This article discusses the sever water shortages taking place right now.  About four billion people, or nearly two-thirds of the world’s population are facing severe water shortages during at least one month every year, far more than was previously thought.  A computer model was designed to create a more accurate picture of water scarcity around the world. Severe water scarcity can lead to crop failure and low crop yields, which could cause food price increases as well as famine and widespread starvation.  Water scarcity is no joke.  We all need water to live.  An area experiences severe water scarcity when its farms, industries and households consume double the amount of water available in that area. That means that groundwater levels are falling, lakes are drying up, less water is flowing in rivers.  Water supplies for industry and farmers are threatened.  Out of everyone, farmers  by far have it the worst.  Now not everyone would suffer equally due to different economic standings.  In more developed countries, severe water scarcity could mean water rations for showering and gardening, while in very poor countries it could lead to shortages of drinking water.

A study showed that half of the four billion people who experience conditions of severe water scarcity at least one month of the year live in either China or India. Of the remaining two billion, the majority live mostly in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico and the western and southern parts of the United States, such as California, Texas and Florida. Previous studies had estimated that between 1.7 and 3.1 billion people were affected by extreme water shortages; however, those studies were proven to be inaccurate due to either measurements that were too general in size or used yearly averages that were not as precise as monthly data.  The professor for water management at The University of Twente Stated: “Freshwater scarcity is a major risk to the global economy, affecting four billion people directly, but since the remaining people in the world receive part of their food from the affected areas, it involves us all.”  I completely agree with his statement and I think we should all try to be more conservative with our water use.

References:

St, Nicholas. “Two-Thirds of the World Faces Severe Water Shortages.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.