User:Proactivepeace

Water Scarcity

Water Scarcity has two basic types: Physical Water Scarcity and Economic Water Scarcity

Physical Water Scarcity Physical water scaricy is a scarcity due to an physical lack of water, such as in a desert, or during periods of drought. Water is scarce when the demand for water is more than the lands ability to provide the needed water. "For the most part, dry parts of the world or arid regions are most often associated with physical scarcity. However, there are an increasing number of regions in the world where physical scarcity is a man-made condition. The Colorado river basin in the United States is an excellent example of a seemingly abundant source of water being overused and over managed, leading to very serious physical water scarcity downstream."

Economic Water Scarcity

Economic Water Scarcity is a scarcity of water due to lack of monetary means purchase or develop locally available water.

"Economic water scarcity is by far the most disturbing form of water scarcity because it is almost entirely a lack of compassion and good governance that allows the condition to persist. Economic water scarcity exists when a population does not have the necessary monetary means to utilize an adequate source of water. Economic water scarcity is about a unequal distribution of resources for many reasons, including political and ethnic conflict. Much of sub-Saharan Africa suffers under the effects of this type of water scarcity."

Causes of Economic Water Scarcity