Water Scarcity Essay

1. Introduction

Water is crucial to our survival! Water is one of the scarcest commodities in the world at the moment; some argue that it is scarcer than oil. Wars have been fought over oil; therefore a war over water is a very big possibility in the years to come on this planet. With the current growth of the world’s population and the increase in demand for water in the agricultural industry, the issue of water scarcity is very likely to get worse and worse (Gupta, 2016). This essay will therefore critically discuss water scarcity and how one can prevent a war fought over water, as well as how one can save water and implement change to better our future nationally and globally.

2. The Importance of Water

With two thirds of the earth 's surface covered by water and the human body consisting of 75 percent of it, it is clear that water is one of the core elements responsible for life on earth (Anderson, 1986). Water is very important to us because human bodies, as well as animals, cannot function without water in their systems. Water can no longer continue to stay unprotected, it is simply too important. Today most countries have laws aimed at safeguarding water quality and controlling water abstractions (Groenfeldt, 2013). In 2010, a new human right to ‘safe water and sanitation’ was recognized by the United Nations and implemented effective immediately. Water not only feeds the human body, but also the earth. Without water, nothing can grow.

3. Water Scarcity

Often