Solve Water Crisis
785 million people worldwide lack even a basic drinking-water service.
See all 8 projects in this cause
It's easy: download the viaGood app and support projects in this cause!
Over 25 % of the world’s population doesn’t have access to basic sanitation.
Water is essential to all life on Earth, and holds the key to the future for us all on this beautiful planet.
Water is essential for life. Source: Unsplash
Water scarcity is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. Due to unequal distribution, exacerbated by climate change and the increasing demand for water, the population explosion, drought and a shortage of rainfall, areas which previously had sufficient freshwater supplies are currently suffering from severe water scarcity.
The hydrosphere includes rivers, lakes, ocean, clouds and groundwater. Water movement is linked by the hydrological cycle, a process in which water is transferred between systems.
The Hydrologic cycle. Source: viaGood
Today approximately 844 million people lack basic access to drinking water - that is more than 1 in 10 people on the planet. A shocking number of 2.3 billion people live without access to basic sanitation facilities.
Water scarcity affects millions of people worldwide. Clean water, basic sanitation and hygiene education are crucial for children and families everywhere, not only in developing countries.
Did you know… about 3 billion people worldwide lack adequate facilities to safely wash their hands at home.
Sadly, about 5 million people, most of them children, contract diseases related to waterborne pathogens. Of the 5 million reported cases, 1.6 million prove to be fatal. When safe drinking water and hygienic practices are commonplace, families are healthier, the spread of infectious disease is prevented, children are better nourished, grow taller, smarter, and stronger.
Reliable water sources result in people being able to irrigate gardens to grow more nutritious food. If children do not have to walk long distances to get water, they have more time to attend school and more energy to learn. Clean drinking water is essential for a healthy lifestyle.
Water scarcity forces the people without reliable access to water to walk long distances to fetch water, which is often contaminated in rivers. In developing countries, e.g. Africa and Asia, women walk an average of 4 miles every day just to carry water back to their households.
Carry water. Source: viaGood
Did you know… only 2.5 % of the world's water is freshwater. But it is almost all locked in ice or underground. Overall, only a small fraction is available for human usage.
1 in 3 people globally do not have access to safe drinking water.
Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is not available everywhere. Some 2.2 billion people around the world do not have safely managed drinking water services, 4.2 billion people do not have safely managed sanitation services, and 3 billion lack basic handwashing facilities. As a ‘basic water service’ is understood water that is supplied through an improved water source, which can be reached within a 30-minute timeframe.
In many regions, running water is not commonplace. Source: Unsplash
Did you know … 785 million people did not have access to at least basic water services and more than 884 million people did not have safe water to drink.
The United Nations' website states that, by 2025, 1.9 billion people will live in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, with two-thirds of the global population suffering under stress conditions.
Another important factor affecting water scarcity is population growth. In the past, water used to be considered an infinite resource. There were fewer people, who consumed less and thus less water was required. Today, with almost 8 billion people on the planet, water consumption is rising, together with **rapid urbanization. **This requires significant investment in water infrastructure in order to deliver water to individuals and to process wastewater, which is often polluted and contaminated. With the development of industry, there are more pollutants entering into surface water as well as into groundwater.
It is necessary to distinguish between economic water scarcity and physical water scarcity.
Areas of water scarcity. Source: viaGood
Physical water scarcity results from inadequate natural water resources to supply a region's demand. Approximately one-fifth of the global population live in regions which suffer from physical water scarcity. More people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war. Diarrheal diseases, caused primarily by unsafe water and poor sanitation, kill more children under 5 years of age than malaria, AIDS, and measles combined.
Economic water scarcity results from poor management of the available water resources. This is caused by a lack of investment in infrastructure and technology to draw water from rivers and other water sources. One-quarter of the world's population is affected by economic water scarcity. As the population grows, the demand for water increases. People in developed countries generally use about 10 times more water daily than those in developing countries.
Global water consumption. Source: viaGood
One of the main causes of water scarcity is the depletion of freshwater resources. Due to the expanding human population, the competition for water increases. Groundwater is being extracted by millions of pumps worldwide at an unsustainable rate. The expansion of business activities, e.g. industrialization, tourism and entertainment, requires increased water supply and sanitation, putting even greater pressure on water resources and natural ecosystems.
