Nor Any Drop to Drink

Part of the Water: H2O = Life exhibition.

iceland-waterfall_med.jpg
All Earth's lakes and rivers, including the dramatic Godafoss waterfall in northern Iceland, make up less than one-fiftieth of one percent of the water on the planet.
© Craig Chesek

In the many places where water is scarce, people show great ingenuity in getting it: collecting and keeping what little rain falls, drilling wells or--if they can afford it--removing salt from seawater to produce fresh water for drinking or farming. But ingenuity has its limits, and we may be reaching them.

Today, more than one billion people still cannot get enough safe drinking water to keep them healthy. That kind of water scarcity isn't just about too little rain--it's a problem of politics, infrastructure, and sustainable use.

Article Not Enough What do you think of as "enough" water? Enough to avoid feeling thirsty? Article Women and Water Not every woman in the developing world has a life defined by the burden of water carrying. Article A River in Danger India's great river, the Ganges, is facing several kinds of problems. Article The Weight of Water In the developed world, we seldom bear the weight of water. Article Harvest From the Sky If you've ever opened your mouth to the sky during a rainstorm you have Article Hold the Salt The oceans are vast, so it's no wonder that people have often looked seaward and wondered, "Isn't there a way we could drink... Article Water From Air Nearly every continent on Earth has a few places in which an unusual phenomenon takes place: Article How Green Is My Desert? Dry lands Article Working for Water Around the world, ecosystems are being disrupted by invasive plants Article Playing for Water As children spin on this merry-go-round, they are also pumping water from a deep well called a borehole.

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Life in Water Blue Planet Water Works Water, Water Everywhere Healthy Water, Healthy Lives Regeneration Epilogue Meet the Curator Behind the Scenes Fast Facts Collaborators Sponsors Resources For Educators: Water: H2O = Life