In short, yes, we are in a water crisis. But before we dig a deep well out of panic in an attempt to stay ahead of the crisis, let's explore the facts.
According to the United Nations University:[i]
- There is a projected gap of 40% between water demand and water availability by 2030
- 30% of global water abstracted is lost through insufficient infrastructure (leaky pipes)
- 80% of wastewater returns to the environment without adequate treatment
- There has been a 55% drop in globally available fresh water per capita since 1960
These are only a few of the statistics about the relationship between us, water, and our planet. These numbers point to a global water crisis. While we turn on the faucet and observe free-flowing water, the effects of inadequate water supply hit closer to home than what we might think.
Droughts in areas of the United States such as California—which is our sole producer (more than 99%) of a number of crops such as raisins, sweet rice, and almonds used[ii]—are impacted by the lack of available water.
In 2015, the governor of California sought out Israel’s expertise in water management. An Israeli water desalination company, IDE Technologies, built a world-renowned desalination plant in San Diego, California.
Upon completion, the plant provided 50 million gallons of potable water a day, according to a CNBC news article.[iii]
What is a water crisis?
According to the World Health Organization, by 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. What does this tell us? We need to prepare wisely for our future as a nation and the next generation.
The human body is made up of almost 75% of water. The food we eat must be nourished by water and fertile soil. Essentially, everything that keeps us alive depends on water.
As a nation, and individually, we need to start looking at everything but the kitchen sink—along with those who can help us—to discover more innovative approaches to conserve, treat and manage water.
Why are we in a world water crisis?
There are various opinions and thoughts about what contributes to the water crisis. However, we can all agree that there are undoubtedly water issues—from contaminated and diseased waters to drier lands no longer usable for farming. Water is at the life source of it all.
Here are a few reasons we see water shortage and crisis around the globe[iv]:
- Inefficient water management. As mentioned earlier, 30% of global water is lost through water infrastructure leakage. In the United States, to continue to maintain the water infrastructure, it will cost an estimated $195 billion by 2040. But if the current trend of allocated money continues, we’ll be $144 billion underfunded.
- Wasted water. The global population tripled in the 20th century, but the use of water increased six-fold. Why has the ratio increased? Perhaps there are more responsible ways to use the resource.
- Growing population. With the projected population of7 billion by 2050, and only 2.5% of water as fresh, drinkable water, this poses a problem for the future. This worsens the drought problem, which affects people more than another other disaster type.
How does this impact you?
Once we discover how to provide improved and accessible water resources, there will be less time and money spent collecting and cleaning it. This is an investment that will pay off in the end. Likely, the most direct way improved water management affects you, is related to your health and cost.
Cleaner, safer water reduces illnesses and the medical costs related to them. Poorly managed water systems and sanitation services can expose people to preventable diseases.
Look at this statistic from the World Health Organization:
“Some 842,000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhoea as a result of unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and hand hygiene. Yet diarrhoea is largely preventable, and the deaths of 361,000 children aged under 5 years could be avoided each year if these risk factors were addressed.”[v]
How can we solve the water crisis?
Reading these facts can be overwhelming and, at the same time, compelling to those who are passionate about the world and are ready to take action. The question then changes from solving a world-wide epidemic to an achievable, “How can I help?”
Educate yourself. The problem might seem unsolvable, but when you start to educate yourself on who has already led the pioneering efforts of water conservation, the answer is Israel.
Israel’s land is more than 50% desert, yet they have learned how to overcome and are considered one of the most productive and profitable agricultural nations in the world.
Through drip irrigation, seawater desalination, water conservation, water recycling, and wastewater treatment, Israel has developed cutting-edge technologies that they have given to the world.
Israel could very well be considered the answer to the water crisis! At a minimum, a partnership with them in research development and shared resources bodes well for those who collaborate with her.
>>> Go HERE to read about Israel’s contribution to the world when it comes to water management! <<<
Take a simple step. You might think an individual effort does little when it comes to solving the bigger picture of a water crisis. But what if there was something you could do… would you take the step? Trees and water go hand in hand when it comes to nurturing our planet. In perfect harmony, they take care of us too.
Together they provide water to drink and food to eat. But it’s not quite that simple. They do so much more, for so much longer than what meets the eye. That olive fruit you ate on your dinner salad and the water that filled your cup has a history. They also have a future.
The tree that produces the olives you eat has more than one harvest that benefits you; it is only one of a hundred harvests! And water is essential for the tree to keep up its yield season after season.
Sponsoring a tree to be planted in Israel is more than a step, it’s a monumental leap that has a ripple effect on the world.
If you’re ready to join the journey to a healthier plant and people, we can help. Together, we can change lives, one tree at a time.
[i] http://inweh.unu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Global-Water-Crisis-The-Facts.pdf
[ii] https://www.ocregister.com/2017/07/27/california-farms-produce-a-lot-of-food-but-what-and-how-much-might-surprise-you/
[iii] https://www.cnbc.com/2014/03/06/how-israeli-tech-may-alleviate-californias-drought-problem.html
[iv] http://inweh.unu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Global-Water-Crisis-The-Facts.pdf
[v] http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water