The Urgent Need for Action: A Global Ambassador’s Perspective on the Water Crisis

March 12, 2025

Water scarcity is not a new issue for humanity. Throughout history, the extinction of various cultures, such as the ancient Rapa Nui, better known as Easter Island, “Isla de Pascua,”  a remote and isolated island in Polynesia, has been attributed to a lack of water and the impossibility of obtaining it from nearby neighbors. This idea is supported by geographer Jared Diamond in his extraordinary book, Collapse, in which he also mentions the exodus and disappearance of the Anasazi people from their ancestral lands due to what became known as the Great Drought, which occurred in the late 13th century.

These and other analyses led the renowned American geographer to consider the potential extinction of humans on Earth, given the insular nature of our planet and our inability to access resources beyond those available here.

However, this is not the primary focus of our article. Rather, we aim to discuss water reserves, water generation, and water harvesting, the efforts to ensure that this vital resource does not become severely, widely, and permanently scarce across different countries and continents.

If we explore collective memory and historical texts, including religious scriptures, we often find references to hydrological phenomena such as droughts and floods. Perhaps the most well-known reference to the latter is found in the Bible, the sacred text of Judeo-Christian religions, which recounts the Great Flood.

Among Indigenous American cultures, a closer reference is found in the ancient legends of the Cañari people, a pre-Incan civilization from southern Ecuador, which tell of mythical macaws that saved the survivors of a great flood.

But when we turn to the present, we now have numerous scientific projections that allow us to act based on solid data and anticipate the consequences of human actions on Earth. While vast amounts of water exist on our planet, most of it is saline and unsuitable for human consumption. A significant portion is also frozen in the polar regions, and as it melts at an accelerating pace, it alters planetary dynamics and raises sea levels.

Freshwater suitable for human, agricultural, and livestock use is relatively scarce. It is estimated that over 97% of the water covering the Earth is saline, while only 2.5% is freshwater. A significant portion of this freshwater is used for agriculture and livestock, leaving an even smaller amount available for direct human consumption. Although water was once thought to be an inexhaustible resource, often used as an example of infinite sets in children’s math lessons, we now know with certainty that freshwater is limited, and much of it is contaminated.

To this, we must add the consequences of excessive groundwater extraction, which leads to the contamination of aquifers, painting a bleak picture for the future.

For example, major aquifers worldwide, including the Guarani Aquifer, which spans Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, as well as the recently identified Amazonian Aquifer, described as an “underground ocean”, must be adequately protected. Preventing contamination from drilling and preserving these water sources for human consumption should be a priority.

Since the establishment of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988, experts have warned about the need for cautious and responsible action to avoid reaching a point of no return in global warming. The consequences of climate change, such as desertification, polar ice caps and glacier melting, altered rainfall patterns, and declining river flows, directly contribute to water scarcity. This affects not only human survival but also food production and energy generation.

In recent years, the latter has become a critical issue. The severe droughts of 2024, which plagued many countries, caused widespread suffering, impacting quality of life and national economies.

In Latin America, water shortages created bad conditions for both individuals and economies. In recent years, climate-related factors have increasingly driven migration crises, as lands become exhausted and unproductive.

Wildfires, too, have been devastating, occurring continuously across the continent. These fires have led to significant loss of life and economic damage, destroying forests, both primary and commercial, along with agricultural fields and grazing lands. Endemic flora and fauna have suffered irreparable losses, increasing the number of species on the endangered list and threatening biodiversity.

In the energy sector, many countries, eager to transition to renewable energy, invested heavily in hydroelectric power. They built dams and made massive financial commitments, expecting sustainable results. However, prolonged droughts left rivers depleted, forcing hydroelectric plants to shut down. The resulting energy crisis persisted for months, causing business closures, the collapse of educational and healthcare systems, economic downturns, and a severe decline in quality of life, setbacks that are difficult to recover from.

This is why we can confidently say that the “water crisis” has become a permanent reality in many parts of the world. It is further exacerbated by the decline of wetlands, and the melting of mountain snow, such as in the Andes, which affects vast territories and its direct impact on the Amazonian biome. The modern understanding of the Andean-Amazonian biome highlights it as one of the richest and most biodiverse regions on Earth.

This creates a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. As the Amazon rainforest, one of the world’s greatest climate regulators suffers from deforestation, mining, oil extraction, and fires, both natural and man-made, the planet as a whole is affected. The Amazon is both a victim and a contributor to climate change: on one hand, it suffers from reduced rainfall and wildfires, and on the other, its deforestation accelerates global warming.

Food security is intrinsically linked to water cycles, which are now severely disrupted. This endangers food supplies in vast regions of the world, particularly in less developed countries, exacerbating poverty, fueling migration, and often intensifying violence and social conflicts.

Solutions must begin at the local level. This is why we place greater trust in local governments, which maintain close contact with their communities and can work together to protect water sources, reduce waste, plant trees to encourage rainfall and preserve habitats and wetlands. However, these efforts must also be tackled globally if we hope to succeed in preserving life on Earth.

The water crisis is here to stay on a global scale. Its future impact will depend largely on the actions we take now.

Dr. Arteaga is a leading environmental advocate and education leader across Latin America, serving as the Former President and Constitutional Vice President of the Republic of Ecuador, Former Secretary General of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, and Former Vice Minister of Culture and Minister of Education. As a Waterkeeper Alliance Global Ambassador, she uses her position and platform to help amplify and advocate for clean, healthy, and abundant water for all people and the planet.