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Water: A Strategic ResourCe
Water is clearly an essential
resource, since no known life-form can
exist without it._ When people think gf
strategic resources, though, 下is usually
things like oil 」
water that 踢 However,
some experts predict that in the not-so-
distant future, water_may become an _
even more valuable resource than oil is
EEbeWaaaa:
While water covers roughly 70% of
the Earth% surface, the vast majority ofit is salt water in the oceans and seas. In fact,
only 3% ofthe,water on the planet is fresh water' which is safe for human consumption
區 加必
or for use in 3iculture, and most_ofthis is either frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps
or trapped deep under our feetinmthe form of groundwater- onlyatin pr6| rtion, fr
還
less than 1%, is actually readily available on the_ surface. And to maakesmiattersswofsey
alot of this water has been heavily polluted_ over the past century due to increased
02 只 只 陳 加 說
industris riculturalactivity._ nat y seven people on the
planet lacks access to clean drinking water 8 呈
ie
Due to increased demand for water and the effects of climate change, the strain
on global water supplies is only expected to get worse, and some areas of the world
may be affected more,than others. Parts of Af 1
and even China are_cChron
lically short of water”“_Mountainto laciers_whi
一一一一一一一 一一一一 ~一一op多 e
以中全
meltwater to large areas during the spring and summer months are melting
未 還
gatesiand may not be counted on to provide this resou 1
人 主 Seere_ And moreand-
more dams are being built onriy刀e in order to provide hydrogfectric power to nations
人 的北 as badly in need. ltis
iicu 0 誤辦20y certainty what this growing crisis may lead ne
growing economies, which restricts or cuts off supplies to are
3
experts, armed conflict_between nations
to secure water resources may one day be
一3y one day,
