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Water Shortage Of Water Pollution

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“The most severe threat we face today is a shortage of water”, a statement that sounds too absurd to be believed, but is it? How can we run out of water? Even though almost 70% of the earth is covered in water, unfortunately only 3% of it is usable. According to the World Water Forum (WWF), 1.1 billion people don’t have access to clean water and 2.7 billion people suffer from water shortages with the number increasing year by year. This occurs because of a combination of over-farming and the pollution of water sources, which interrupts the water cycle reducing the amount of water that is cleansed by the environment, therefore reducing the water available for use. Water shortages are becoming a severe world threat due to the increased …show more content…

In addition to the effects of global warming on water, pollution by factories has also destroyed several fresh water sources such as rivers, streams and underwater sources as many factories throw their wastes in the water making it hard to filter. The pollution emitted by factories also affects the water cycle as it makes the rain acidic; which changes the pH of fresh water and kills organisms too.

Some pollutants can also leak into underground water sources causing them to be destroyed. Global warming increases the chance of drought but not all areas are affected so the unaffected areas will be used to help the affected areas increasing the water needs on these areas. Moreover, agriculture is another main reason why water is running scarce due to the fact that over 70% of fresh water is used for it and more than 60% of that water is lost due to the improper methods of irrigation which causes water to leak. Under ground water sources are also being over used to suffice agriculture; which has depleted the water resources for some countries. “Thirsty crops” like cotton, sugar cane and rice have led to higher water consumption in countries as many are grown in unsuitable environments. Agriculture also increases water pollution when fertilizers and pesticides contaminate fresh water sources. An improper water distribution method also leads to a higher water loss ratio.

The last century

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