Another cause is the disappearance of glaciers, which in the long term will diminish available water resources. In the Himalayas, retreating glaciers could reduce summer water flow by up to two-thirds.
The extensive use of water in agriculture, as well as in livestock breeding and in the industrial production of consumer goods requires increasing quantities of water. Much of the water in developing countries is being used and polluted in order to produce goods destined for global consumption in developed countries.
Climate change has a significant impact on global water resources, due to the affected hydrological cycle. Both droughts and floods have become more frequent in many regions. There are also changes in snowfall and snowmelt in mountainous areas. Higher temperatures affect water quality.
Every day, more than 800 children under the age of 5 die from diarrhea caused by poor water and sanitation.
All the above facts prove that there is nothing more vital to life on Earth, and to the future of us all, than water. We must take better care of this precious resource!
We need to bring drinking water to the people who do not have it.
Let’s solve the water crisis to secure a future for millions of people. How YOU can help:
Raise awareness of the problem, from individual usage to the supply chains and industries, particularly in areas where the water supply is increasingly unpredictable.
It is necessary to save precious water resources. Source: Pexels
Stop the wastage of water - and encourage others to do the same! The average family can waste 180 gallons per week, or 9 400 gallons of water annually! That's equivalent to the amount of water needed to wash more than 300 loads of laundry. Regard each drop of water from your faucet as a precious commodity. Think of those who do not have this rare privilege and have to walk miles to carry water back to their homes.
Support the building of new wells in developing countries. In the modern world, it is common to have running water in our homes. However, this is not the case for developing countries. Drilling a well in Africa costs $8 000, to supply 2 000 people with water (that's just $4 per person). Water projects in developing countries provide visible results in developing regions, such as northwest India and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Recycle wastewater to save water and become more self-sufficient. Take advantage of the advanced technology that purifies wastewater for other uses, including drinking. The benefits are large: for every $1 invested in safe water and sanitation, a yield of $5 to $28 USD is returned in increased economic activity and reduced health care costs.
Fight for the protection of water sources from pesticides, to improve irrigation and agricultural practices. Some 70 % of the world’s freshwater is used for agriculture. Improved irrigation can help to close the gap between supply and demand..
Seek partnerships. Community organizations fight for the rights of locals and indigenous groups. Ensuring more effective governance at the grassroots’ level gives communities stature, and can lead to effective policy changes on a national scale.
Fight for better policies and regulations. Water scarcity adversely affects food safety. It is thus necessary to support laws, such as the Clean Water Act to ensure more protection. Already, 2.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to a safely managed water source. More than 1 in 10 persons worldwide lack basic drinking water access.
Demand efficient water distribution, because poor infrastructure is devastating to health and the economy. It wastes resources, adds costs, diminishes the quality of life, and allows preventable waterborne diseases to spread among vulnerable populations.
Put pressure on corporations to reduce their water footprints. Industrial water usage accounts for approximately 22 % of global consumption.
You can save water in your own home:
- Check your toilet for leaks. Use a low-flush toilet.
- Put a plastic bottle in your toilet tank.
- Take shorter showers, instead of full baths.
- Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors.
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
- Turn off the water while shaving.
- Boil only just enough water needed for the purpose e.g. a cup of coffee.
- Do one load of laundry per week, instead of several small loads.
- Use your dishwasher once per week, or only when it’s fully stacked.
- Water outdoor plants in the early morning or at the end of the day to stop water evaporating in sunlight and heat.
- Save rainwater in barrels or tanks for use in the garden.
Mitigate climate change. Climate change and water scarcity are interconnected. As renewable energy options are pursued, water sources are saved or used more effectively, such as bio-energy crops, hydropower and solar power plants.
Educate people to keep population growth under control. Due to the accelerating growth in the global population, the pressure on water resources is increasing.
Time is running out! The global population is expected to rise to 10 billion by 2050 and the number of people who live in urban areas is expected to double, increasing the demand for water even more.
Let's take clean water to the people who do not have it, conserve water in our own homes and solve the water crisis to secure a future for us all.
