provide a sustainable source of good water to the communities we serve.
We go beyond providing clean water. Our goal is to transform communities socially, economically, physically, and spiritually. We don’t just provide a system and hope for the best. We empower the local residents by working with the communities leaders and giving the responsibility for owning and operating the water systems to the communities.
Will you join us? You can help with a one-time or recurring donation. Become a part of the solution!