Turn on a tap and it’s easy to think water problems are far away. Yet the world water crisis is already here for millions. In simple terms, it means not enough safe drinking water, not enough sanitation, and too much water lost, wasted, or polluted.
Climate change shifts rainfall and drives harsher droughts and floods. Ageing pipes leak treated water back into the ground. Farming demand stays high, while pollution makes rivers and groundwater unsafe. Fast-growing cities also strain systems built for smaller populations.
The Last Drop is an important book. looking at solve the lack of fresh water (most is held up in glaciers, and the rest is often polluted). An environmental journalist meets experts, victims, activists and pioneers to show how we can solve the water crisis, to ensure that everyone on earth (along with our animal friends) have access to fresh clean water.
In South Africa, more than 30,000 people in the agricultural sector have lost their jobs, because there’s no water to irrigate the crops.
Some farmers are cutting the buds off orchard trees because if there’s fruit and no water, it could damage them irreparably. And people from outside Cape Town are donating food for livestock, because there’s a shortage of fodder.
Tim Smedley is an award-winning environmental journalist, whose book Clearing the Air was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize. Air pollution kills 19,000 people each day worldwide (more combined than car accidents, malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS).
Ways to Help Provide Clean Water Abroad
Millions of people still drink dirty water every day, which leads to sickness and keeps communities from growing. Simple changes can make a lasting difference.
- Clean toilets stop germs from spreading. Buy toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap? (made from recycled paper, 50% of profits help bring clean sanitation to communities abroad).
- Deep wells pull clean water from far below the ground. Hand pumps or solar-powered pumps make it easy to bring water to the surface. They also protect water from germs, dirt, and animal waste. Local training helps families fix and care for the pumps, so water keeps flowing year after year.
- Hipporoller is a simple invention that lets women and children wheel water from wells, rather than walk for miles carrying heavy buckets on their heads (which leads to headaches and weak bones). It’s also quicker, meaning children spend more time in school.
- Portable ceramic or sand filters block out bacteria and dirt. Small filters fit right on a jug or bucket, while larger ones can clean water for a village.
- Lifestraw is a personal water filter that needs no electricity, and purifies unsafe water. Some people say this should not be used to ‘make people drink dirty water’, but it’s quick and affordable to save lives, while people wait for others to build wells.
- Rainwater harvesting can capture rain through tanks, gutters and simple pipes, to make the most of each downpour. Stored rainwater helps during dry months, and basic filters or boiling can make it safe to drink. Natural springs can provide clean water, with proper covers.
- Piped water systems can carry water over hills or long distances. Taps in the village save time and effort. No need to walk for hours each day just to collect water.
Keep rivers and groundwater safe
Water scarcity isn’t only about quantity. Dirty water isn’t usable, even when a river looks “full”. Once pollution enters groundwater, clean-up can take years. The main sources are well known: sewage, industrial discharge, farm run-off (fertilisers and pesticides), and plastics and rubbish.
First, governments can enforce discharge rules with routine testing and penalties that actually bite. Next, cities can expand sewage treatment and connect more homes, because untreated waste often flows straight to rivers. Industry can re-use process water and treat waste streams properly, instead of shifting costs to communities downstream.
Nature can help too. Wetlands, riverbank planting, and buffer strips on farms can slow run-off and filter pollutants before they hit waterways. Better waste collection also prevents plastics breaking down into rivers, then seas.
Grow more food with less water
In many countries, agriculture uses most freshwater. Farmers face rising costs, heat stress, and uncertain rainfall. Any plan to solve the world water crisis must support farmers with good ideas like climate smart agriculture, which helps to reduce water through evaporation and run-off.
Flood irrigation can work in certain settings, but it often sends water where crops can’t use it. Targeted watering helps because it puts water closer to roots:
- Drip irrigation delivers small amounts steadily, which suits orchards and vegetables.
- Sprinklers can be improved with low-pressure heads and better scheduling.
- Soil moisture sensors stop “just in case” watering and guide timing.
- Watering at cooler times (early morning or evening) cuts evaporation.
- Fixing canals and lining channels where suitable reduces seepage losses.
Crop choice matters because not every crop fits every climate. Growing thirsty crops in dry regions often shifts the burden to depleted aquifers and stressed rivers. Where conditions allow, farmers can switch to less water-hungry varieties, adjust planting dates, or adopt drought-tolerant breeds developed for local heat and rainfall.
Rain capture and better sanitation
Wastewater is often treated as a problem to hide. It can also be a resource. Water reuse means cleaning wastewater so it can safely irrigate parks, supply industry, recharge groundwater, or in well-managed systems, return to drinking supply.
Cities can also catch rain where it falls. Rainwater harvesting on buildings helps for gardens, toilets, and cleaning. Meanwhile, permeable surfaces, green roofs, and restored wetlands reduce flood peaks and help water soak into the ground. These steps matter more as heavy downpours become more common.
Sanitation sits at the centre of public health and water security. Toilets and sewers stop human waste entering rivers and wells. That protection keeps more water safe to use, which is as important as finding new sources.
