Most U.S. citizens, when they think about water shortages, most likely think about them as a local problem. Maybe in their town or city, or maybe in their state or region. They probably dont usually regard such problems as particularly worrisome, being confident in the fact that the problem will most likely be handled by investment in infrastructure or other management strategies. If any water feuds arise, for instance between Arizona and California, they expect them to be resolved through negotiations or a courtroom.
However if we shift from a local to a global perspective the issue dramatically changes. The World Bank reports that eighty countries now have water shortages that threaten health and economies while 40 percent of the world, more than 2 billion people, have no access to clean water or sanitation. In this context, we cannot expect water conflicts to always be amenably resolved.
Another interesting point to consider is that more than a dozen nations receive most of their water from rivers that cross borders of neighboring countries viewed as hostile. These include Botswana, Bulgaria, Cambodia, the Congo, Gambia, the Sudan, and Syria, all of whom receive 75 percent or more of their fresh water from the river flow of hostile upstream neighbors.
What does this have to do with me? I live in the U.S., I cant help the poor people of Botswana with their drought problems. I can only do what I can do, right? That may be the case, but when you consider the water shortage problems worldwide, the issue becomes a lot more real to you. You may start to take water shortage issues with some context and realize that your own country could be afflicted by similar issues in the not so distant future. How do you mean? you say. Wheres the drought?.
Ill tell you where the drought is. Its in half of the United States. The following link goes to a U.S. Drought Monitor that updates on a daily basis.
Drought Monitor. It only takes a cursory glance to see that we are not immune to effects of drought and water shortage. We may not have hostile borders, and our rivers may be our own, but an ever increasing population still results in an ever decreasing amount of groundwater.
Consider the cycle that brings us fresh water. Rain falls from the sky. This water collects in the ground, feeding lakes, rivers, etc. Cities and towns tap into this resource and people like you and I wash our dishes, clothes, bodies and water our lawns. Consider the fact that our population is ever increasing, however we cant make it rain. Now you may begin to see the importance of being aware of your water consumption habits.
Water conservation is one issue out of many environmental issues, that with only a slight awareness, we can make a dramatic reduction in our everyday consumption. Better to cut back now, than pay through the nose later in my opinion.
