This unit explores the topic of water and water scarcity Freshwater is a natural resource that is vital for human survival and health. The Earth is a very wet planet, but only 2.53% of its water is fresh; the rest is seawater (UNESCO, 2003). There is currently much concern about the capacity of the Earth’s freshwater resources to sustain human life and health in the near future. People still do not have access to safe water. Today, 785 million people – 1 in 9 – lack access to safe water. By 2050, when the global human population will reach almost nine billion people, seven billion people in 60 countries will be short of water unless action is taken. Half the human population will be short of water by 2025.
If predictions about a shortage of water for half the human population in 2025 seem alarming but far away, it is important to point out that, for many people, a water crisis is already a daily experience. As you will see later, many people in the world already face the severe adverse consequences for their health of having insufficient water and water that is also polluted. This is particularly true in Africa.