As we have been hearing, global water shortages are poised to exacerbate regional conflict and hobble economic growth.
Yet the problem is growing worse, and is threatening to deal devastating blows to health, according to top water officials from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) who spoke before a House panel hearing today.
Ever-rising water demand, and climate change, are expected to boost water problems worldwide, especially in countries that are already experiencing shortages. Globally, the world is on track to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people unable to reach or afford safe drinking water by 2015, but it still must make strides to improve global sanitation, says Aaron Salzberg, the State Department’s Special Coordinator for Water Resources. In addition to supply problems, unclean water causes more than four billion cases of diarrhea a year which lead to roughly 2.2 million deaths, and most are in children under the age of five.
“The magnitude of it is extraordinary.” says Christian Holmes, global water coordinator for USAID.
The hearing comes on the heels of stark reminders of the current water shortages that are apparent across the globe. Pakistan, one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, is on the brink of crisis. A recent report from the Asian Development Bank, highlighted by The Atlantic, states that the country’s emergency water reserve only has enough supply for 30 days – more than 30 times below the 1,000-day recommendation for similar countries. Pakistan, the report states, is “not far from being classified as ‘water scarce,’ with less than 1,000 cubic meters per person per year.” Among other factors, climate change is affecting snowmelt and reducing flows into the Indus River, the area’s main water source.
USAID expects its programs to provide a minimum of 10 million people with sustainable access to improved water supply by 2018.It also plans to provide 6 million people with sustainable access to improved sanitation by that time, according to the agency’s new water and development strategy, its first. It is also supporting regional discussions on water scarcity issues. Despite such a large effort, almost 800 million people lack access to safe water, and more than double that number are unable to access sanitation. And without big changes, two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to be living under “severe water stress conditions” — meaning that in a given year there would be less than 1,000 m3 of water available per person — by 2025, according to USAID.
To alleviate more of that stress, USAID will work with other countries to use emerging science and technology to track the problem and prepare communities to adapt. It will continue to share NASA Earth Science and satellite data about water supply throughout the world to help detect and prepare for future threats. It will also help nations translate that data into decision-making for aid and how to better alert communities about likely food shortages.
The Latest Bing News on:
Water Shortages
- Famed Thai holiday isles suffer water shortages after heatwaveon May 10, 2024 at 6:20 pm
Famed Thai holiday isles suffer water shortages after heatwaveThe dazzling Thai holiday islands made famous by Hollywood film "The Beach" are facing a severe water shortage following a blistering ...
- In wake of wildfires, Maui Water Director hopes to secure federal funding to fix water shortageon May 10, 2024 at 11:12 am
There are growing concerns about how to solve Maui’s serious water shortage.The county’s water director says now is the perfect time to secure much-needed federal funding because the island’s issues ...
- Livingston Parish water crisis: Water with bacteria flushed from hydrantson May 10, 2024 at 8:10 am
Leaders in Livingston Parish are meeting with state agencies Friday including the Louisiana Department of Health and the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness amid the ...
- South India Battles Dire Water Crisis as Reservoir Levels Plummet to Dangerously Low 15%on May 10, 2024 at 4:19 am
According to the reservoir storage bulletin dated May 9, the available live storage in these reservoirs is 7.921 BCM, constituting only 15 per cent of their total capacity.In comparison, last years ...
- A Decade After Water Crisis, Art Brings Hope and Healing to Flinton May 9, 2024 at 8:08 am
After Water Crisis, Art Brings Hope and Healing to Flint As the community rebuilds, Black artists like Keyon Lovett are helping by promoting unity and hope. By Nadira Jamerson, ...
- EPA closes discrimination probes into Jackson water crisis, finding ‘insufficient evidence’on May 8, 2024 at 2:33 pm
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) closed its civil rights probes into the water crisis in Jackson, Miss., saying there was “insufficient evidence” to say that the state discriminated against ...
- EPA: ‘Insufficient evidence’ of discrimination in Miss. water crisison May 8, 2024 at 10:37 am
The agency, however, stressed that the conclusion does not exonerate the state or anyone else for its handling of the public health disaster.
- Highest-ranking medical official to respond to Red Hill tainted water crisis testifies at trialon May 8, 2024 at 4:55 am
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The highest-ranking Navy medical official to respond to the Red Hill tainted water disaster nearly three years ago testified before a federal judge Tuesday. Dr. Michael ...
- The Investors Profiting Off Water Scarcityon May 7, 2024 at 9:35 am
Read Bloomberg’s Pulitzer Prize finalist series on how private investors are commandeering public water for profit.
- To avert potential water crisis, tunnels may be drilled through Arizona damon May 7, 2024 at 2:05 am
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will examine the possibility of drilling tunnels through Glen Canyon Dam to ensure water can pass through it at low Lake Powell elevations, two knowledgeable sources ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Water Shortages
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Water Shortages” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Global water shortages
- Holiday isles suffer water shortageson May 10, 2024 at 4:37 pm
The dazzling holiday islands made famous by Hollywood film The Beach are facing a severe water shortage following a blistering heatwave across Asia, a tourism official and locals said.
- Bridget Moynahan Calls Attention to Crisis in Brazil That Gisele Bündchen Is Raising Relief Money Foron May 10, 2024 at 1:54 pm
Moynahan and Bündchen, both of whom are former long-term partners of Tom Brady, have been calling for aid to the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul amid flooding ...
- Will Mexico City Run Out of Water?on May 10, 2024 at 9:17 am
Even if total shutdown is an exaggeration, the threat of water shortages is high, and it is rising worldwide as well. Cape Town, South Africa, came perilously close to a Day Zero in 2018. Cities ...
- Famed Thai holiday isles in Koh Phi Phi suffer water shortages after heatwaveon May 9, 2024 at 9:43 pm
The dazzling Thai holiday islands made famous by Hollywood film "The Beach" are facing a severe water shortage following a blistering heatwave across Asia, a tourism official and locals said Thursday.
- Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award extends application deadline until end of Mayon May 7, 2024 at 11:01 am
The UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE), under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has extended application deadline for the 4th cycle of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al ...
- Can artificial glaciers help with water shortages?on May 7, 2024 at 2:35 am
One of the world's most vulnerable areas is the Indus basin, which provides water to at least 250 million people in Afghanistan, China, India, and Pakistan. But one group in the Himalayas, the ...
- Can artificial glaciers help with water shortages?on May 6, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Yet as global temperatures rise and rainfall patterns ... local engineers started creating artificial glaciers that would counter water shortages by melting earlier and more reliably.
- Self-sustainability solutions and smart technology will help South Africa overcome its water crisis, says Versofyon May 6, 2024 at 12:57 am
Technology company, Versofy, best known for its solar solutions and services, says that preparing for South Africa’s water crisis should become a significant priority. The company believes that ...
- Harvesting rain can help Caribbean countries access safe water after hurricaneson May 5, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Editor’s note: This article, distributed by The Associated Press, was originally published on The Conversation website. The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis ...
- SA’s Water shortage to get worse in 2025on May 5, 2024 at 12:51 am
AS if load shedding was not enough to bring businesses to its knees, South Africans are now confronted with water shortages, with the situation expected to get worse in 2025. A December 2023 ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Global water shortages
[google_news title=”” keyword=”global water shortages” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]