Increasing The Risk of Water Scarcity

All around the world the water demand is going up. By 2030 the US director of National Intelligence is claiming that the water demand will go up by 40 percent. These complications are raising serious nation threat and concern to the world. Already 780 million people are living without safe water, by 2030 47 percent of the world will be living without safe water. These risks are arising fast and dangerously. Many analysts by government officials are stating that many wars over water will be fought in the future, as well as governments impending and preparing for these wars. As rapid growth of population has tripled in the last 50 years the withdraws and demand of water has been rapid.

This is causing issues of poverty and inequality. Our water is scarce as we have 1 percent of our water readly drinkable while the other 2 percent is underground and has to be pumped out. While there is talk of water situations imploding, there is already wars happening around the world. Some experts believe that the water war arose around 4,500 years ago. Now 30 nations with water scarcity will be close to dry by 2025 and most of them are in the Middle East or North Africa. Located in the dominican republic, Yemen, is already fighting a war on water between the north and south portions of the country, which caused the nations army to get involved. These situations drive up poverty and food prices.

There are many views on the water war and scarcity. One being through Thomas Malthus, an eighteenth century author, who stated “ The power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man, that premature death must in some shape or other visit the human race.” This means that the more people on earth the scarcer the resources which then leads in violence. The separation and equality between classes and states results in water used as an item where each group suppresses the other. Countries like Bolivia are already fighting wars on water with armies involved and officials all around the world are preparing for what may arise due to water conflict. In Detroit 45,000 people have had their water cut off and as populations rise the more scarce the water is. Availability and quality are main issues and causing a lot of controversy. If we continue at this rate, new generations will have to come up with innovative technology and ideas that will sustain life on earth. Many although hope that water is a right and no matter the situation or social or racial class, our world will see water as a right, instead of a privilege to those who can afford it.

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