Is the world running out of water?

Note what Kofi Annan, who served as the seventh Secretary - General of the United Nations, had to say about the subject back in 1999 during the World Day for Water: "Access to a secure, safe and sufficient source of fresh water is a fundamental requirement for the survival, well-being and socio-economic development of all humanity. Yet, we continue to act as if fresh water were a perpetually abundant resource. It is not."

Few things get taken for granted more than water, that is, until it runs out. Less than a century ago, the notion that a basic commodity like water would be a source of struggle and controversy would have been considered outlandish. But where has all of earth's water gone? And how has the struggle for water, such as in countries like Ethiopia and Kenya, contributed to recent conflicts?

Comparatively few people on our planet live where water is at its most plentiful. Relatively few, for example, live in the tropical areas of Africa and South America where the rainfall is abundant. The amount of water that the Amazon River empties into the Atlantic Ocean represents 15 percent of the annual global runoff, yet because the population in that area is sparse, very little water is needed or used for human consumption. On the other hand, some 60 million people live in Egypt, where rainfall is minimal, and practically all their water needs must be met by the depleted Nile River.

Population increases have contributed to the shortening water supply as well. Ethiopia, despite being a moderately small country, ranks 15th on the world's population list. And Kenya ranks 34th out of over 200 countries. Despite recent improvements, the rapidly exploding population in Ethiopia has contributed to its impoverished status. The country of Kenya is experiencing similar growth, but with poverty afflicting more than 57 percent of its inhabitants, the increase in population is taking its toll.

Apart from the increase in population and the low rainfall in many densely populated areas, demand for water has risen for other reasons. In the world today, it's a simple fact that progress and prosperity go hand in hand with having access to a reliable water supply. Water is not just used for our personal consumption and hygiene. Factories cluster around rivers and lakes. Simply put, industry requires water for production. The manufacturing of steel, paper, automobiles, as well as meats and agriculture all

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