Earth is a water world. Of all the water on Earth, 97.5% is saline, and 2.5% is fresh. It is estimated there are 1.386 billion km³ (333 million cubic miles) of water on Earth.
Climate disruption affects our water quality by causing shifts in the range of plant and animal species, plant phenology, soil characteristics, and nutrient cycling within watersheds. These shifts alter the biochemical composition of surface waters and their microbiological populations. The world is facing the worst water crisis in human history, with the UN estimating that 1 in 10 people right now have little or no access to fresh drinking water.
What causes climate change/ global warming?
Evidence suggests climate change is mainly being caused by human activity. Humans are altering their environment in three ways:
- Burning fossil fuels – burning coal, oil, and gas for energy, produce carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas warming our planet.
- Changing the land – destroying forests and turning them into farms and cities releases CO2 into the atmosphere.
- Oceans – oceans cover more than 90% of our planet’s surface. Increasing amounts of CO2 and other gasses dissolve in seawater and make it more acidic, harming marine life like coral reefs.
Importance of clean water
First, access to clean drinking water could save more lives than any other single action. Clean, safe drinking water can reduce diarrheal disease by 50%-90% and lower infant mortality rates by an incredible 70%. More than 5000 children die every day from diseases linked to a lack of access to safe drinking water. That’s almost 20 million children per year.
Treating diseases caused by dirty water supplies and poor sanitation costs $260 billion annually. While in some developing countries, 1.5% of the national GDP goes towards water supply and sanitation systems.
This is why clean drinking water and clean water supply is essential.
How does climate change affect access to clean drinking water?
Climate change is currently affecting access to clean drinking water in many parts of the world. With more than a billion people lacking access to safe drinking water worldwide and 2.4 billion people lacking access to proper sanitation, it is predicted that climate change will exacerbate this situation by drastically reducing the availability of freshwater.
So how is global warming affecting accessibility to clean water? First, climate change is causing increased sea-level rise, which means coastal areas will be affected by saltwater intrusion and increased flooding. This increases the risk of water-borne diseases and makes it more challenging to use groundwater sources such as wells unprotected by natural barriers like sand or gravel.
Climate change also causes droughts and floods, destroying crops and making it difficult for farmers to grow their food. When a country directs it’s focus in managing climate-related issues, it has less resources to improve its infrastructure.
Another insidious impact of climate change is the snowpack and permafrost are melting at unprecedented rates. It means less water is available for people to drink and for natural ecosystems to survive. The impact isn’t just on glaciers — it’s also affecting underground aquifers, rivers, and lakes.
Snow serves as a reservoir for water — when it melts, it feeds rivers and lakes during the summer months. It is also directly accessible by humans, either via snowmelt or by drilling into the frozen ground. But snow is melting faster than ever before.
In parts of the western United States, snowpack has fallen by 86% since 1955 to 2020 . That’s been offset by increases in rainfall in some areas, but overall, less water is being stored as ice, and more is being used as it falls because there isn’t as much cold storage capacity in the environment. As a result, there’s less water flowing into streams and lakes during the spring.
How do we prevent clean drinking water scarcity from worsening?
As the earth’s population increases exponentially, the planet is getting warmer and the pressure on water supplies intensifies. There are several ways to help make a difference in your community:
1) Reduce your water consumption. For example, turn off the tap when you brush your teeth, use a dishwasher instead of washing by hand, and fix leaky taps.
2) If your business uses water for production processes, try to reduce your water use during peak times. For instance, if you have high water requirements in the summer months, for example, you can restrict usage from 6 am-8 am and 4 pm-6 pm.
3) If you have a garden or allotment, consider recycling wastewater from your home to use on it – either through an underground pipe or a pump system. Savings can offset the cost of this on your business rates and reduce pressure on local supply.
4) Ask your local council about its green policies. Some councils incentives towards water efficiency and could help you reduce your business’s impact on the environment.
