Why don't we use ocean water for drinking and how is water scarcity predicted to change in the future?
2 Answers
Most of this water is salt water and usable freshwater is much more rare. Increased demands and climate change are predicted to increase scarcity.
Explanation:
The Oceans cover vast areas of the globe but the salt water in these oceans is not useable for either drinking or irrigation. There are many fresh water lakes, notably the Great Lakes of America and Canada, the water in these lakes must be filtered and cleaned before the water can be used for human consumption.
Many rivers are used not only for drinking and irrigation but also for the disposal of waste products. The human waste is dumped into the rivers making the water downstream unusable until it has been treated.
There is a limit amount of usable fresh water. Much of the water has
been polluted and will become more polluted. At the same time the human population of the world is increasing, increasing the need for fresh water. The scarcity of fresh water will only increase in intensity as the demand for fresh water increases.
The image below shows water stress by country:
Prediction of future water scarcity:
Changes in temperature , precipitation patterns (both due to climate change), and increase in demand are all drivers behind projected increased scarcity.
It is valid for freshwater resources.
Explanation:
Salty water (ocean and sea water) is almost not limited. But freshwater sources are limited. Moreover, we have been polluting freshwater resources so rapidly that it is an important problem.
