Water shortage

The majority of our earth's surface consists of water. But since 97.5 percent of the world's water is sea- and brackish water, only 2.5 percent is fresh water. Of that only 0.003 percent is drinkable. The supply is unequally distributed across the world.

Today, a third of the world's population does not have enough access to clean drinking water and only a small quantity is allotted for basic sanitary needs. The causes for water shortage range from decline in availability, and worldwide population growth to an increasing standard of living with higher demand for water. Climate change and environmental pollution also heavily impact the water supply.

Only a few regions worldwide actually suffer from chronic water shortage, regions such as the Sahel zone, the Middle East and parts of Asia. In many developing countries, however, limited financial or institutional capacities mean that water is not used efficiently. And many countries lack efficient technologies for water processing and distribution.

Melting ice

The melting of the world's glaciers also adds to water scarcity. The glaciers of the Alps, the Himalayas, the Rocky Mountains and the Andes feed three quarters of the world's water resources, making billions of people world wide dependant on glacial water.

However, because of a rise in temperatures, glaciers are melting faster than before, and a less average snowfall in winter is not making up for loss.

"It's like using up a savings account," said Ludwig Braun, scientific director of the Commission for Glaciology in Munich, Germany. "If you keep drawing more money from your account every year, without putting the same amount back, you have more money available to spend in the short run, but your deposit is dwindling, and over time there is less."

In Asia, melting glaciers matter. The Himalayan glaciers contain 70 percent of the region's drinking water.

But developed countries are also facing problems. Australia for instance has been dealing with its own serious water crisis and droughts.

"One only needs to look at our current climate," said South Australia's Prime Minister Mike Rann, "It is always getting hotter, and we will have problems not only with water but also with increased forest fires."

Experts criticize Australia's wasteful irrigation methods and its investment in water-intensive crops such as rice and cotton.

"Climate change is a reality and is already taking place here," said Professor Richard Kingsford of New South Wales University (UNSW) in Sydney.

But the Australian government is fighting the problem, Kingsford added. It has recently allocated 13 billion dollars to buy water-usage licenses and agricultural businesses that use excessive amounts of water.

Rich world consumption

Germany so far has felt little of the global water shortage. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, Germany's water consumption per person in 2008 was about 122 liters per day in everyday life. In Africa, water withdrawals for personal use average only 47 liters of water per day.

Developing countries devote most of their water supplies to agriculture. India, for instance, uses 90% of all water for agricultural purposes. In industrialized countries like Germany, irrigation tends to play a much smaller role, and more than 50 percent of water is used for industrial purposes.

According to a study by the environmental protection organization World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the average German uses more than 5000 liters of water per day when agriculture and industry are factored in.

This includes water for personal use, for groceries, and for products whose manufacturing is especially water-intensive such as cotton, rice or coffee. Half of the water used in Germany comes from abroad.

In some regions of the world, water scarcity has already led to conflicts. In central Asia, health problems caused by lack of clean water have led to social unrest. In Northern Kenya and in Darfur, for instance, resident farmers and nomadic herders have fought over depleting water sources.

The UN convention on international water courses was agreed to avoid conflicts between neighboring countries over water resources. But so far, only a few UN member states have ratified the convention.

Writer: ad/ara/ DW
Editor: Anke Rasper