Description: Climate, population and war all influence the ability for people around the world to access clean water. Billions of people around the world are at risk of not having access to this essential to life. These three areas are the current hotspots in the world water crisis.

Water is an essential part of life. Unfortunately, around the world billions of people are struggling to find adequate and safe water for drinking, irrigation, grazing and industry. Climate, population and government management are the main reasons for the dire state of water accessibility globally. War increases these issues dramatically.

Currently, these geographic areas are the current hotspots in the world water crisis:

  • Middle East and North Africa Climate change has caused decreased rainfall and increased heatwaves, straining the already delicate water supply. Qatar has become more and more dependent on desalinated sea water to supply both drinking water and water needed by industry. Desalinization can be expensive and consume a lot of energy. It is not considered a sustainable source of clean drinking water. On top of climate issues, the Middle East and North Africa suffer from increased population, increased urbanization, poor water supply infrastructure and poor government management of the water supply. Decreased access to water increases the political tensions in this already tense area of the world. Water is not only an important essential to supply to the population, but it can also be used as a weapon when withheld. The climate of these areas has always made water a difficult essential to manage, but recent developments have made the struggle much harder for the people who live in the Middle East and North Africa.
  • India and Pakistan Climate change has caused the monsoon season in this area to be delayed, which also negatively impacts the groundwater. Droughts are a common occurrence. The water crisis in this area is exacerbated by the political tensions between India and Pakistan. Water has been weaponized and used in the dispute over the Kashmir region. India’s population of almost 1.4 billion people has been struggling for some time with water supply issues. As the population continues to increase, the groundwater becomes more and more depleted. It is estimated that 40 per cent of the Indian population will not have adequate access to drinking water by 2030.
  • West Africa Increased drought in the area along with governmental plans to dam some water sources have caused tensions between fighting factions to increase. Restricting access to water is used as a weapon in these wars. West Africa has long had water issues that have become worse in recent years. Like the other hotspots, increased population and lack of responsible water management by governments has put a strain on the already delicate water supply.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       As the climate continues to change and populations continue to rise, the need for clean, safe water sources will also continue to increase. Access to water in North America is not at the same extreme levels as it is in these hot spots. As the climate changes and population increases, though, it is becoming more important for farmers, ranchers, homeowners, real estate developers and municipalities to successfully locate water. Using state-of-the-art technology, American Water Surveyors provides information to their clients on the depth, suitability and yield of groundwater before initiating costly drilling.

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