by Daniel Xiao Wang

Created on: August 21, 2008   Last Updated: March 23, 2011

In many countries across our world life is very difficult. Simple survival is a complicated chore, and acquiring basic necessities like food and water is never guaranteed. Sadly, in recent times the hunt for even these basic needs has become more difficult. Climate change has made clean, drinkable water a strategic resource, often unavailable in the poorest regions of the world.

Dr Kathleen Miller states that "Freshwater resources are highly sensitive to variations in weather and climate. The changes in global climate that are occurring as a result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will affect patterns of freshwater availability and will alter the frequencies of floods and droughts (http://www.isse.ucar.edu/water_climate/impacts.html )."

While this is not good news for developed nations, this is catastrophic for developing and underdeveloped nations, decimating the poorest regions in the world.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) there exists a scientific consensus "that those areas of the world that are already experiencing water stresses are also those in which rainfall is likely to be even more variable as the climate changes (http://www.undp.org/water/crosscutting/climate.html )." Meaning that the situation will only become even worse in the poorest regions of the world unless something drastic is done.

The UNDP goes on to state that "The semi-arid regions of the developing world, which are already poor and face major water resource management and food security problems, are likely to be the most severely impacted."

Developing nations, the poorest regions of the world, are experiencing drought and famine. Health is on the decline and in some places like East Africa violence has even occurred over drinkable water. The poorest nations will be effected the most by climate change, water is and will continue to become more and more scarce. Food is becoming harder to obtain.

Several steps are outlined and encouraged by the UNDP to begin addressing the problem of climate change and water scarcity, but one thing is certain: Poor, developing nations are suffering from the environmental irresponsibility of developed nations. Every nation needs to take responsibility to make the necessary changes to help effect positive change. The problems of developing nations today are the problems that will be impacting developed nations tomorrow.

If ever there was an issue to come together over, a basic necessity, a human right like the availability of water for every human being is that issue.

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