When you look at Earth from space one of the most striking
features is how much water there is, 70% of the Earth’s surface
is covered in water. Unfortunately 97% of that water is salt
water in the world’s oceans and seas. The remaining 3% of the
water is fresh water, but 75% of that is locked up in the polar
ice caps and glaciers, leaving only a quarter of the Earth’s
fresh water available for use. Much of the life on the planet is
dependent on fresh water including 6.8 billion humans, but with
continued population growth and shrinking water supplies, a
crisis could be looming. According to an International Water
Management Institute report, Comprehensive Assessments of Water
Management in Agriculture, more than 1.2 billion people or about
one-fifth of the world’s population currently live in areas with
water scarcity, meaning they do not have enough water to meet
everyone’s daily needs. This is a figure that will almost
certainly rise as the world’s population grows, more underground
aquifers are depleted, a