If nothing is done in the near future to address the international water crisis, then in the future, water problems could lead to wars. Currently, 1.1 billion people are experiencing a shortage of fresh water, and by 2025, two-thirds of the world's population will experience a shortage of water resources.
The crisis is rapidly gaining momentum in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. However, water shortages are experienced not only there: Bangkok, Jakarta and Mexico have several times exceeded their groundwater use. According to hydrologists, numerous areas of northern China and Africa and several regions of the Middle East, India, Mexico and North America are on the verge of an acute shortage of water resources.
According to UNICEF statistics, children suffer the most from this. About 4,000 children die every day from diseases caused by the lack of clean water.
The World Bank says that freshwater shortages are likely to be one of the main factors hindering economic development in the coming decade.
Such a sad forecast was made by the Minister for International Development in the British government, Gareth Thomas. “If we do not tackle this problem, the fact is that in the coming years water resources can become the object of international conflicts,” Thomas said. “We need to invest funds and efforts now, otherwise in the future we will have to pay dearly for our inaction.”
27 international charities have called on world leaders to provide developing countries with water networks and treatment facilities. According to the coalition, the international community should prevent rivalry over water sources, as it destabilizes communities and escalates into conflicts.
“Resolving the water and sanitation crisis is essential for the Millennium Development Call to Action to succeed. Otherwise, progress in health, education and environmental sustainability will be undermined. Globally, when schoolchildren miss classes due to diarrhea, the amount of time lost is 443 million person-days per year. 1.8 million children die from disease caused by water problems, although these deaths are avoidable,”the coalition said in a statement.
“Investments in sewage treatment plants and water supply are the most effective measures to improve the health of the population, and they provide enormous economic dividends. The G8 should follow the example of the East Asian countries, which have put the solution to these problems at the forefront of their national development programs."
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Unless urgent action is taken, it will not be possible to achieve the Millennium Program targets - by 2015, halve the number of people without access to safe drinking water. The task is likely to be completed, although only limited progress has been made in sub-Saharan Africa, the Independent notes.
If global warming continues, Sub-Saharan Africa, much of South Africa and western South America could face water shortages, according to Charlie Chronick, senior climate consultant at Greenpeace.
“There is no doubt that climate change will potentially be the main cause of water scarcity,” he said. - If the average global air temperature rises more than two degrees above pre-industrial levels, 2 to 3 billion people will potentially suffer from water shortages. This is a very serious matter."
Ksenia Obraztsova
