Global water scarcity is a major crisis in many developing countries, and contrary to popular belief, this problem isn’t isolated to certain parts of the world. It’s estimated that about 1.2 billion people—or one-fifth of the population worldwide—live in areas with water scarcity; meanwhile, another 500 million people will soon be in the same situation (Source: The United Nations). Everyone is affected and we all play an important role in alleviating and reversing the problem before it’s too late.
Water Scarcity Problem
As the world’s population continues to steadily increase at alarming rates, the Earth’s sustainable water supply is having difficulty meeting demand. Only about three percent of the Earth’s water supply consists of freshwater that’s suitable for human and animal purposes.
Part of the problem is that the majority of that freshwater is nearly unattainable because it’s located inside glaciers and polar ice caps while a small percentage of it is surface water. Humans and animals are consuming what little water we have access to at extremely high rates, to the point where the Earth can’t produce it or replace it fast enough to keep up.
We use water for nearly every human activity imaginable. We drink it, we bathe in it, and we need it to sustain our food supply. In fact, most of the water humans use isn’t even used in our homes; it’s used for farming and to sustain livestock. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 70% of our water is used for agriculture and irrigation, while only 10% is used domestically. Without this water supply, crops and farm animals would perish. Not only that, the level of water distribution throughout the world is grossly uneven.
People in developed countries, such as Canada tend to take it for granted that they’ll always have water and waste a great deal of it without considering the consequences. Water is a finite resource, and much of the Earth’s water supply has been immensely contaminated due to human activities. In most developing countries, lack of water supply causes a grim ripple effect in communities leading to both economic and physical water scarcity.
Causes of Water Scarcity
One of the greatest causes of the Earth’s immense water problem is the constantly and rapidly growing human population. As an increasing number of people inhabit the Earth, more water is needed to sustain them and their water usage habits. Various human activities such as urbanization, deforestation, and pollution all lead to climate change, which can have a drastically negative impact on the Earth’s natural water cycle.
Urbanization usually entails more people living in overpopulated areas and using—or in many cases, misusing—the local water supply. Unfortunately, many Canadians don’t comprehend the importance of saving water because many of them have never had to live without water. We’ve become so accustomed to our wasteful water usage habits that we don’t realize just how harmful they are and how we’re contributing to the Earth’s diminishing freshwater supply.
Water Scarcity Solutions
Fortunately, there are some minor but effective changes you can make to improve your personal and household water-consumption levels and habits without overwhelming inconveniencing yourself or your family.
It’s Eddy Home’s mission to make this transition virtually seamless for home and business owners all across Canada. Our top product, the Eddy IQ System, is an intelligently designed state-of-the-art water consumption monitor that helps you record and track your water usage patterns. The device quickly learns your regular water usage patterns so that it can immediately inform you of any irregularities, such as leaks, that could be hiking up your utility bills. The Eddy IQ Sensor was even recently named the 2017 Product of the Year by EnerQuality. To learn more about Eddy Home and our products, please contact our 24-hour customer service line at 1-877-388-3339 or e-mail
