Freshwater is a scarce resource.
Freshwater sustains life.
Yet, freshwater systems are imperilled, which threatens human existence. In the process species are lost. Water shortages and pollution also cause problems for people, from forced human migration and widespread public health problems to limited economic and agricultural development. The Worldwatch Institute predicts that in China water shortages and distribution problems will have a major impact on global food supply as the competition for water increasingly influences world grain markets. The SEI report Comprehensive assessment of the freshwater resources of the world asserts that water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase.