I wonder if you know what proportion of water globally is usable for drinking… Any ideas?
1%.
That’s it...
The planet may be 71% covered with the stuff (1.4billion km³ in total), but as this image shows, most is unusable seawater, and over two thirds of the remaining fresh water is frozen.
Unfortunately, water is not the infinite resource many of us like to think it is – and climate change and population growth are placing further strain on the relatively little we have. Even in the rainy UK, water demand is predicted to outstrip supply in as little as 20-25 years ['Escaping the jaws of death: ensuring enough water in 2050; Sir James Bevan (Environment Agency CEO) 2019] unless action is taken.
As stewards of God’s creation, we can play a key role is conserving water and reducing our water demand to ensure sustainable water supply both in the UK and globally. Simple day to day decisions, like turning taps off when brushing teeth, and capturing rain water to water garden plants all help. For more ideas see this month’s Easy Swap video. We can also play a role in challenging water companies to prioritise the development of sustainable water treatment technologies and to minimise water network leakage through petitioning and advocation.
Joe Snowdon