Global warming is an important cause of water scarcity. When our average air temperature becomes warmer, water from rivers and lakes evaporates faster, which may contribute to the drying up of water bodies. Therefore, people who rely on those water bodies for drinking water significantly suffer from the consequences of global warming, affecting the local water supply. If global temperatures continue to rise, rainfall will increasingly become a beast of extremes: long dry spells, dangerous floods and in some places, intense water shortages. There are millions of people all over the world who don’t have access to water, or, if they do, that water is unable to be used. About 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, and three per cent of it is actually freshwater that is fit for human consumption. Around two-thirds of that are tucked in frozen glaciers and unavailable for our use. Clean drinking water is scarce, and there are millions of people across this globe who spend their entire day searching for it. Yet, people who have access to safe, clean drinking water take it for granted and don’t use it wisely. According to WWF, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarcity for at least one month of the year. Clean drinking water is scarce, and there are millions of people across this globe who spend their entire day searching for it. Water overuse is a huge issue that a lot of people are dealing with. It may be overused on people, animals, land, or any other number of things. Water pollution is a huge problem, especially when you’re looking at areas that don’t necessarily have a good sewage system. Pollution can be anything from oil, to carcasses, to chemicals, and faecal matter. Droughts are common all over the world that may severely lower the groundwater level making it impossible for people to get water from fountains, and there is little that can be done to prevent such things from happening. Water scarcity involves water crisis, water shortage, water deficit or water stress. Water scarcity can be due to physical water scarcity and economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity refers to a situation where natural water resources are unable to meet a region’s demand while economic water scarcity is a result of poor water management resources. As early as 2025, the World Health Organization estimates that half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. Although a shortage of clean drinking water is the most immediate threat to human health, water scarcity can have far-reaching consequences. Diminished flows in rivers and streams can increase the concentration of harmful pollutants. The overtaxed aquifers in some places may become more vulnerable to contamination. When waterways run dry, animals may seek out drinking water from places where people live, increasing the likelihood of contact between humans with wildlife and any disease-carrying insects they host. Drought can also elevate the risk of wildfires and dust storms that may lead to irritation of the lungs and airways. More directly, when people can’t get enough water for sanitation and handwashing, respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses tend to spread more easily. Food safety can be affected, too: When soils dry out and become compacted, it’s more likely that rain will run off the surface and carry contaminants to crops instead of soaking into the ground. Jordan is one of the most water-poor nations in the world. Rainfall declines induced by climate change are expected to be compounded by historically limited water resources and ballooning population growth punctuated by influxes of refugees. What’s more, flows in one of the nation’s key freshwater resources – the Yarmouk-Jordan River – have dwindled as a result of dam building and have also been affected by conflict-driven land-use changes in Syria. The writer is a freelance columnist.