Why is less than 1% of fresh water available for human use?

Question

Why is less than 1% of fresh water available for human use?

Answer 1

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25% of the planets surface is land

75%of the surface is water and it is rising

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97%of the Earths water is salt

fresh water is only 3% of all the Earths water

most of it is beyond our reach

now much ice is melting and running into the seas fresh water lost for ever.

STORAGE or Location of % of the fresh water

ice and glaziers 74%

groundwater 800 meters + 13.5 %

groundwater less than 800meters 11.o%

Lakes 0.3%

soils 0.006%

Atmospheric in circulation 0.0035%

rivers 0.03%

frozen land or permafrost is not included and represent an unavailable storage of 40%

so of the 3% about 11.6 ,is easily available to us ,in rivers, lakes and ground water surface aquifers,more and more of this is becoming contaminated

overpopulation of an extra 70 million people a year (increasing all the time )and expanding agriculture ,which uses 70% of available potable water supplies ,has brought the good(sweet) water suplies to critical levels ,some countries have been in trouble already quite a while .

now climate change and desertification because of irresponsible agriculture ,overgrazing and deforrestation is damaging world fresh water production .

it is a good reason for concern and if we do not rectify matters by changing agricultural methods ,reforrest ,stop deforrestation,become more economic with water use ,stop producing more people ,stop wasting and contaminating water, we will be in serious trouble all round

and could end up looking like Mars

Answer 2

Less than 1 percent of freshwater is available for human use because of several different reasons.  First and foremost most of the freshwater in the world is frozen in glaciers and ice caps so that just cant be used.  The other important reason is that not all drinkable water (freshwater) is DRINKABLE.  For example, water in a swamp is freshwater, It is drinkable, but would you?  Probably not.

Answer 3

Their in Glaciers.

Answer 4

most fresh water is in frozen glaciers and ground water...  

the only fresh water available for human use is in lakes/rivers/streams.....