Every drop of water matters!
Water is the source of all life, but is also a fragile resource that is under pressure worldwide. Water scarcity is affecting more and more regions, threatening ecosystems, agriculture and human livelihoods. Climate change, population growth and increasing demand for water are putting increasing pressure on available water resources. While some areas are experiencing flooding, elsewhere the ground is drying out and people are faced with a lack of clean drinking water.
Life on land depends on fresh water, which only comprises 3 % of all water on earth. Moreover, most of it is locked up in ice, glaciers or underground. However, as humans, we still have to share the water that is available to us through precipitation and surface water with precious nature, our ecosystems. This makes water a limited resource that we have to handle with care.
Access to water is unequally distributed worldwide. Where you live largely determines how much rain falls and what the ecosystem where you live looks like. Rainforests and forested areas store rainwater, keep rivers and lakes full, and regulate rainfall. Desert areas, on the other hand, fail to store water because they receive little rain, have high evaporation, have permeable or hard soils, and have little vegetation to retain water.
In addition, the world's freshwater supplies are under severe pressure due to various human factors, making water increasingly scarce. According to the latest water report of the United Nations, about half of the world's population experiences water scarcity for at least part of the year. Belgium also tops the list of countries with serious water stress, in 18th place.
The world population is still growing, which means that the demand for water increases every year. This means more stomachs to fill, more need for clothing and raw materials to build. Water is hidden in all these products. Did you know that an average of 8,000 liters are needed for a pair of jeans, 180 liters for a cup of coffee and 1 kilo of beef requires no less than 15,000 liters? These figures reflect the water footprint, which is the sum of the water that we use directly and indirectly. Polluted water from fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals and waste water is included in this calculation.
In addition, the climate crisis is playing a major role in disrupting global water distribution. Weather conditions are becoming more extreme, with longer and more intense periods of drought alternating with heavy rainfall and flooding. The most vulnerable regions are being hit particularly hard, making water increasingly scarce.
This shows how the water issues are interconnected worldwide in a large system. As citizens, we bear a shared responsibility to deal more consciously with our ‘blue gold’. By making sustainable choices and reducing waste, we can contribute together to a fairer and more resilient water distribution for the future.
Alone we are a drop, together we form a river.