The Battle for Water - The Challenge of the 21st Century - E-book - ePub

This is the "Diplomatic Council Water Book" which was officially presented at the United Nations Water Conference 2023 in New York. Water is the basis of all life. Although more than 70 percent of our blue planet is covered with water, only three percent of it is fresh water, of which only a third is safe for human beings. Global water consumption has doubled since the 1960s but the resources have not risen proportionately. Approximately two billion people in the world already lack regular access to safe drinking water.
Both global warming, which is caused by climate change, and the simultaneous growth of the world's population will lead to a dramatic escalation of the situation. Water will become an increasingly scarce resource: one quarter of the world's population is threatened by acute water shortages. Furthermore, as agriculture cannot exist without water, famines are imminent. Experts consider "water stress" a source of starvation, conflict and migration.
Those who believe this affects North Africa and the Middle East only, are mistaken. For also in other parts of the world (America, Asia, Australia, Europe) water stress has long been noticeable. In this book the author precisely analyzes what we will be faced with if we do not succeed in solving the "water problem". At the same time she shows how to secure a global water supply in the future.