Fresh water crisis - Global freshwater resourc- es are threatened by rising demands from many quar- ters. Growing populations need ever more water for drinking, hygiene, sanita- tion, food production and industry. Climate change, meanwhile, is expected to contribute to droughts. n -Policymakers need to fig- ure out how to supply water without degrading the natural ecosystems that provide it. n -Existing low-tech approaches can help pre- vent scarcity, as can ways to boost supplies, such as improved methods to desalinate water. n -But governments at all lev- els need to start setting policies and making investments in infrastruc- ture for water conserva- tion now. -WATER WiThdRAWAls from the Colorado River to green nearby desert localities such as las vegas have so intensified that white mineral stains mark the high-water levels on the canyon walls surrounding lake Mead, the largest man-made lake and reservoir in the u.s. -1,000 cubic meters per year is The minimum water each person requires for drinking, hygiene and growing food. The volume is equivalent to two fifths of an Olympic-size swimming pool. Summary: