A Creeping Problem

Water is an important resource, to say the least. The lack of availability to certain countries continues to be one of the leading environmental issues this year. Traditionally the countries that have a lack of water resources are developing countries. These countries typically do not have the infrastructure to support the water needs of the people living within their borders.

But now because of global warming, lack of water is affecting affluent areas such as the southern coast of Spain where the land has now become a creeping desert.

Worldwide, the United Nations estimates that creeping deserts due to global climate changes may eventually drive 135 million people off their land. Imagine almost half of the people in the US losing their lands due to the land becoming unlivable due to desert conditions.

Additionally, land you used to think of as lush with vegetation have now been reduced to crops of olives and figs which require less water and aren't as sensitive to climate changes. If there isn't enough water to grow crops that use a lot of water, such as corn, then the food shortage issue is unlikely to go away.

Casey wrote about how important it is to reduce your water at home, and I couldn't agree more. There are 100's of ways to reduce your intake of water including taking a shorter shower. This small impact can have a global impact if everyone did their small part.

Related posts: Water, Water Everywhere, One Little Drip of Water, Food for Thought

Photo Courtesy of cbs.news