Out-of-Water World

bathing in waste water, Jakarta, Indonesia                        Beawiharta/Reuters

garbage-filled river, Manila, Philippines                                    Noel Celis/AFP

March 22 is World Water Day. A recently released UN report predicts that, unless countries work to dramatically reduce usage, in 15 years, the world will have 60% of the water it needs. The main causes are our ever-growing population (an expected 9 billion of us by 2050) and inconsistent rainfall due to climate change. Already, according to the report, approximately 748 million people have inadequate access to clean drinking water: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/world-water-day-2015-photos-think-twice-wasting-163733724.html#tOPSEf0
   (photos): http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/world-water-day-2015-photos-make-you-think-twice-about-wasting-this-precious-resource-1492907
   The theme for this year's World Water Day is "Water and Sustainable Development." The WWD website has ideas for how to observe the day and lots of great information about water's crucial role in health, nature, urbanization, industry, energy, food, and equality: http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday
   Water has always been a huge issue in Los Angeles, and Southern California in general, pitting urban against rural interests (http://somanyinterestingthings.blogspot.com/2014/01/nor-any-drop-to-drink.html). That battle has resurfaced recently, with the drought: http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2015/03/socal_offering_to_pay_its.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LAObserved+%28LA+Observed%29