To assure adequate health, people need a minimum of about 100 litres of water per day for drinking, cooking, and washing. However, in industrialized countries people could be using as much as 450 litres per day, while in developing countries consumption could be as low as 20 litres daily. Human need for clean water is escalating because of rapid population growth and industrialization. In addition, rising standards of living are increasing total water requirements. The scarcity of water limits the ability to develop economically.
Water is a necessary element in industry, and to attain self-sufficiency in food production.
Availability Only three percent of the world's water is fresh with 99 percent of that locked in ice caps and glaciers or flowing underground. Only one percent is readily available for use. Poverty-stricken countries tend to be in the climatic zones most subject to drought and other water problems. They are least able to afford alternative sourcing. Regions with scarce water tend to have the highest rates of population growth.