World faces massive water crisis

               
                    CBBC,05 March 2003

 The  world  could  be  facing  a  huge water crisis unless urgent action is 
taken.

Seven billion people could be without fresh water by the middle of this century, the United Nations (UN) has warned.

It's released the biggest ever report into supplies of clean water across the world - and it's findings are worrying.

Pollution
Six thousand children under the age of five die every day because they are forced to drink dirty water - and this could get worse.

The supply of clean water available for each person could fall by a third over the next 20 years, the UN's warned.

Water supplies are dropping because:

  • The population is going up so more people need water
  • Pollution is destroying fresh water supplies
  • Global warming means there will be less rain

The UN says more must be done to cut pollution and waste.

previous       main page