Water is the most essential necessity for human survival. But sadly it looks like our supply of this quintessential fluid is about to run out. The World Economic Forum recently named water crisis the world’s number one risk for the next 10 years for its potential impact on global population and industry. Water has turned into a topic of economic discussion in boardrooms instead of a “green issue” as it used to be referred previously. For the first time, it has been categorized as the highest risk of global devastation, ahead of wars or a worldwide pandemic. NASA research shows that availability of water is being drawn down at a much faster pace than its being replenished. By some estimates, global water demand is going to overshoot supply by 40% by year 2030, and by 2050, well over 3 billion people globally would be living under severe water stress. Currently over 750 million people globally lack access to safe drinking water and over 2 billion have no access to proper sanitation facilities. Somewhere around 50 countries are officially classified as being ‘water stressed.’
In United States, several states are facing this crisis, but none has been hit as much as California, since the drought kicked in around four years ago. It’s now classified as ‘extreme to exceptional,’ affecting the entire state. Groundwater levels across the state have steadily declined over a hundred feet, and the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is just 5% of what it used to be.
Severe shortage of snowfall and consistent rain has impacted the entire agricultural industry in the state, which cultivates more than 90 percent of country’s produce such as artichokes, garlic, peaches, and walnuts. With the severe drought that CA is facing, it’s just a matter of time, that availability of fresh produce might become a rarity. It is so severe, that for the first time in over 35 years cutbacks to farmer’s water rights were announced this year and cities and towns across the state were ordered to cut back on water use by almost 36%. Another significant way this crisis is impacting the state is in the form of wildfires. Because of agricultural loss due to lack of water, crops are drying up and high temperatures combined with these dry conditions increase the chances of a wildfire.
The crisis is forcing more and more people to rely on groundwater, which in-turn is also vanishing. Sadly, about 20 percent of groundwater that Californians rely on contains high concentrations of arsenic, uranium, and nitrate. This has been corroborated by a USGS study, which suggests that state’ vanishing ground water supply is widely contaminated.
Authorities are trying innovative ways to achieve conservation including things like ‘Shade Balls’ that are said to block sunlight and UV rays, which promotes algae growth and slows down evaporation. But even with this conservation with the help of technology, the drought would cost California’s economy somewhere around $2.7 billion dollars. Overall it could cost United States over $1 trillion over the next several years to fix the water infrastructure.
The drought is a warning of sorts for us and an opportunity to think through water usage and conservation before longer-term trends take hold that will severely limit access to water on a more permanent basis. Water is crucial for human survival, health, and dignity. It is a global driver for business, for food and energy security, for the ecosystems and habitats upon which our societies and continued development depends. Water is key to food security, global health, education, disaster management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, conflict prevention and finally human security. So its imperative that we collectively address this crisis before it reaches a point of no return.
– Siya Sharma (10th Grade Student, Santa Clara, CA)
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I love the articles you put in the website, looks like you put allot of effort
Shriyan – thank you!