Freshwater Issues

With rising population and dwindling resources, the availability and quality of freshwater is fast becoming a critical issue for the world. In the United States, several southern states have already quarreled about water rights, and shortages are already a serious problem in the Southwest, where water restrictions and rationing has become common. In other parts of the globe, futurists have predicted regional wars might be fought over water before 2050.

What is Freshwater?

• Freshwater is drinking or potable water that can be ingested by humans and animals. It is usually defined as having a salt concentration of less than one percent. Freshwater sustains more than 90 percent of all the Earth's animals. Saltwater is ingested only by aquatic organisms.

Dwindling Supply

• In addition to increased human consumption, many scientists believe that permanent glacier and snowpack melt is adding to the scarcity of the world's supply of water. Many freshwater reservoirs for major cities are fed from local mountains or glaciers. As these giant stores of water become smaller, cities such as Las Vegas experience shortages.

Solutions

• In addition to conservation, desalination can help alleviate our freshwater problem. Because the vast majority of water on Earth is saltwater, removing the salt from this resource can increase our freshwater supply. The desalination process requires costly infrastructure, however, and few municipalities currently utilize this technology. California is currently investing heavily in this venture, but other states are not.

The Future

• The worldwide future looks bleak without major interventions. Futurists predict that regional wars may break out as countries begin to struggle for water. The major powers of the world have already begun fighting over land rights to the north pole as it begins to melt. Water rights will emerge as a critical issue in this century.