discuss the problem facing the quality and distribution of water in the world
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Answer:
Without adequate water, crops and livestock dwindle and people go hungry. Industrial, construction, and economic development is halted, causing a nation to sink further into poverty. The risk of regional conflicts over scarce water resources rises. People die from diseases, thirst, or even in war over scarce resources.
World Water Distribution and Supply
Humans use six times as much water today as they did 100 years ago. People living in developed countries use a far greater proportion of the world’s water than people in less developed countries. Water scarcity is a problem now and will become an even larger problem in the future as water sources are reduced or polluted and population grows.
Water Distribution
Water is unevenly distributed around the world. Large portions of the world receive very little water from rainfall or rivers relative to their population. This includes much of northern Africa and central Asia. Over time, there will be less water per person within many river basins as the population grows and global temperatures increase so that some water sources are lost. Over time, many nations, even developed nations, are projected to have less water per person than now.
Global warming will change patterns of rainfall and water distribution. As the Earth warms, regions that currently receive an adequate supply of rain may shift. Regions that rely on snow melt may find that there is less snow and the melt comes earlier and faster in the spring, causing the water to run off and not be available through the dry summers. A change in temperature and precipitation would completely change the types of plants and animals that can live successfully in that region.
Water Shortages
In 1995, about 40% of the world’s population faced water scarcity. Scientists estimate that by the year 2025, nearly half of the world’s people won’t have enough water to meet their daily needs. Nearly one-quarter of the world’s people will have less than 500 m3 of water to use in an entire year. That amount is less water in a year than some people in the United States use in one day.
As water supplies become scarce, conflicts will arise between the individuals or nations that have enough clean water and those that do not (Figure below). Just as with energy resources today, wars may erupt over water.