Water: A Current Societal Problem

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Recommended: Water Scarcity and Water Pollution

Water scarcity is a global concern. Water covers approximately 70 percent of the Earth’s surface; however, only 1 percent of the available water is sufficient for human consumption. The Earth’s limited water supply must be spread and shared for agricultural, domestic, commercial, industrial, and environmental needs. This means that managing the supply and how water is dispersed is critical to the continuance of our planet and life as we know it. The most crucial natural resource and its availability is a major issue facing the United States and all other countries around the world.
Water is vital to the survival of every living organism on the planet. The unusable water on the planet is either salt water found in the oceans, fresh water that is frozen in the polar ice caps, or it is too inaccessible for practical use by humans (thewaterproject.org). The demand for fresh water has steadily increased at a rate of twice the population growth in countries all over the world, while the supply has remained the same. . This means that humans are consuming far more water than the planet can provide.
Water scarcity is among one of the worst problems that is facing society today. A rising number of regions, all over the planet, are beginning and continually faced with a shortage of water. Water shortage can be linked to both a natural and a human-made phenomenon (www.un.org). Currently, there is enough fresh, consumable water on the planet to sustain seven billion people. However, the current rate at which it is distributed, wasted, and stored, there will be even less water left for future generations.
The Water Project has shown that independent researchers claim Lake Mead, which is currently supplying water to 22 million pe...

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...nd perseverance, water conservation is possible and achievable. The severity of the water shortage is not apparent in most regions of the country, or the globe. People are unaware of the true consequences of not protecting and conserving our natural resource.

Works Cited
"Freshwater Crisis." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 15 June 2014.
N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2014.
Snyder, Shannyn. "Water Scarcity - The U.S. Connection." N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2014.
"Water Scarcity: Tomorrow's Problem." University of Michigan. University of Michigan, n.d. Web. 17 June 2014.
"Water Supply in the U.S." EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency. EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 15 June 2014.
Wyler, Grace. "All Around The US, Risks Of A Water Crisis Are Much Bigger Than People Realize." N.p., 22 May 2013. Web. 14 June 2014.

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