The World is Running Out of Water

A new report says the world is running out of water as aquifers that hold most of the world's drinkable water empty faster than they can be restored.

The New York Times reports that a new study has found 11 of the world's 37 major aquifers are being emptied faster than they can be refilled by rainstorms, hurricanes, and monsoons. The majority of the aquifers are said to be located in regions that also produce most of the Earth's food, sustaining some 2 billion people.

The research was done by the University of California, Irvine. The study also found that the amount of fresh, drinkable water that the Earth was thought to possess has more than likely been vastly overstated for as long as the subject has been studied.

The discovery hits especially close to home for the researchers, as California is suffering through the worst drought in its history and has mandated that farmers and everyone else limit their water consumption or pay enormous fees and fines.

The scientists also said that more research has to be done in order to quantify just how much water is actually available, and at what rate it can be safely and sustainably used.

The issue of groundwater depletion is similar to global warming in the sense that both issues are of such a large scale that it is nearly impossible for individuals to find solutions to these problems, and the only way meaningful progress can be made is through international collaboration and cooperation.