In the U.S., the future of water supply looks bleak. There are expected to be water shortages in certain areas of the U.S. by as early as 2025 and most areas will be affected by 2050. Despite this, we are relatively fortunate compared to the rest of the world. Not only do third-world countries lack adequate resources to keep the population hydrated, but the water is usually tainted with chemicals or contaminated. However, some developed countries even lack the proper resources and quality that one would expect. There are startling figures from the World Health Organization and Water Project that convey the ugly truth of water scarcity around the world.
The amount of waste that is infiltrating our water is growing proportionately with the increasing population. The Water World Assessment Program estimates that people worldwide dump 2 million tons of waste into our water each day. At least 70% of industrial wastes are drained into the water in developing nations where they don't yet have anti-pollution precautions and laws in place. Here in the United States, we have a major problem in that agricultural waste products, from such things as fertilizer run-offs and hog confinements, and the wastes we pump into our water are being carried into the lakes, rivers, and oceans. In the 1970s, the United States banned the use of DDT, yet 40 years later, traces of the substance are still being found in our oceans.
California is a state with serious H2O problems. California water districts have long been committed to education. They offer water saving tips, share conservation facts and try to raise awareness. Some communities are even involved in desalination projects in an attempt to increase the local supply. This has become necessary as California's population continues to skyrocket while the shed in most communities is unable to support their current residents.
Water-related diseases accounts for a staggering number of deaths and diseases. One out of every four child deaths in the world is due to a water-related disease. This accounts for 1.4 million child deaths a year, due to diarrheal complication such as cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery, and other water-borne infections. At any given time, half of the world's medical attention is given to patients suffering from water-related diseases. This should not be of any surprise, considering that in developing countries about 80% of illnesses are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions.
Without drinking water, a human being can survive for approximately one week . Compare that need to the 'need' for oil, land or physical wealth - all sources for conflict in the 20th and 21st centuries. There are many in our world that do not possess great amounts of these commodities and, while that does make their lives decidedly more difficult, their lives continue and they manage to cope. Yet if the wealthy were denied water for one week, they would be dead or dying, despite their wealth.;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGG_b3hFwwM&feature=related]
Obviously, we don't want this to happen to us. Imagine watching your child wither and die of dehydration because they can't get adequate water to drink, and there's nothing at all you can do about it. Don't depend on laws passed by the government to take care of the problem, because that alone can't begin to conquer the crisis. If we all do our part, together we can make a difference.
Read more about solutions to water crisis, then visit John Bosco's site on how to choose the best water crisis solutions for your needs.
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