What is Water Scarcity?
Water Scarcity means lack of availability due to physical shortage, or scarcity in access due to the failure of institutions to ensure a regular supply. Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population in the last century. More and more regions are facing water scarcity.
Costs of ignoring the problem
Benefits driving positive change
17 countries need more than 8% of their annual GDP to deliver sustainable water management
Reduction of poverty and prevention from diseases
Nearly 1 million people die yearly from lack of water and sanitation issues
Saving lives in marginalised communities located in developing world
At least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with feces
Improve of well-being and quality of life
Stella Bowles
Canadian Environmentalist
Stella Bowles is a Canadian Environmentalist, author, and the youngest recipient of the Order of Nova Scotia. Canada also recognised Stella with a Meritorious Service Medal.
Through a science project she found fecal matter in her local river and didn’t understand why straight pipes, which dump water directly from home toilets into waterways, were being used. Bowles put up signs near the river notifying her community.
Case Study
Drop of Water is a youth initiated local NGO established in 2009 to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation and promote proper hygiene practice to communities in rural parts of Ethiopia. So far it has positively impacted tens of thousands of communities.
The organisation has also engaged more than 3000 volunteers to help create a clean water and sanitation revolution in her country.
Ideas youngsters can implement
Capture rain water and use it for water community gardens
Complete a pollution capture - water
Initiate a crowdfunding campaign to tackle water scarcity in Ethiopia or for an indigenous community in Canada