Library Guides: Water in the World: Water Scarcity

Source: mario_ruckh

Access to water is one of the most essential things needed for human survival, but access to water is not equal across countries or even communities. This can be because a place is dry and doesn't have many natural water sources, or it can be that they don't have the infrastructure to deliver safe and reliable access to drinking water.

Water around the world (Australian Museum, n.d.)
The earth’s small supply of fresh water is very unevenly distributed across the planet. Some regions have more lakes and rivers and get regular rain, while others are mostly desert and suffer years of drought. Climate change is causing more frequent and severe flooding and droughts, intensifying the water stress in some regions. Read through this website to learn more.
Global water crisis (World Vision, n.d.)
Water scarcity is defined as a water deficiency or a lack of safe water supplies. As the population of the world grows and the environment becomes further affected by climate change, access to fresh drinking water dwindles. Globally, 785 million people lack access to clean drinking water. Read through this website to learn more.
Water scarcity (World Wildlife Fund, n.d.)
Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater—the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with—is incredibly rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use. As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Read through this website to learn more.
Water scarcity (United Nations, n.d.)
Water scarcity can mean scarcity in availability due to physical shortage, or scarcity in access due to the failure of institutions to ensure a regular supply or due to a lack of adequate infrastructure. Water scarcity already affects every continent. Water use has been growing globally at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and an increasing number of regions are reaching the limit at which water services can be sustainably delivered, especially in arid regions. Read through this website to learn more.
Coping with water scarcity: challenge of the twenty-first century (United Nations, 2007)
Produced on the occasion of World Water Day 2007, which focused on the issue of water scarcity, this document introduces the multiple dimensions of water scarcity and how it can affect all social and economic sectors and threaten the sustainability of the natural resources base.
Failing rains and thirsty cities: Australia’s growing water problem (National Geographic, n.d.)
Australia is a country on the brink of a water crisis. Understanding why water is scarce and where the water goes will be crucial to keeping Australia’s taps flowing as its population grows. Watch this video and read the article to learn more.
The battle over the Dakota Access Pipeline, explained (Vox, 2016, November 29)
Pollution also plays a role in creating water scarcity. Read through this article to learn how pollution from a pipeline threatens the water access to a Sioux Nation Reservation and how locals are responding to the threat.

Managing water by Richard Spilsbury
Publication Date: 2009
In managing Water, we find out about the most vital resource on Earth and how it shapes our landscape. We learn the|importance of water as a solvent, how the power of flowing water can be harnessed to provide us with energy, and how drinking|water is cleaned and sewage treated. We also investigate the new technologies to combat water shortages around the world.
Running water: our most precious resource by Louise Spilsbury
Publication Date: 2006
Find out where the world's water supplies come from, how we use water and why we need to use it less.
Water: our most important resource by Charles Oakleigh
Publication Date: 2016
Nothing is more important to survival of the Earth and everything that lives or grows on it than water. This is the story of|how we use water, how we cope without it, and the many methods available for us to conserve it. Everything from torrential floods to|severe desertification play a role in our management of this precious liquid.
Water crisis by Jessica Cohn
Publication Date: 2014
Next to the air people breathe, water is the most important resource on Earth. Without water, there would be no life. Earth's|water, however, is a limited resource. As Earth's population grows, there may not be enough water for everyone.
Water supply by Angela Crocombe
Publication Date: 2008
Water is essential for human life. It is one of the most important resources on the planet, and we are rapidly running out of|it. Why is Australia experiencing a water crisis, and why is it important to conserve and recycle as much water as we can? Explore|the problem of water shortage and find out what methods are being considered to solve Australia's supply issues for the future. Also|looks at ways we can all help to save water.
Your water footprint: the shocking facts about how much water we use to make everyday products by Stephen Leahy
Publication Date: 2014
Water is not only used in the domestic context, but also in agriculture and industry in the production of commercial goods,|from food to paper. A "water footprint" is the amount of fresh water used to produce the goods and services we consume, including|growing, harvesting, packaging, and shipping. This book uses infographics to examine the amount of water a typical American uses,|offering advice on limiting waste, making water-smart purchases, and changing habits.