Water pandemic
The UN has warned that after the Covid-19 pandemic, drought around the world could become the most serious crisis faced by the globe. The UN has said that as global warming gains speed, at least 130 countries are at risk of facing severe water shortages, while another 23 may be affected by water shortage in one way or the other. Already losses of $124 billion have been experienced between 1998 and 2017 due to water shortages with 1.5 billion people in various countries affected. The worst-hit countries could lie in Western Africa, the Middle East, South America, parts of the US, Southern Europe, and also other regions in the world.
Institutes which monitor the global water situation say that ‘Day Zero’ may lie ahead for countries in many places on the globe. This is the day when taps would run dry, with no water available for household, agricultural, or commercial use. Cape Town in South Africa has already neared such a day a few years ago, and other nations could follow. The World Economic Forum has also said that one of the reasons for poor business investment in South Asia is the water shortage faced in countries in that region. Water then is a commodity we simply cannot afford to ignore. Saving water and reserving the sources available on the planet and in our own country must become a priority. This is not the case at the moment, with few people even aware of how precious water is and how much life would suffer if it was taken away. Drought will bring with it famine and huge changes to the way of living many people around the globe are currently adjusted to.
The problem has to be addressed globally, just as the Covid-19 pandemic was to at least some degree. However, richer countries must recognise their responsibility to those that have lower incomes than themselves. Equity is vital to solving the water crisis. If we are to achieve this and win against the forces which are leading to greater emissions, greater warming and the loss of resources, we need to act quickly. There is very little time left. People and governments around the globe have already lost too much time. There is no room for more losses and no room for more complacency. Efforts to preserve the glaciers and stop global warming and climate change must be sped up. This is a responsibility that the richest countries in the world, which produce the worst emissions, must take the lead. If they fail in this, they will be failing the world and failing humanity in warding off yet another pandemic that could threaten the life and safety of everyone who lives on Planet Earth.
