What is Water scarcity?
[[File:AralShip.jpg|thumb|270px|An abandoned ship in what used to be the [[Aral Sea]], in [[Kazakhstan]]. [[Irrigation]] projects have caused it to shrink to 10% of its original size.{{fact|date=February 2022}}]] [[File:AfriqueStressHydrique2025.jpg|thumb|270px|[[Food and Agriculture Organization]]'s estimate for 2025 in Africa: 25 countries are expected to suffer from water shortage or water stress.]] [[File:Water Scarcity explained by simpleshow foundation.webm|thumb|A simple video explanation of water scarcity]] '''Water scarcity''' is a lack of [[fresh water]]. For us, and most land animals, fresh water is [[drink]]able, and [[sea water]] is not. This is because sea water has a high [[salt]] content, which we and most land animals cannot deal with. The need is not just for fresh water, but for ''clean water''. That usually means water which is free of harmful [[bacteria]] and [[Parasitism|parasites]] and general dust and dirt. In the 1860s the English engineer [[Joseph Bazalgette]] organized the London sewers to keep water free of [[cholera]]. This was followed by British engineers designing similar waterworks in many countries round the world. Later [[population growth]] has increased the demand for fresh water beyond the scope of these original water systems. There are [[arid]] and [[desert]] areas, and places where the water is too [[Pollution|polluted]] to drink. The situation has been made worse by [[population growth]] and industrial uses of water. Global warming tends to increase the need for fresh water for all land animals, including humans. Therefore, water scarcity may be the result of both human and natural causes. Changes in [[climate]] and [[weather]] patterns can cause the availability of water to drop. Common human causes include [[Sustainability|over-consumption]], bad [[governance]], pollution, and increases in the [[Supply and demand|demand]] for water.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001444/144409E.pdf|title=Water, a shared responsibility|work=The Unit