The Problems of Earth: Fresh water crisis

Fresh water is water that does not contain any salt.

Waterfalls and lake in the island of Flores, the Azores archipelago. (Nacho Oria, 2020)

Water demand globally is projected to increase by 55% between 2000 and 2050. Much of it is driven by agriculture, which accounts for 70% of global freshwater use. Water withdrawal for energy is also expected to increase by over 20%. 

According to NASA, many of the world’s freshwater sources are being drained faster than they are being replenished. 21 out of 37 of the world’s major aquifers –underground water reservoirs– are receding. The Ganges Basin is depleting. Mexico City, built on ancient lake beds is now importing 40% of its water. In California, from 2011 to 2016 roughly 1,900 wells ran dry.

 

A system to retain water in a water-stressed area. (Circle of blue, 2020)

Less than 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh water: the 69% of it is frozen in glaciers and polar caps, and an other 30% is under the surface –groundwater–.  In essence, only 0.007% of the planet's water is available to fuel and feed its 7 billion people. While the amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant over time—continually recycled through the atmosphere and back into our cups—the population has exploded. According to the United Nations, water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. 

Earth’s freshwater distribution (Earth’s freshwater, 2010)

Unfortunately, the available surface fresh water is not equally distributed throughout the world. Therefore, many human populations –2,1 billion people in 2017– do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. But far from using water wisely, humans have proved to be inefficient water users: the average hamburger takes 2,400 liters –630 gallons– of water, we found golf fields in the middle of deserts –Morocco and Mexico are examples of it– and many water-intensive crops are grown in arid regions. 

Beyond the water we use everyday at home, there is an entirely different and less visible dimension of water consumption. Water is needed to produce every consumer product in the market. The amount of water used to create a product is referred to as hidden or virtual water. For example, producing 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of beef requires 15,000 liters (4,000 gallons) of water, 1 kilo (2,2 pounds) of cheese is almost 5,000 liters (1,300 gallons), 1 kilo (2,2 pounds) of eggs is  3,330 liters (880 gallons), and 1 kilo (2,2 pounds) of apples is 700 liters (185 gallons). It is clear that animal-food-sources need more water than vegetables. Clothing is also highly water demanding, particularly cotton clothing: 11,000 liters (2,900 gallons) of water are required to make a pair of jeans. 

Invisible water, the hidden virtual water market by Seth Darling (TEDx Talks, 2016)

Desertification –the transformation of drylands into desert– is another cause of the lack of fresh water. These drylands account for more than 40% of the world’s terrestrial surface area, and desertification is occurring 35 times faster than it was. When trees are cleared away, the land is incapable to retain water or regrow plants because of soil erosion. If the soil is unable to retain water, water cannot be collected. Desertification could displace an estimated 50 million people by 2030. 

Desert. (United Nations, 2021)

We need water not only to biologically sustain ourselves, but also for farming, producing clothing, technology, transportation, energy, industry, and a long etcetera. Water is necessary for keeping us and the environment healthy. But in the developing world, clean water is hard to come by. In fact, by 2025, two thirds of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change. As water shortages spread, food supplies and food prices, the cost of energy and so on, may change based on water availability. 

The fight over fresh water can already be seen today in international geopolitics. An example is the long fight over the Nile water resources between Egypt and Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. In the United States, the Colorado River system supplies water to 7 states. Since the water-flow in this river system has been reduced, these 7 states need to decide how to reduce water usage, and agree with a sustainable water management. These focused conflicts can lead to wars because of increased water shortages as it creates injustice and marginalized population: young people that realize that, as a result of the lack of natural resources, degraded land and lack of water there are no livelihood opportunities, become easily targeted and radicalized. 

A child carrying containers to collect freshwater from a well in the Middle East (Middle East Institute, 2017)

What is done and what to do?

Over the years –and with the help of water conservation campaigns– many of us have changed our shower-head, taken shorter showers, made sure we only run full loads in our dishwasher, etc.  Certainly, the perception of water-issues seriousness has increased consistently over time. But is that enough? When asked who is responsible for ensuring clean water availability, Americans, Europeans, Canadians, Chinese, Indian… They all believe that ensuring clean water availability is the responsible of the government. Only in Mexico respondents hold citizens responsible.  

When people put the weight of the responsibility on the government, they feel that there isn’t much that they can do about it. The government is responsible for helping to regulate water as a shared natural resource. But it is not the only one that can be part of the solution. Some governments are working for mitigation strategies because they are aimed at reducing the impacts of water shortages as they foresee water issues in the next few years. However, some governments do not or cannot assist its people on water issues.

Children’s water education festival, California. (h2oc, 2019)

The challenge we now face as we head into the future is how to effectively conserve, manage, and distribute the water we have, starting with a deep understanding of our water footprint –beyond the water use for drinking and bathing– and the ways we can help reduce that footprint in order to protect freshwater resources. 

Drip irrigation in Israel. (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2014)

Using optimum amount of water –in a water-efficient system– is important both environmentally and economically for our society. It is essential for every person to do what he or she can do to help. Innovation for a successful usage of water in agriculture, for example implementing drip irrigation as in Loreto, Mexico. In drip irrigation, water is delivered drop-by-drop to the root area of the plant and it is one of the most efficient methods of irrigation. Rainwater harvesting is a cost-effective method in which the rainwater is used to supplement home water use. Reclaimed water –or recycled water– is using the wastewater after physically removing impurities and chemically disinfecting much of the bacteria and other contaminants, and it can be used in sustainable landscaping irrigation or to recharge groundwater aquifers. 

Gutters setup for rainwater harvesting. (civildigital.com, 2019)

It seems a mantra, but look at what and where you purchase your products: food, clothes, energy, etc. High levels of consumerism increase dramatically the water footprint. Hidden water footprint can be reduced by paying attention to habits at home –food choices, energy choices, and other products you buy. One way to reduce it is to eat fewer meat and diary products. Reducing energy use at home and reducing fuel use in transportation also saves on water because it takes water to make energy. Rethink whether you need a new t-shirt or new jeans or whether you can manage without them. Repair water leaks at home, change your shower-head into a low-flow one can save 57 liters (15 gallons) of water every 10-minutes. Make changes into reducing the amount of water that goes to yard maintenance. Xeriscape is a landscaping strategy that utilizes native plants and gravel that requires no additional irrigation. 

Example of xeriscape gardening. (thedirtybird.com, 2018)

“Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t breathe the air and drink the water. Don’t sit this one out. Do something.” – Carl Sagan. 

Maria Serra

SOURCES

Marcos-Iga, J., Hinojosa, T.T & Treiber, T.G. (2010) Water Solutions for Our Future. Earth’s Freswhater.

National Geographic Society (2019) Freshwater resources. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/freshwater-resources/

National Geographic Society (2021) Freshwater crisis. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/freshwater-crisis/

Nunez, C. (2021) Desertification, explained. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/desertification/

Smedley, T. (2017) Is the world running out of fresh water? BBC. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170412-is-the-world-running-out-of-fresh-water