World Without Water: The Dangerous Misuse of Our Most Valuable Resource

The world is depleting its supply of freshwater, which represents 2.5 percent of the overall water supply. “The world's population has almost tripled since 1950, but water consumption has increased six-fold,” writes a team for Spiegel Online. The report reviews wasteful practices in Brazil, California, Spain and efforts to privatize water markets in Bolivia and Germany. About 70 percent of water used is for agriculture. California supplies about half of the fruits, vegetables and nuts consumed in the US, with farmers drilling deep into aquifers for groundwater centuries old that won’t be readily replenished. Reviewing the argument that the trade in food is really trade in water, the article concludes that some crops should not be growing in areas lacking adequate rainfall. Israel has contributed innovations including drip irrigation reverse-osmosis desalination, but the lack of water for neighboring Palestinians poses a security threat. Corporations increasingly press for market forces to be applied to water distribution to prevent waste. Prices jump when water systems are privatized, and the ensuing public outcry has often led to quick reversals. – YaleGlobal