Historical Context
Historical Timeline of Water Scarcity
Water Scarcity: an Issue Existing Since the Beginning of Time
135,000 to 75,000 years ago
DNA research and archaeological evidence show that a series of megadroughts may have prompted the first migrations of early humans out of Africa.
1,200 years ago
Scientists theorize that the cause of the downfall of the Mayan Empire was due to a severe drought. Because they relied heavily on rain for their maze fields and drinking reservoirs, the Mayans could not prosper economically or survive, leading them to dwindle in population and eventually die out.
1700s - 1800s
As the Industrial Revolution began, water was used for industrial purposes, not for drinking or sanitation. As a result, England’s drinking water became more contaminated with sewage water in the 1800s and an outbreak of cholera ensued, with 15,000 people dying.
1900s
The amount of droughts around the world increased exponentially. In the mid-1930s, the Dust Bowl in the Great Plains of the United States drove two million people off the land and caused an outbreak of many diseases. China experienced a drought deemed "the most disastrous event in the 20th century,” causing over 3 million deaths.
2000s
Water scarcity shifted from being an issue for only a specific period to a more chronic problem. In 2005, it was reported that 35% of the global population experienced chronic water shortages. For example, in Brazil, the country faced one of its worst chronic droughts in history in 2001 which greatly affected its hydroelectric plants.
