The term ‘world water crisis’ refers to the world’s water supply in relation to the needs of the human population. While much of the world’s surface is covered in water, most of the world’s water is unusable for human needs. And of the usable water, much is inaccessible. Only around 0.007% only of the world’s usable water is accessible.
There is much debate and difference of opinion of many aspects of the water crisis, ranging from denial that it exists, to its causes and its solution. However, there is no doubt that around one eighth of the world’s population does not have access to a safe supply of drinking water, and water-related diseases are a major killer, particularly of children.
Availability of fresh water differs throughout the world. There are many areas in many countries where there is sufficient water to support the local population. However, in other areas, such as the west coast of North America, in the Middle East, and throughout much of Africa, this is not the case.
Poor farming practices, corruption, inert bureaucracies, in other words, people themselves and their practices have resulted in a reduction in available water. These practices have included deforestation, in-filling of wetland areas, contamination by pollutants, and misuse of, for example, riparian zones such as river banks and river flows.
Solutions for making the best use of available water in ‘dry’ areas include using technology to efficiently access, store and supply it, in well-managed, non-corrupt ways. It may also require consideration regarding the size of populations that can be sustained in water-poor areas, and encouraging people to move away.
In areas where water is available, it can be used more economically. This includes exploring alternatives for practices that currently primarily use water, such as growing food, and where water is still required, monitoring its use to ensure it is not wasted (for example, measuring soil water content to avoid over-irrigation). It includes changing personal practices to reduce the amount of water used, for example for hygiene (showers, brushing teeth). It may also include recycling water, for example reusing shower outflow water for flushing the toilet.
Finally, if it is true that the world’s human population has outgrown the planet’s water supply, solutions must look both at finding ways to increase the supply, and at reducing the size of the population.