Only 2,5% of the planet's water is fresh, suitable for human consumption.
70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered in water, which gives us an idea of abundance that is not real. If we put all the water on the planet together, we would obtain a sphere less than 1.350 kilometers in diameter, more or less the distance from Madrid to Rome., which compared to the diameter of the Moon (3.470 kilometers) is a tiny amount. In reality, it is only 0,023% of the surface.
On the other hand, of the 1.386 million cubic kilometers of water on the planet, 97,5% is salty. The rest, 2,5%, about 35 million cubic kilometers, is fresh water, suitable for human consumption. Nevertheless, only 0,007% of that figure is available. Why? Because all the rest is frozen at the poles or in glaciers (69,7%), buried below the surface in aquifers (30%) or in rivers and lakes (0,3%).
The idea of abundance, then, does not correspond to reality. In fact, in recent decades the exact opposite has been revealed: the scarcity of the precious liquid. The United Nations Organization (UN) affirms that the scarcity of the resource today affects 4 out of 10 people on the planet and that in 2050, just around the corner, a quarter of the population will suffer from chronic lack of water clean.
A shortage that will increase in the coming years and will deepen ills that are already an epidemic: diseases, hunger, disappearance of species and conflicts to obtain the liquid. In 1979, starring the renowned Mel Gibson, the film was released Mad Max, which painted an apocalyptic future marked by the scarcity of water, oil and energy, a scenario that today does not seem so much like fiction.
With an aggravating circumstance: although there are 15.000 cubic meters of fresh water per person worldwide, its distribution is uneven. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Latin America has the highest volume of fresh water per capita: five times more than Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia, and 20 times more than South Asia and the Middle East.
Equally, Less than 50% of the rural population in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to an improved water source. This refers to a connection within the home, a public sourcea, a sheltered well, spring, or stream. The unenhanced fontsMeanwhile, they include vendors, tanker trucks, and unprotected sources or streams. A drama that many prefer to ignore.
Another edge of the problem is that 70% of the fresh water that is withdrawn worldwide is used in agriculture for activities such as irrigation and livestock maintenance. An additional 20% was used for industrial purposes and the remaining 10% for domestic consumption. Nevertheless, despite the evidence, human beings refuse to change their habits, they refuse to become aware that water is NOT an unlimited resource.
And if the water runs out, what?
Now, the question that all human beings should ask ourselves is What would happen to the planet if the water ran out? It is a true possibility, no longer a clever creation of science fiction. What would happen? Where there is no water, there is no life. It is a reality that we already experience, that sadly many populations and species have suffered for decades. This is undoubtedly the real one. apocalypse.
According to NASA and the German Aerospace Agency, by 2050 the demand for water will increase by 55%. If we maintain the same practices of the present, the industry will require 400% more water than today; electricity production, 140% more and domestic use, 130% more. These percentages were based on a population below 8.000 million, which was reached in 2022.
That means the level of water stress is gradually increasing, at a sustained rate. Simply put, it means that there is more and more demand for water and less and less fresh water available. or, in another way, that its consumption is restricted by low quality (contamination). Precisely, the chaotic scenario that was recreated by the tape Mad Max, which is more real, closer every day.
Almost two million people die each year from diseases caused by the consumption of contaminated water and/or the lack of potable water. And, according to forecasts by the authorities, by 2030 half of the world's population (about 4.500 billion people at the time) is expected to live in areas where there will be insufficient water to supply the high demand. And the figure may be short.
Every year, according to statistics from accredited bodies, 4.000 million liters of water are consumed. In what? In regular activities such as drinking, cooking, showering, making coffee, or producing cotton, paper, and clothing. To this we must add a figure, very high, although not quantified, corresponding to the waste or that used in activities such as washing the car, watering the garden or washing the dishes.
It seems a lie, but it is reality. Let's look at some figures that will give us an idea of how much water we spend on what we do on a daily basis and on producing what we consume? (according to studies by Mesfin M. Mekonnen and Arjen Y. Hoekstra, researchers at the University of Twente, in the Netherlands):
- Cooking and drinking: 14 liters
- Prepare a slice of bread: 45 liters
- Shower: 48 liters
- Manufacture paper, cotton or clothing: 167 liters
- Prepare a jug of coffee: 840 liters
- Produce a hamburger: 2.800 liters
The panorama, more than worrying, is bleak. Why? Because This, of water scarcity, is a topic that has been discussed for decades. I mean, it's not a new problem. or on which scientific research and studies have not been carried out. On the contrary, it could be said that it is over-documented, while every day we suffer the consequences of our actions.
The question is, then, Is there anything that can be done to change the trend? Is it still possible to do something to stop the damage from growing? Fortunately, something can be done, A LOT, actually. The important thing is to start now, not wait for the governments to agree or for the neighbor to take the initiative: do it yourself, be an example worth following, a model for children and young people.
These are some of the actions that are urgent to implement:
1.- Save water.
In other words, start by avoiding liquid waste as much as possible. Which, it goes without saying, It does not imply losing comfort or well-being at all. Nor does it represent a sacrifice. Rather, it is about being aware of the responsibility that was entrusted to us (that of caring for the planet, the only one we have) and the privilege of living and enjoying the liquid that, ultimately, is synonymous with life.
2.- Education.
It is very likely that some of the figures reported in this article were unknown to you. It's normal, sadly. Why? Because there is a lack of education, because there is a lack of political will to generate quality information, disseminate it and empower citizens, the new generations. He starts at home: instruct your family, make sure they don't waste water, that they help save it.
3.- Change of habits.
A valuable action that goes hand in hand with the previous one. Education is useless if it is not translated into effective actions in practice. Close the taps, avoid leaks, wash the car with dry systems (which do not use water) and reduce consumption in daily activities as much as possible are habits that, in the long term, generate a positive effect. The important thing is that they are consistent practices.
4.- Use technology.
In recent years, technology has provided us with tools that help both avoid wasting water and rationalize its consumption. An example is the economizers that are used in showers and faucets and whose price is very low. Also, reduce the consumption of hot water, because to raise the temperature of the liquid, energy is used that, what an irony, comes from the water.
These are other simple tips that you can put into practice to save water and help save the planet:
1.- Change your old appliances for modern ones, with clean technologies
2.- Avoid silent consumption: unplug electrical devices when not in use
3.- Change the bulbs for LED technology ones that consume less and illuminate more
4.- Maintain your heaters to prevent them from being a source of waste
5.- Regulates the temperature of the house, to avoid the unnecessary use of heaters
6.- Turn off the light. Yes, it's that simple, turn off the light when you leave a room
7.- Take a shower, instead of a bath: that is, spend less time in the shower
8.- Wash clothes with cold water: take advantage of detergents made for it
9.- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, lathering your hands, or shaving
10.- Use less, as far as possible and reasonable, the bathroom cistern
70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered in water, but the idea of abundance is not real. The reality is that every day there are fewer sources of fresh water and, therefore, less water suitable for human consumption.. If we do not change our habits, if we are not aware of our actions and, above all, if we do not take effective measures NOW, the scenario apocalyptic de Mad Max It will go from fiction to real life...
