According to an article on the World Wildlife Federation website, of the water that covers 70% of our planet, only 3% is fresh water and two thirds of that is in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for use. Hence, approximately 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water and a total of 2.7 billion experience water scarcity at least one month a year. Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people, exposing them to diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery. Two million people, mostly children, die each year from diarrheal diseases alone. Worldwide, many water systems have become stressed; rivers, lakes, and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. More than half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared. Climate change is altering water and weather patterns, causing shortages and drought in some areas and floods in others. Both pollution and population growth are contributing to water scarcity.
As people of faith, we can be better stewards of our God-given planet through responsible use of water in our own lives and by demanding climate-friendly policies from our leaders, thus protecting every form of life on our beautiful but fragile earth.
Contributed by Sharon Barron . Interested in joining the Peace and Justice Ministry? Call or text Saralou Hendrickson at 314-440-2020.