And the projected population growth of the next few decades could push yet another two dozen countries and hundreds of millions more people over the brink of water shortage. Moreover, predicted changes in global climate could redistribute or reduce water supplies and intensify storms, adding to the challenge of managing water supply. Acute water shortages already have required extraordinary measures in some countries. When thousands of refugees from Djibouti, the most water-scarce country in the world, crossed into Ethiopia in the summer of 1993, the Red Cross had to send tankers up to 300 miles to find water for them. During severe droughts in western India, the government brings drinking water to some rural areas by railway.
Life is tied to water as it is tied to air and food.
And food is tied to water since plant growth depends on its flow from roots to foliage. Throughout history, secure access to water has been essential to social and economic development and the stability of cultures and civilizations. Since ancient times agriculture has depended on fortuitous combinations of good soils and predictable water supplies, and dependable sources of abundant water played a prominent role in the industrialization of Europe and North America. Even if less developed nations pursue new development paths that avoid the errors of the past, it is difficult to imagine how sustainable development will proceed if renewable fresh water is in short supply. Efforts to encourage water conservation face special challenges not encountered with other natural resources.