by Christine Eusebio
Every morning, I wake up and pour myself a glass of water. It’s what makes me feel refreshed before I start my day.
One morning, I pushed the button on my water cooler to fill my cup, and nothing came out. I was so used to having my morning cup of water that I almost panicked. I was overcome with a sense of urgency. Fortunately, we had a new, full barrel of water to replace the empty one, and I didn’t have to wait long for that glass of water. This event made me think about the big water issues around the world today.
In recent years, the issue of water scarcity has been a growing concern in many parts of the globe, particularly in poverty-stricken areas. Global warming and unpredictable weather changes have lead to a dramatic decrease in the fresh, clean water available for everyday use.
Rising temperatures in many parts of the world has caused severe dry weather, causing many water resources to dry up. According to the World Wildlife Fund, more than half of the world’s wetlands have been destroyed. Drastic weather changes have caused droughts as well as floods in many regions around the world.
As the world population rises, so does the need for water to sustain lives.
Water use has increased more than twice the rate of population in the last 100 years. According to the UN, by the year 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in regions with severe water scarcity. As a result, many will have no choice but to use unsafe water for drinking, cooking, and bathing.
While some of these environmental changes are inevitable, there is still the possibility for change. When you help to drill a well in Niger, you ensure that the people of that village will have a sustainable source of safe, clean water that will not be impacted by drought or other changes in the weather. As a result, child mortality will decrease by 70%, and the village will be transformed.
