The water on our blue planet is part of a vast natural cycle—found in the oceans, clouds, ice, bodies of water, trees, and all other organisms, as well as in the soil and the air—so we don’t lose a single drop. However, we must adapt our use of water to the respective regional and local conditions and their changes in order to use and store the available water supplies effectively, sustainably, and equitably, and to make it available to as many organisms as possible within local cycles. In recent decades, the withdrawal of groundwater and surface water has risen rapidly. Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of these withdrawals. [37] In many regions, important aquifers are being depleted, and lakes and rivers are drying up.
The use of fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals, and medications, as well as untreated wastewater from industry and households, is rendering more and more surface and groundwater unusable or even toxic. More than a quarter of the world’s population lacks safe access to drinking water! [38]
To address these problems, water use should be adapted to the natural cycle, and regionally available water resources should be used effectively, sustainably, and equitably. The most important lever for sustainable use is to utilize and store rainwater more effectively.
A large portion of the world's water supply is unusable by humans because it is salty or frozen. [39]
