Guest post by Ana R

As the human population around the world rises steadily, so does the competition for resources. While some people are fortunate enough to never face the struggle of being unable to obtain the resources they need, these same people often tend to overlook the cold hard facts that there are people struggling to meet these needs on a daily basis.

Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region.  This is not only a growing problem in third world countries; this scarcity already affects every single continent.  The problem is not that there is not enough water on the Earth for everyone; the problem is that water is not distributed evenly. While some people have the luxury to take long hot showers, there are people who spend all day in search of finding clean water to keep their family alive, often without success.

Most of the countries that are most greatly affected by this water crisis are located in Africa.  One reason Africa is so heavily affected is because of climate change.  The rains that have supplied water to Africa for ages have become less and less frequent.  In Durban, South Africa, 35% of the city’s water is either stolen or distributed illegally.
Although there are organizations helping to bring clean water to the places that need it, not enough is being done.  For one in every seven people, water is still scarce.  Donating to organizations such as The Water Project and conserving water in your own community can make more of a difference than you know.

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