Those of us living in developed countries never really think about water that much, let alone know the difference between water stress and water scarcity, as we have never experienced either. For us, accessing water is as simple as turning open a tap; for others, especially those in undeveloped countries, things are very different and accessing potable water is an uphill battle.
Most of us know by now that the human body is made up of 70% water and that we need to drink water regularly in order to maintain that balance and stay healthy and operating at our best. Unfortunately, in excess of 1.2 BILLION people globally lack access to clean drinking water and out of every six people in the world, one of them is water-stressed.
So what is the difference between water stress and water scarcity?
Water Stress means that people do not have access to drinking water or water for domestic use for a specific period of time; Water Scarcity, on the other hand, means that there are continual water shortages, water crises, and water stress.
In excess of 1.1 billion people in developing countries are water-stressed, and of this number, 700 million people are seriously water-stressed due to over-population, climate change and inefficient water-source management.
Water Scarcity is both a natural phenomenon and a man-made one; there is still the same amount of water on earth as there was in the beginning, but a population explosion combined with climate change, human wastage, and bad management means that it is distributed unevenly.
Water scarcity can be economic, as a result of a lack of infrastructure, investment in water or human capacity, or physical, as a result of minimal rain in arid regions, or over-committal of resources which results in the decline of available groundwater and environmental degradation.
Quick Facts
- Around 66% of the world’s population may be water stressed by 2025, and around 1.8 Billion will be suffering from absolute water scarcity
- Approximately 50% of the global population will be living under high water-stress by 2030
- The largest number of water-stressed countries is in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the most water stressed region being the Middle East
- Close to 700 Million people in 43 countries suffer from water scarcity
Remember, although you and I may not be affected by either water stress or water scarcity at the moment, this could change drastically in the future, so it is up to each one of us to ensure that we use water responsibly at all times, do not waste water, and recycle or repurpose wherever possible.
