Billions of people around the world do not have access to one of the basic elements of life: clean water.

Although the government and aid organizations have helped many people living in water-scarce areas get a living in recent years, the problem is expected to become more serious due to the adverse effects of global warming and population growth. Water pressure can vary greatly from one place to another, and in some cases can cause widespread damage, including damage to public health, economic development, and global trade. It can also promote large-scale migration and cause conflict. Countries are now facing increasing pressure to adopt more sustainable and innovative practices and improve international cooperation in water management.

What is water shortage?

When the demand for safe and available water in a given area exceeds the supply, there will be water shortages. On the demand side, most of the world’s freshwater (about 70%) is used for agriculture, while the rest is divided into industrial water (19%) and domestic water (11%), including drinking water. On the supply side, water sources include surface water, such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, and groundwater obtained through aquifers. But scientists take into account multiple factors including seasonal changes, water quality, and accessibility, and there are different ways to define and measure water pressure. At the same time, the measurement of water pressure may be inaccurate, especially in the case of groundwater. Columbia University professor and water expert Upmanu Lall said: “Any number must be measured by a grain of salt.” “These definitions usually fail to account for groundwater usage or groundwater reserves.”

with information from: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/water-stress-global-problem-thats-getting-worse