ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Curiosity Stream The Increasing Threats To Earth’s Water Supply | Breakthrough
Imagine a glass of clean, fresh water. It’s something we all need every day. With over 7 billion people on Earth, the demand for clean water is huge. But as the population grows, finding enough water for everyone is becoming a big challenge. Cities like Cape Town, Cairo, and Mexico City are at risk of running out of water, and soon, hundreds of millions of people might not have access to clean drinking water. This has led to a global search for new water sources.
The pressure on our freshwater supplies is increasing for several reasons. First, the world’s population is growing rapidly. Right now, there are about 7.3 billion people, and in just 10 years, that number could rise to 8.5 billion. By 2050, we might have nearly 10 billion people on the planet. Everyone needs water for drinking, growing food, and keeping clean. Water is essential for life, and agriculture uses about 70-80% of all the water we consume worldwide.
There are two main ways we get water: digging wells into the ground and collecting rainwater and snowmelt in reservoirs. Millions of people depend on these sources for drinking, farming, and sanitation. Seasonal dams help capture rain and snowmelt, providing water for people downstream. Some of this water also seeps into the ground, replenishing wells.
However, climate change is making it harder to rely on these sources. The weather is becoming more unpredictable, and rain and snow don’t always come when expected. Sometimes, extreme weather causes floods that pollute water, making it unsafe to use. The World Resources Institute has created a map called the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas to show where water stress is highest. Darker colors on the map indicate areas with the most severe water shortages, like India and Pakistan.
Northwestern India and Eastern Pakistan are particularly at risk because they heavily rely on groundwater for farming. If a severe drought hits, it could lead to a crisis. Such situations can even cause tensions between countries. In 2018, Cape Town, South Africa, nearly ran out of water, and São Paulo, Brazil, is also facing shortages. On every continent except Antarctica, the demand for fresh water is greater than the supply.
Water stress happens when the demand for water is higher than the available supply. Many parts of India are experiencing this, with the UN estimating that the country has only a 30-day supply of water at any time. Pollution, flooding, and drought make this situation worse. As a result, there’s a global effort to find new water sources.
In 2019, researchers found a giant freshwater aquifer off the Northeast Coast of the U.S. This aquifer, located 600 feet beneath the ocean, holds a massive amount of water. Scientists used electromagnetism to discover it, a technique that could help find other aquifers around the world.
Desalination, which turns seawater into fresh water, is used in 18,000 plants worldwide, providing billions of gallons of fresh water daily. However, it’s expensive and not accessible to poorer regions. While the discovery of the offshore aquifer won’t solve all our water problems, it offers hope. The techniques used to find it could help locate new freshwater sources for cities facing shortages.
In the end, something as simple as a glass of fresh water can become incredibly valuable when it’s scarce. As we face these challenges, it’s crucial to find new ways to secure water for everyone on the planet.
Design a poster that highlights the importance of water conservation. Use facts from the article to illustrate why conserving water is crucial. Display your poster in the classroom to raise awareness among your peers.
Using a world map, identify and mark the regions mentioned in the article that are experiencing severe water stress. Research additional areas facing similar challenges and add them to your map. Present your findings to the class.
Conduct a simple experiment to understand how desalination works. Use saltwater and a heat source to demonstrate the process of turning seawater into freshwater. Discuss the benefits and limitations of desalination as a solution to water scarcity.
Investigate recent technological advancements in water sourcing and conservation. Prepare a short presentation on one technology, such as the electromagnetism technique used to discover aquifers, and explain how it could help address water shortages.
Participate in a classroom debate on whether access to clean water should be considered a fundamental human right. Use information from the article to support your arguments. Discuss the implications of water scarcity on global populations.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
[Music] It’s the simplest thing: a glass of clean, fresh water. Every single person on Earth—over 7 billion of us—needs a few of these each day. However, the population is growing, and with it, the challenges to clean water supplies are increasing. Cities like Cape Town, Cairo, Mexico City, Tokyo, São Paulo, Beijing, Melbourne, and London are all at risk of running short on water. Soon, hundreds of millions of people may be in danger of losing access to clean drinking water altogether. The search for new water supplies is ongoing across the globe.
[Music] The pressure on global freshwater supplies is mounting, and the reasons are clear. Firstly, the world’s population is growing. Currently, there are about 7.3 billion people on the planet, and in 10 years, that number is expected to rise by 1.2 billion to 8.5 billion, according to a new UN report. By 2050, the population could reach nearly 10 billion. Every person will need clean water for drinking, growing food, and sanitation—essentially, to live. Water is crucial for every aspect of life; it is needed for drinking, bathing, sanitation, and energy production. In fact, irrigating crops consumes about 70-80% of all the water used worldwide. Therefore, when considering a water crisis, the state of irrigated agriculture in the affected area is a primary concern.
