Are there too many people? Billions are suffering from water shortages — and it is getting worse. Some people blame overpopulation. Others think the solution is better management.
Quarter of humans face 'extreme water stress'
Are there too many people? Billions are suffering from water shortages - and it is getting worse. Some people blame overpopulation. Others think the solution is better management.
What's happening?
Some scientists are worried that there will not be enough water for everyone to drink in the future. New research shows that a quarter of all of the people on the planet already do not have enough water to meet their basic needs.
There are 326 million trillionOne thousand times bigger than a billion. gallons of water on the Earth. But only 1% of it is the freshwaterWater with no or low amounts of salt in it. Rivers are freshwater. we need to survive.
Find out more
At the moment, the problem is getting worse. One reason for this is that the number of people on Earth is growing. In 2000, just over six billion lived on Earth. Today eight billion people live on Earth. By 2100, 11.2 billion people could live on Earth. And the more people there are, the more water is needed.
But others think that the number of people is not the main problem. We wasteTo use something improperly or without needing it. water all the time. Every day in the United Kingdom alone, three billion litres of water are wasted. Most of this comes from leaking pipes. We could fix them to save water.
Are there too many people?
Yes! Four billion people are without the water they need every year. As the number of people on Earth grows, this problem will get much worse.
No! We often think about our worst fears, but they rarely come true. Humans are very good at finding answers to difficult problems. We will find new ways to save and reuse water.
Keywords
Trillion - One thousand times bigger than a billion.
Freshwater - Water with no or low amounts of salt in it. Rivers are freshwater.
Waste - To use something improperly or without needing it.
Quarter of humans face ‘extreme water stress’
Glossary
Trillion - One thousand times bigger than a billion.
Freshwater - Water with no or low amounts of salt in it. Rivers are freshwater.
Waste - To use something improperly or without needing it.