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Issue Description
Between 1960 and 1997, the per capita availability of fresh water worldwide declined by about 60 per cent and another 50 per cent decline is projected by 2025. According to many experts, if we continue to take water for granted, much of the earth is going to run short of water or food or both. This book examines the problems and what is being done around the world to avert the impending crisis.
The information comes from a wide variety of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
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Key Facts
- Our demand for water has grown to the point that the natural water cycle can no longer keep up. (p. 1)
- One flush of your toilet uses as much water as the average person in the developing world uses for a whole day's washing, cleaning, cooking and drinking. (p. 2)
- Between 1990 and 1995, the global consumption of fresh water rose six fold - a rate more than twice that of population growth. (p. 5)
- The world's quest for fresh water has led to widespread environmental destruction. The number of large dams built to divert water has risen from 5,000 in 1950 to 38,000 today. (p. 9)
- More than 2.2 million people, mostly in developing countries, die each year from diseases associated with poor water and sanitary conditions. (p. 19)
- About 70 per cent of all available fresh water is used for agriculture. Yet because of inefficient irrigation systems, particularly in developing countries, 60 per cent of this water is lost to evaporation or is returned to rivers and groundwater aquifers. (p. 19)
- Most of the Earth's surface is covered with water in constant circulation through the water cycle. Very little of this water is available to us for drinking purposes. 97% of the Earth's water is salty, contained within seas, oceans and estuaries. (p. 21)
- There are four main ways of dealing with the water crisis as follows: get more, use less, have fewer people to use the water and fight for it. (p. 22)
- The World Bank says that 'one way or another, water will soon be moved around the world as oil is now'. (p. 23)
- 'A crisis is not inevitable, the world can both consume less water, and reap greater benefits. To achieve sustainable water use, we must act now.' (p. 27)
- Current projections are that two-thirds of countries will face severe water strain by 2025. (p. 31)
- Man is a heavy user of the limited water resources we have in England. Changes in the world's climate are affecting the seasonal supply of water, making its manage-ment more and more critical. (p. 34)
- Even in a country with a cool climate such as the UK, water is a limited resource. During hotter periods, shortages can quickly develop if we do not use water sparingly, particularly in more vulnerable parts of the country, such as the South East. So, are you using your water wisely? (p. 38)
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Table of Contents
Chapter One: Global Concerns
Water – the big picture, Facts about the global water shortage, Computer predicts world water shortage, Sustainable world – water, Water, Water – the facts, Global water crisis, Water quality, Water pollution, Water, Children and WaterAid, Fresh water: lifeblood of the planet, The food and water crisis, A matter of life and death, Water facts and figures.
Chapter Two: Global Solutions
Wet world drying, The tide is high, Water as a human right, The impending water crisis and solutions to avert it, Saving water, Prevention of the world water crisis, Thirst for profits, Priming the public pump, Supplying water – for a price, Water bills to rise 70%, Water bill could benefit wildlife sites, A global water crisis, Frequently asked questions about water, Sustainable water, Waterwise in the home and garden, Water conservation in schools, Every drop counts.
Key Facts
Additional Resources
Index
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The Study Guide for: The Water Crisis - Volume 76
Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.95
ISBN: 978 1 86168 283 3