• Water: the blue gold OCT 02, 2010

    • Lack of water is a growing problem in many places around the world.

      The island of Cyprus will probably be the first place in Europe which will run dry of water. The people of Cyprus have long been using more water than nature can provide – a situation known as ‘peak water’.

      But which country will dry up first? (video after the break).

      The first country to dry up

      The United Nations says that Yemen will be the first country to run out of water. And some believe that this already could happen before 2015.

      But the situation is critical in many other places. In Mexico City, for example, the emptying and drying of underground wells is causing the city to sink deeper into the ground.

      Today more than 1.4 billion people around the world live in areas that are running out of water. And in 2050 the planet’s water sources will have to support an additional 2.7 billion people. Something drastic clearly has to be done!

      One problem, a thousand solutions

      There are thousands of solutions to the water problem; from better management to advancements in technology.

      Because 70 percent of all water is used in agriculture, the largest effects from these solutions can probably also be found here. Direct ‘drip’ watering of crops, for example, promises much lower water use, as well as to halt the enormous waste of water in farming.

      Every time you buy something you also use up water. Here are some examples of how much water is required:

      • 140 liters for 1 cup of coffee
      • 2,700 liters for 1 cotton shirt
      • 15,500 liters of water per kg of beef

      Even as a single consumer there are actions which can be beneficial. Eating less meat is one of them (Read more here).

      See other examples of our water usage in this video.

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