Did you know that 75% of our body is made up of water? That's right. Our bodies are walking reservoirs.
Meanwhile, 70% of our Earth is water. Perfect, that means we are more or less in balance, right. Except there is a slight problem! Nearly 96.5% of the water on earth is in the oceans. It is salty and not fit for human consumption.
Another 2.5% is frozen in glaciers and on the poles. That leaves just about 1% of water as surface and groundwater available for humans to consume.
Our world's freshwater resources are running dry. At the same time, our water needs are increasing at a rate that may not be sustainable. We need to find better ways to manage this precious resource. Wondering how much water we really consume? Read on, and you will be surprised!
Water & Food Security
With our world's population racing towards the 9-billion milestone by 2030, the need to feed everybody on the planet is becoming more pressing. But wait a minute - what does food have to do with water?
Each of us drinks between 2 and 3 liters of water a day. However most of the water we “drink” is actually hidden in the food we eat. Did you know that a large quantity of water is required to produce the food we eat every day?
The statistics are stunning. Did you know that -
- 1 kilo of wheat, drinks up to 1,500 liters.
- 1 kilo of beef consumes 15,000 liters of water!
- To produce food for one person’s daily meal, it takes about 3000 liters of water.
If we stop to take a look at how the world uses water, agriculture “drinks” up 70% of all water consumed; 20% is used by industry and 10% is spent for domestic activities such as washing, cleaning, drinking, etc.
What Can We Do?
Well, we need to get smarter about how we use water.
And here's how --
- Protect water from pollution
- Preserve forests to reduce the effect of floods and drought
- Follow sustainable conservation agriculture
- Reuse and recycle wastewater from domestic use after proper treatment for agriculture
- Produce more food, of better quality, with less water.
As individuals, we can make a difference by the choices we make. Here are some things you can do.
- Follow a healthier, sustainable diet
- Consume less water-intensive products; meats “drink” up more water than vegetables
- Reduce food wastage. You may not be aware, but nearly 30% of all the food produced worldwide is never eaten. Imagine the colossal waste of water that is used to produce it.
The world is thirsty because it is hungry. Now you know why it takes one thousand times more water to feed the human population than it does to quench its thirst!
Critical Thinking: Think of the food you eat and consider how much water you are actually drinking when you are in fact eating. What are some of the ways in which you can bring awareness about water to people in your community?
cc: UNwater.org
