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Water Scarcity Worldwide

Water Consumption and Growing Water Scarcity Worldwide

Fresh water not locked in ice represents only 2.5% of all the fresh water on earth. Proper management of global water resources is critical, particularly since they are unevenly distributed worldwide.

Water Consumption
Water Scarcity
1U.S.A.: Colorado River
Excessive salinity in the lower basin of this river is the direct result of agrochemical-contaminated run-off.		 2U.S.A.: "Silicon Valley"
High toxicity levels have been found in wells supplying public waterworks.		 3Poland: Vistula River
River water has become unsuitable even for industrial use because of heavy contamination.
4Central Asia: Aral Sea
A decline in sea level of 15 meters in 30 years and widespread aridification are the result of industrial contamination and irrigation schemes that rerouted river inflow.		 5Kenya: Lake Nakuru
Uncontrolled development and groundwater contamination have killed off vast numbers of the lake's flamingos.		 6Indonesia: Jakarta
Almost total depletion of potable water supply owing to excessive groundwater use.
7China: Yellow River
Heavy metal content detected in agricultural run-off in this river's basin and recurring severe drought in the lower reaches.		    

The earth's surface, like human beings and watermelons, consists mostly of water.
Watermelon 97% Cabbage 95% Tomato 95% Pineapple 87% Earthworm 80% Shrimp 79%
Watermelon Cabbage Tomato Pineapple Earthworm Shrimp
Frog 78% Chicken 74% Surface of the earth 71% Human being 60% Sunflower seed 5%  
Frog Chicken Surface of the earth Human being Sunflower seed  

Illustrations/ Shigeyuki Saito

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