The world’s water shortage appears to be becoming more critical day by day, with new analysis now revealing that more than three billion people globally are now affected by this, as a result of poor water management, climate breakdown and a rise in demand for water supplies.
Figures from the UN show that the amount of freshwater now available for each person has fallen by a fifth over a 20-year period, the Guardian reports.
And the organisation has now issued a stark warning that billions of people will be faced with hunger and widespread chronic food shortages because of failures to conserve precious resources and address the climate crisis effectively.
Approximately 1.5 billion people are experiencing severe water scarcity or drought because of a rise in demand, the climate emergency and poor management of supplies, which has meant that agriculture has become increasingly different across much of the globe.
The State of Food and Agriculture 2020 report shows that in sub-Saharan Africa, there are 50 million people living in places where severe drought has had a huge impact on cropland and pastureland once every three years.
And, in fact, more than a tenth of the rainfed cropland in the world is subject to frequent drought, while the same can also be said for around 14 per cent of the world’s pastureland.
Director-general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation Qu Dongyu was quoted by the news source as saying: “We must take very seriously both water scarcity (the imbalance between supply and demand for freshwater resources) and water shortages (reflected in inadequate rainfall patterns) for they are now the reality we all live with … Water shortages and scarcity in agriculture must be addressed immediately and boldly.”
If this makes for concerning reading and you want to do all you can to tackle what is fast becoming one of the biggest problems the world faces, as a business, there’s a lot you can do to help improve your own water efficiency and start protecting this precious resource for future generations.
There are three main ways you can reduce water use across your company, starting with a full site survey to identify any leaks you may have so that repair work can then be carried out.
You can also have a water audit conducted, which involves comparing water usage and volumes with what you’re being charged for, allowing us to make recommendations about where you can reduce usage and therefore lower your costs.
Water monitoring is another key strategy, where remote monitoring equipment is installed onsite to track your water flour hourly for ten years. This allows us to maximise efficiency and spot leaks immediately, potentially saving you thousands of pounds.
