英語の翻訳をお願いいたしますm(__)m
Water is our most important natural resource. Yet though water covers most of the Earth, only 2.5% of it is salt-free. Demand for fresh water has risen sharply in the last 50 years, and it is still going up. That’s already causing serious problems. Finding the right solutions may be one of the biggest challenges of our time.
There are several reasons behind the growing crisis. The first is waste. About 70% of our fresh water is used to grow crops. It takes 1,000 tons of water to grow just one ton of wheat. Unfortunately, around 60% of that water is wasted. Better irrigation methods would help the situation.
Pollution is another big problem. Many of the world’s great rivers, such as the Ganges in India, are badly polluted. Yet 350 million people rely on the Ganges. Their health is affected by the health of the river. Steps are being taken to clean up some waterways, but it is expensive and can take years.
Overuse also puts pressure on water supplies. In the USA, 95% of the country’s fresh water comes from underground sources. With so much water being used to grow crops and raise livestock, water levels are dropping rapidly. Once used, those supplies are gone forever, since they are not refilled by rainwater. The key there is to lower demand.
In many places around the world, people already live in crisis. More than one billion people have no access to clean water. That leads to millions of deaths every year, including thousands of children dying every day in Africa. By 2025, as many as 25 African countries may face severe water shortages. The situation could even lead to wars over water rights.
The fresh water crisis is not limited to poor regions. Indeed, rich and poor countries from Asia to Europe to North America are facing shortages. It’s a growing problem that could soon affect us all.
