Water stress is what happens to a region when their supply meets their demand.
Thanks to climate change, much of the U.S. will struggle with this soon.
And the most widespread impact is one you might not even have on your radar: water stress.
What is water stress?
This is different from, say, a temporary and unusual drought.
Water stress is worrisome for a number of reasons.
Heather Cooley is the Director of Research at the Pacific Institute
The most obvious is that all living beingsfrom humans to animals to plantsrequire water to live.
When access to clean drinking water is threatened, so too are the populations which rely on it.
Much of industryincluding energy productionalso requires water use.
Half the worlds population is projected to be living in water-stressed areas as soon as 2025.
These arent the only factors that contribute to water stress, however.
Most notably, droughts affect a regions ability to replenish its supply.
High temperatures affect a regions ability to retain precipitation, as heat leads to faster evaporation.
Events like flooding and sea level rise, meanwhile, can lead to water supply contamination.
People are impacted by hurricanes and extreme rainfall and flooding and sea level rise, but also water stress.
Heather Cooley is the Director of Research at the Pacific Institute
This doesnt have to be the case, however.
This is alreadyhappening in parts of California, Cooley explains, particularly in agricultural regions.
She says to think of this like a bank account.
What is The Missionary Sex Position?
Water pollution
Pollution can also lead to water scarcity.
Some industrial practices inadvertently impacted groundwater quality, says Ajami.
Los Angeles, she notes, offers an example.
The [citys] San Bernardino groundwater basin is polluted, she explains.
Places like Qatar, Israel, and Lebanon are basically already using all of their water each year.
California found itself in danger of a further-in-the-future day zero after several years of drought.
In other words, no one went thirsty.
During that aforementioned California drought,some rural residents went without water for days.
Small and medium-size [communities] struggle the most, says Cooley.
The breadth of this problem, as illustrated bythis map, is pretty breathtaking.
Were not going to die of dehydration.
(That is, as long as we remain united and dedicated to sharing resources.)
The rest depends on adaptation.
There is a way to become more efficient and effective in the way we use resources, says Ajami.
We just need to confirm to do it.
She also notes that water stress-alleviating measures can piggyback on other green initiatives.
Were seeing communities that are rising to the challenge, she says.
The Los Angeles example is a good one.
Were going to have to figure out how to use less water overall.
These types of changes likely wont be enough in many of the most at-risk areas, however.
Were going to have to figure out how to use less water overall, too.
The more we can meet our water needs with existing resources, the better it is, says Ajami.
Conservation doesnt have to be painful, however.
In other words, Im not missing those 60 or so gallons per day residents used to spend.
You dont want a day zerothats terrifying, she says.
If you look in our urban areas, about 40 to 50 percent of our water use is outdoors.
Some of that is for parks, but most of its for ornamental lawn that nobody ever uses.
Theresabsolutely an opportunity to shift towards a more resilient and sustainable community, she says.
That sense of abundance is a big problem, she says.
Water is a finite resource, and you have to be mindful of how you use it.
…
Got it, you’ve been added to our email list.
