The worlds water supply is receiving significant attention recently, and with good reason. Water is our most precious resource, but it has been mismanaged, wasted, and poorly distributed for decades, leading to shortages in many areas of the world. The worlds population today consists of more than six billion people, which is double the population in 1950. Water usage across the globe has tripled during this same time, leading to the current statistic indicating that one-third of the worlds population lives in water-deprived situations. Many cities experiencing significant growth lack the infrastructure to handle the water and sewage needs for their expanding populations.

Agricultural activities use the majority of the worlds fresh water supply. This industry definitely needs to have an adequate supply of water, but much of the fresh water used for irrigating crops is wasted, and better conservation procedures need to be implemented. One of the problems in hot and dry areas is evaporation of irrigation water, and uncontrolled water runoff is a problem in the more temperate zones.

An alternative to fresh water for crops is non-potable water, but more research needs to be done in this area to ensure non-potable irrigation water is safe. More attention has been focused on this concept recently, with the hope that decreasing the water used for irrigation will mean more fresh water for urban areas. It is reasonable to expect the demand for irrigation water can be decreased by up to fifty percent.

The International Water Management Institute announced that it is increasingly apparent that governments worldwide need to take action to assist with the water shortages across the globe. Water and sewage infrastructures, protection of the wetlands that act as water storage areas, the effects of tourism on water supplies, common habits that lead to water being wasted, and investigations into causes of water contamination are some of the topics that all nations need to examine to determine current procedures and possible improvement strategies.

Notable progress has been made in countries where water shortages loom as populations continue to grow at a surprising rate. Saudi Arabia, China, and Algeria have all invested billions of dollars in contracts with water suppliers with the intention of improving their existing systems and solving water management problems. The Saudi Arabian government is concentrating on replacing aging water pipelines and instituting water management strategies, and China is focusing on adding or improving water services to its cities and developing treatment and water recycling processes. Desalination plants are the major water project for the Algeria government.

Many nations have joined in the fight for saving the worlds water supply. There are years and years of mistakes to overcome, but a worldwide awareness of the fresh water problem is the beginning of finding solutions.

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