W for Water

This is the 23rd in the series of 26 posts this month, one post a day, barring four Sundays, each on a theme corresponding to a letter of the English alphabet. My theme this year is "Chemicals in our life", spurred by my interest in chemistry. 

Let me go with this obvious choice - water. It's not only the most well-known chemical compound but also the most important. Without water, there is no life.

Though it's so important for our health, since water is so ubiquitous, we take it for granted without paying much attention to it. 

Water makes up approximately 60% of our body weight. It regulates body temperature; it is essential for metabolism and for the proper functioning of all our organs.

Approximately 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, but only 3% of that is fresh water suitable for human consumption.

Besides the fact that it's the most essential drink, water is used for a lot of activities in our daily lives, like cooking, bathing, gardening, cleaning, flushing etc., besides for farming and in industries. 

According to the World Health Organization, an average person uses approximately 20-50 litres (5.3-13.2 gallons) of water per day for basic human needs such as drinking, cooking, and hygiene. 

However, this can be more or less depending on factors such as location and lifestyle, with consumption lesser in poorer regions and more in richer ones. 

A lot of water is wasted as well. We might not actually run out of water on the planet, but specific regions do and can experience a shortage of water. 

In fact, all major conflicts currently raging in various parts of the world, like Syria, Sudan, West Asia, etc., have an element of conflict over water within them.

Many modern development policies actually result in the wastage or deprivation of water, leading to a series of consequences ranging from desertification to social and political conflicts.

It's ironic that the availability of good water should be such an issue in many parts of the world.

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Image of water jug from Pixabay

The information provided in this post has been obtained from multiple authentic resources. However, it is presented in an abridged format and might not have all the details. Therefore, before acting on any information, readers are requested to exercise caution and do further research.

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023. I am also on A2Z April Challenge.