Global warming threatens our water: Could thirst be humanity's end?

The climate crisis is a fact. The planet is getting warmer, and droughts are becoming a daily struggle. Unfortunately, higher temperatures also affect water quality in rivers, lakes, and streams. Scientists and hydrologists have no doubts: humanity could perish from thirst.

Those who believe that the climate crisis and global warming do not exist are probably not paying attention to what is happening right before our eyes. Droughts troubling many regions of the world have become the norm. No one is surprised anymore by fires in Europe or Australia, during which many people and animals lose their lives. We are also getting used to huge downpours and floods affecting the entire world. Currently, scientists are bringing more bad news. Groundwater in the future may become toxic.

What is confident in life is that humans need water to live. That is why climate activists and scientists so often sound the alarm. They emphasize the importance of taking actions that must be decided here and now. Unfortunately, many people do not acknowledge the facts: the Earth is warmer, and there is less water. Well, there is more bad news. Hydrologists fear that humanity faces death from thirst.

We spend the most time discussing weather changes that we see with our own eyes. We read about storms, floods, or droughts on the front pages of newspapers and in headlines. Of course, this is good. It is necessary to educate and make society aware of this topic. Unfortunately, the problem of global warming is more than the visible changes. Hydrologists remind us of what is deep underground, namely groundwater. Higher temperatures could render this water undrinkable by the end of the century.

- The highest rate of groundwater warming in the world can be expected in areas with shallow groundwater levels or high atmospheric warming. About 30 million people already live in regions where the groundwater is warmer than the strictest drinking water guidelines specify - reads the statement by Dr. Susanne Benz from the Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

- Our results show how important it is to take actions to protect groundwater and find sustainable solutions to counteract the negative impact of climate change on groundwater - Dr. Susanne Benz summarized in the statement.