There are two basic ways to obtain water for human needs: one is to dig wells into the water table, and the other is to catch seasonal rainwater and snowmelt flowing in rivers and collect it in reservoirs. Globally, hundreds of millions of people rely on these water sources for drinking, agriculture, and sanitation. Approximately half a million seasonal dams capture rain and snowmelt runoff. When these dams fill during the wet season, people downstream have water for drinking and growing crops. Some of this water seeps into the ground, replenishing the water table and recharging wells.
However, with the warming atmosphere and erratic climate patterns, the seasonal arrival of sufficient rain and snow has become less reliable. What if rainfall and snowfall patterns change significantly, or if they fail to arrive altogether? Extreme weather can lead to floods of polluted water that are too toxic to use. To assess where these water risks are highest, the World Resources Institute has created the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. The darker colors on the map indicate areas of greatest water stress, with regions like India and Pakistan being particularly concerning. The Indus and Ganges River basins are experiencing lower water levels due to reduced snowmelt from the Himalayas, affecting 700 million people.
One area of high stress is Northwestern India and Eastern Pakistan, where groundwater is heavily pumped for irrigation. This region, already at risk, could face a severe drought, leading to a crisis. Such crises can escalate tensions between countries that are adversaries, especially those with nuclear capabilities. Cape Town, South Africa, came alarmingly close to a water emergency in 2018, while São Paulo, Brazil, with a population of over 12 million, is also facing water shortages. In fact, on every continent except Antarctica, the demand for fresh water exceeds the supply.
Looking at the map of water stress, the prevalence of red areas indicates unsustainable water use. This situation is akin to spending a bank account faster than it can be replenished, leading to a day of reckoning in many regions. The city of Chennai, India, serves as a cautionary tale. With a history of over 1,500 years, Chennai is a major urban center and a significant economic hub. However, in June 2019, the city completely ran out of water; all four major reservoirs dried up, leaving its 10 million residents reliant on tanker trucks for their water supply. This situation was exacerbated by rapid population growth, poor water management, and climate disruptions.
Water stress is a term that describes the relationship between water usage and availability. Many regions in India are experiencing water stress, with the UN estimating that the country has only a 30-day supply of water at any given time. This vulnerability is heightened by factors such as pollution, flooding, and drought. As governments and individuals grapple with these challenges, a global search for new water supplies is underway.
In 2019, researchers announced the discovery of a giant freshwater aquifer off the Northeast Coast of the U.S. This aquifer, located 600 feet beneath the ocean, extends from New Jersey to Southern New England and is estimated to hold 1.2 times the volume of water in Lake Ontario. The discovery was made using electromagnetism to detect how electrical currents flow through different materials, allowing scientists to identify freshwater sources beneath the ocean floor.
Desalination technology, which removes salt from seawater to produce fresh water, is currently in use at 18,000 plants worldwide, providing billions of gallons of fresh water daily. However, desalination is often a last resort for wealthier communities, as it is costly and not widely accessible in poorer regions. The elements contributing to water stress are present in many areas, particularly in Southern California, where reliance on distant snowmelt, intense agriculture, and a growing population create significant challenges.
The discovery of the offshore aquifer won’t solve global water problems, but the techniques developed by researchers can be applied worldwide to locate other aquifers. This could lead to new freshwater supplies for cities facing water scarcity. Ultimately, the simplest thing—a glass of fresh water—can become a precious resource when it is not readily available.
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Water – A transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance that is essential for the survival of most living organisms and is a major component of the Earth’s hydrosphere. – Example sentence: Freshwater ecosystems are crucial for providing water to both humans and wildlife.
Supply – The total amount of a resource that is available for use. – Example sentence: The city is working to ensure a sustainable water supply for its growing population.
Climate – The long-term pattern of weather conditions in a particular region. – Example sentence: Scientists study climate to understand how different factors affect the Earth’s weather systems over time.
Change – The process through which something becomes different, often referring to alterations in the environment. – Example sentence: Climate change is causing more frequent and severe weather events around the world.
Pollution – The introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment, which can cause damage to ecosystems and human health. – Example sentence: Reducing air pollution is essential to improving the quality of life in urban areas.
Drought – A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. – Example sentence: The region is experiencing a severe drought, which is affecting local agriculture and water supplies.
Aquifer – An underground layer of water-bearing rock or materials from which groundwater can be extracted using a well. – Example sentence: Over-extraction of water from the aquifer has led to a significant drop in the water table.
Desalination – The process of removing salt and other impurities from seawater to produce fresh water. – Example sentence: Desalination plants are becoming more common in arid regions to provide a reliable source of drinking water.
Stress – A condition in which environmental factors cause strain or pressure on ecosystems or resources. – Example sentence: Water stress occurs when the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period.
Agriculture – The practice of cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising animals for food, fiber, and other products. – Example sentence: Sustainable agriculture practices help maintain soil health and reduce environmental impact.
