Global Access to Fresh Water Key Challenges

"The shortage of fresh water is the greatest threat facing the planet," says one of the world's leading experts on global issues, Koïchiro Matsuura, former Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Freshwater is a vital resource, a driver of economic and social development, but also a source of conflict between nations. This irreplaceable resource is not unlimited, though it is renewable. It is becoming increasingly scarce in the face of a constantly growing global population, rising individual demand, and the equally growing needs of the animal and plant kingdoms. The depletion of this resource-both in terms of quantity and quality-is becoming a matter of grave concern that humanity must address as quickly as possible. To this end, the author examines the problems that access to freshwater can cause around the world. Readers interested in natural resources and environmental economics will find this book a fascinating read.