Worldwide water resources are being misused, polluted, and becoming scarcer due to population growth, increased consumption, and unsustainable use. Freshwater withdrawals have tripled in the last 50 years and are increasing by 64 billion cubic meters annually. At the current rate of consumption, it is unclear how long water resources will last or what will happen if more sustainable practices are not adopted.
Water Resources and Water PollutionLife on planet Earth would be.docx
Water scarcity, climate change and human waterfootprint
1. Water resources around the world are constantly being misused, polluted, and becoming more and more scarce.
The world’s population is growing by roughly 80 million people each year. Changes in lifestyles and eating habits in
recent years are requiring more water consumption per capita. Freshwater withdrawals have tripled over the last 50
years. Demand for freshwater is increasing by 64 billion cubic meters a year. How long will we be able to live at this
rate of consumption? what will happen to our water resources if we don’t use them sustainably?
2. 97.5 percent of the earths water is ocean
water. only 2.5 percent is fresh water.
Of these freshwater resources, about 70
percent is in the form of ice and
permanent snow
Around 30 percent of the world's
freshwater is stored underground in the
form of groundwater.
Freshwater lakes and rivers contain an
estimated of 0.3 percent of the world's
freshwater.
Much of the fresh water is polluted which
leaves less than 1% for human use.
3. An American taking a five-minute
shower uses more water than the
average person in a developing
country slum uses for an entire day.
4. Leaky faucets that drip at the rate of one drop per second can waste up to 2,700 gallons of water each year.
Furthermore, a typical individual in the United States uses 500 liters of water each day.
5. It takes 53 gallons to make every latte that gets drank in a to-go cup!
6. On average, one apple (150 gram) costs 125 liters of water. Apple juice costs 1140 liters of water per liter
of apple juice. One glass of apple juice (200 ml) costs about 230 liters of water.
7. It takes around 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to produce just
one pair of regular blue jeans.
8. Turf (grass) is the largest crop grown in the United States and it can also be one of the most water intensive
to keep green. About one-third of outdoor water use in the United States goes toward lawn care. And when
a specific area of the country is experiencing drought conditions, lawn care places additional stress on
available water supplies.
10. To produce one pound (1 lb) of steak requires, on average, 1,799 gallons of water.
11. Construction is very water intensive, it takes about 32 liters of water for one bag of cement mix and it takes
almost 8 bags of cement to make one cubic meter of cement
12. Pollution can greatly affect our water sources. there is point pollution which is pollution that can be traced
back to its source and non-point pollution, which comes from indirect sources, like agricultural runoff,
mining waste, paved roads, and industrial activity.
13. silt or sediment, agricultural wastes, sewage, petroleum products, trash, and nuisance species are all
different ways fresh water reserves can be polluted affecting aquatic ecosystems and can also cause serious
diseases in humans who use the water or eat from polluted areas. Pollution may also make waters
unhealthy to swim in.
14. Urban runoff is increasingly polluting water.
Runoff occurs when land is covered with
buildings, streets and parking lots. Rainwater
runs off these hard surfaces, picking up
chemicals, sediment and other pollutants
and sending them into local waterways. The
rush of water from drainage pipes can cause
erosion, and warmer runoff in the summer
can change water temperature, hurting fish,
plants, animals and our water resources.
15. The process of erosion degrades river
banks, dumping dirt into the water,
which can negatively impact streams,
lakes, bay and ocean resources.
Preventing erosion and maintaining
high quality riparian areas is an
important element in reducing
pollution and improving water quality.
16. An increase earth's average temperature will influence the patterns and amounts of precipitation
and reduce ice and snow cover, as well as permafrost. This will cause rising sea levels which will increase the
acidity of the oceans. These changes will impact our food supply, water resources, infrastructure, ecosystems,
and even our own health .
17. Dams have several environmental
consequences. For example the alteration of
river flow often causes damages to aquatic life
as well as altering ecosystems along the
riverbank and affecting the fertility of the soil.
18. Early spring runoffs causes a lot of
water loss. Dams get filled earlier in the
year, and they can only hold certain water
level. The result is that much of the early
runoff goes to waste, prompting shortages
in late summer and autumn.
19. Water shortages and droughts during summer can cause large and devastating wildfires. According to the
National Climatic Data Center, wildfires earlier this year have included the largest in Oregon since the 1840s,
the largest fire on record in New Mexico, and the most destructive fire in Colorado's history.
20. Over 1 billion people use less than 6 liters of water per day and over 1.5 billion people do not have access to
clean, safe water.
21. Almost 80% of diseases in developing countries are associated with water, causing some three million early
deaths. For example, 5,000 children die every day from diarrhea, or one every 17 seconds.
22. water scarcity transcends boarders
and nations. Today water scarcity is
not only an issue the US might face
but that many places are
experiencing. It is important to take
care of water resources and be
conscious that water is not unlimited
23. Water scarcity is a growing global issue, drought conditions are occurring more often around the world
killing millions of lives, displacing families, and destroying homes. Water is essential for life, how would a
world with no water look like?