Water, water everywhere...

One thing that most people, including my grade 9 students, know is that most of the earth's surface is covered in water. Around 71% to be more specific. What most people aren't aware is that a huge number of people lack sufficient resources to meet the demands of usage. For most of us, we never consider not being able to access safe water. It is something we take for granted. The millennium development goals, due for review this year, aimed to halve the number of people without access to drinking water. Despite this target being met early, the number of people without access is still staggering.

Almost a million people don't have access to clean drinking water. Imagine a life without being readily able to access drinkable water. Water is the source of life and yet almost 15% of the world's population live without enough to sustain their basic needs.

Some shocking facts about water scarcity:

1. Over 3 million people die each year due to poor water sanitation and water-related diseases.
    Almost all of these are in the developing world

2. More than a billion people do not have any sewage facilities meaning their waste directly pollutes the water supply

3. The average American uses more water in a 5 minute shower than their counterparts in the developing world use in a whole day.
                                              

4. Every 21 seconds, a child dies due to water related illness.
                                          

The latest report from the UN Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) has warned countries to wake up to the consequences of global warming on water supplies. Water scarcity is becoming a real problem and could lead to an increase in water crisis and conflict.

We should all make an effort to conserve our most valuable resource by shortening our showers, reusing waste water for plants and consuming less.