Water Shortage
Can devastate human life
The ability to get clean drinking water is an immediate dire threat to man. But water scarcity has other profound effects such as increased wildfires, decreased sanitation which can spread illness, increased amount of pollutants in water sources due to their diminished size, or animals seeking water near human habitats which could increase disease.
Climate Change Increases Droughts & Floods
More Extreme Weather
The higher the global temperature, the more water that evaporates. This leads to more water vapor in the air which causes more intense rain. Thus, the water cycle is disturbed. Soil that cannot hold higher waterfall can lead to floods which can carry contaminants to other water supplies. Warmer temperatures lead to a lower amount of snowfall creating less water for farmers.
An approximate 1 in 4 people across the planet do not have safe drinking water.
The U.S. has experienced more frequent, intense and longer lasting droughts
Reservoirs, soils and plants are drying up
“Despite its growing scarcity and preciousness to life, ironically, water is also man’s most misgoverned, inefficiently allocated and profligately wasted natural resource. “
“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions to all.”