ABSTRACT
The earth is bestowed with a tremendous amount of freshwater; however, because of human neglect and adverse climatic factors, dust storms, and policy failure to conserve freshwater, we are on the verge of freshwater depletion and political conict. Nearly 780 million people lack access to drinking water, while one-third of the global population lacks sanitation [1]. In 1 day, 20 million work hours are consumed by women in India and Africa to collect water for their families. It has been estimated that water demand would increase by 40% in the next 10 years. By 2025, nearly 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity with two-thirds living in water-stressed regions [2]. Freshwater availability is sobering; only 2.5% of the 70% water covering the earth’s surface is available for drinking. Our living habits have also stressed the water supplies, as witnessed in the United States where 148 trillion gallons are used per year. The story of freshwater for drinking has a potentially frightening future.
