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UC Irvine. Water is the economic, social, and physical lifeblood of humanity, providing the bases for agriculture, industry, transportation, energy production, and life itself.
Despite its importance, alarming signs suggest that there are looming threats to this vital resource. The World Resources Institute contends that the world's thirst for water is likely to become one of the most pressing issues this century due to population growth, drought, and climate change. The World Bank reports that many developing nations already face a crisis from intensive irrigation, urbanization, diminishing supplies, and deteriorating infrastructure; and, UNESCO predicts as many as 7 billion people in half the world’s countries will face shortages of potable water by 2050.