Many individuals think that they do not need to worry about climate change because it will take another 100 years to affect the world, or that they somehow will not be affected by climate change. They are wrong!
Climate change will affect the environment and millions of individuals in various ways, including some ways that may seem to be inane such as spreading weeds, but others will be more dangerous and perhaps even life-threatening such as severe heat waves, rising sea levels and devastating hurricanes. Yet others such as longer growing seasons could be good, but that will be balanced by harsher flooding and longer droughts.
One of the major effects of climate change will be on and to do with the one thing that human beings cannot do without, water. Climate change is already affecting large regions and many individuals already have no or limited access to clean drinking water – climate change will make this worse.
- Lakes, Rivers, and Streams: Many of the lakes, rivers, and streams that provide water for crop irrigation and also help keep drinking water reservoirs full rely on either rain and/or snowmelt to fill them. Less rainfall and less snow or earlier snowmelt will reduce the amount of water flowing into these natural drinking water resources, impacting on the amount and availability of drinking water and water for other uses such as agriculture, power, personal hygiene and other uses.
- Groundwater: Groundwater is another natural water source, and climate change will also affect just how much there is available for use.
- Droughts: Many regions have already experienced devastating droughts during which people got ill and some died from dehydration or from water-related diseases due to drinking polluted water. Many animals also died and crops failed or could not even be planted – this will lead to food shortages and impact on the price of food, which again will affect the poorest people the most.
- Floods: In the same way as too little water affects people, animals and crops, so too much water will do the same thing.
Climate change is here and it is something that none of us can afford to ignore as it will impact on each and every one of us no matter where we live. Do your bit and save water wherever you can.
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