The ratio of saltwater to freshwater is rated at 5 to 1. That is less than half of the world’s bodies of water altogether including the underground freshwater sources just below sea level. The value of freshwater is usually taken for granted by most people. Lucky for some countries, they already have the technology to convert seawater into potable drinking water.
Freshwater is also home to a large number of species that are not able to survive on seawater alone. Others thrive on brackish water, a type of water freshwater with less salinity compared to saltwater but is a different environment to many sub-species no less. It also provides us with benefits such as:
- Water filtration systems
- Hydroelectricity
- Flooding control
- Tourism and recreational sites
The dynamic changes brought about by the rise in temperature should be no minor issue for us all. Our freshwater is also impacted by the sudden rise in global temperature. As a result, species are slowly disappearing while some or struggling hard at adapting towards nature’s rapid changes.
And as for the remote areas within forests and in the middle of nowhere, water is a precious commodity and necessity. It is sometimes referred to as “blue gold” and we can see why.