Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed a growing human population have become stressed. Two million people, mostly children, die each year from diarrheal diseases alone. Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people-they are exposed to diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, and other water-borne illnesses. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.Īs a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. However, freshwater-the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with-is incredibly rare. Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful.
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