Water scarcity is an increasing problem across the globe, one which threatens our very existence. The Colorado River is a prime example of this crisis: with climate change causing hotter temperatures and droughts lasting for decades, its water inflow has been reduced by 15% over the past 50 years. This has drastically affected the 40 million people living in seven US states and two in Mexico who rely on the Colorado River for their water needs.
Los Angeles alone consumes over half a billion gallons of water each day, just from homes and businesses. Add in other industries such as agriculture and manufacturing, and it’s not surprising that water shortages are occurring across the globe.
The situation is dire, but it’s not yet too late to save our precious freshwater resources. Water conservation regulations are being adopted in cities like Las Vegas, while farmers in Arizona are switching to crops that use less water – such as indigenous wheat – instead of more water-hungry cotton plants. Even small changes at home can make a big difference: upgrading toilets to low flush models, installing low flow showers and changing how you water your lawn can all help reduce the amount of water used each day.
If we continue to work together towards common solutions then we may be able to avert this looming crisis. To better understand what’s happening with freshwater resources worldwide, we highly recommend watching the documentary “Thirsting for Change: A Global Water Crisis” which explores this issue in more detail and features commentary from experts on the ground. By gaining further knowledge about this important subject, each one of us can do our part to conserve our limited supply of fresh water for future generations.
