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Water scarcity
when water demand exceeds available resources / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Water scarcity is a lack of fresh water. For us, and most land animals, fresh water is drinkable, and sea water is not. This is because sea water has a high salt content, which we and most land animals cannot deal with.
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The need is not just for fresh water, but for clean water. That usually means water which is free of harmful bacteria and parasites and general dust and dirt.
In the 1860s the English engineer Joseph Bazalgette organized the London sewers to keep water free of cholera. This was followed by British engineers designing similar waterworks in many countries round the world. Later population growth has increased the demand for fresh water beyond the scope of these original water systems.
There are arid and desert areas, and places where the water is too polluted to drink. The situation has been made worse by population growth and industrial uses of water. Global warming tends to increase the need for fresh water for all land animals, including humans.
Therefore, water scarcity may be the result of both human and natural causes. Changes in climate and weather patterns can cause the availability of water to drop. Common human causes include over-consumption, bad governance, pollution, and increases in the demand for water.[1]