Water shortages affecting two thirds of the world's population for a month every year and the crisis is far worse than
previously thought.
Over 4 billion people live with severe water scarcity for at least one month of every year, according to a major new
analysis, the revelation shows water shortages, one of the most dangerous challenges the world faces, is far worse
than thought.
The new research also reveals that 500m people live in places where water consumption is double the amount replenished
by rain for the entire year, leaving them extremely vulnerable as underground aquifers run down.
Many of those living with fragile water resources are in India and China, but other regions highlighted are the central and
western US, Australia and even the city of London.
The map below shows area's where water supplies will be affected , in 20 years time.
as people with rising incomes eat more meat.
Taking a shorter shower is not the answer to global problems because 1-4% of a persons water footprint is in the home,
while 25% is via meat consumption , it takes over 15,000 litres of water to make 1kg of beef, with almost all of that
used to irrigate the crops fed to the cattle. Including environmental water requirements, ie the water needed to ensure
life survives in the rivers and lakes, fish can be important sources of food for people, who also use waterways for
transport.
Billions of people, and many economies are increasingly suffering because of water-related risks which could be better
managed, the same risks are causing a collapse in aquatic wildlife around the globe.
Even just one month of severe water scarcity can have devasting impact on the health of a river, rivers that run dry before
they reach the end of their course, or come close to doing so, include the Colorado river in Wetern US and the Yellow
river in China.
These water problems are set to worsen, according to the researchers, a population growth and increasing water use,
particularly through eating meat, continues to rise.
An empty river is not a river.