9.1 Dwindling Water

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9.1.10 Finding Enough Water in Cities

How many people live in the city?

Approximately 9 million people live here.
Close to 13 million people live here.
Nearly ten million people.
Roughly 5 million people live in the city.
The population of New York City is around 8.5 million people.
It is around 4 million people.
The population of Sydney, Australia, is around 5.5 million people.
3.5 million people
The capital of Nepal, around 1.5 million people.
The population of Cairo, Egypt, is around 20 million people.
Lhasa is a small, but important city in Tibet, with only 600 thousands people.
The population of Santiago, Chile, is around 7 million people.

Where does your water come from?

From lakes.
 From the Delaware River and the Croton River system.
From the River Thames.
There is a big reservoir on the Moscow river. It is a big lake.
Meltwater from glaciers.
The melting of glaciers in the Himalayas feeds our rivers.
Nearly all of our water supply comes from the sea. We desalinate the seawater, convert it into drinkable water.
 We invested in rainwater harvesting systems.
Rainwater. We don't have big rivers or lakes, and the sea is salty.
Desalination is used as a backup during droughts or when we run out of freshwater.

Do you experience water shortage?

Cape Town had a big water crisis a few years ago when the city almost ran out of water! They almost reached “Day Zero,” which would have meant no water from the taps. Since then, they’ve worked hard to save water and are more careful with it, but they still need to be careful during dry years.
Mexico City has big water problems. The city is very crowded, and it has to get water from rivers that are far away. There’s not enough clean water for everyone, and sometimes the water in the city is polluted. They’re working on fixing the water system, but it's still a big challenge.
New York City has a lot of water because it has many big lakes and rivers nearby. The city has a smart system that brings water from these places, so they don’t have big problems with water shortages. But, like any big city, they still need to take care of their water to keep it clean and safe.
London doesn’t have a major water shortage, but it does have to be careful about how much water people use. With more and more people living in the city, it’s important to save water. They are working on ways to use water more wisely and recycle it.
Moscow has plenty of water from rivers and lakes, so the city doesn’t face big water shortages. But sometimes there are problems with pollution, which can make the water dirty. Even though Moscow has enough water, they still need to keep it clean and safe.
Lhasa, in Tibet, has enough water because it’s in a place with many rivers and lakes. However, getting clean water in the mountains can sometimes be tricky, and some areas don’t have enough water. But Lhasa itself has enough water to use.
Kathmandu sometimes has trouble with water because there are so many people in the city, and it doesn’t rain enough in the dry season. Many people have to use water from the ground, but sometimes that water is dirty. They need better ways to bring clean water to everyone.
Dubai is a very dry place, so it doesn’t have natural water sources. To get water, the city uses special machines to make water from the ocean (called desalination). It’s a lot of work and costs a lot of money, but it helps the city have enough water.
Cairo gets most of its water from the Nile River, but because so many people live there, it sometimes doesn’t have enough water. The river can get polluted, and other countries that share the river also need water. Cairo is working hard to make sure there’s enough clean water for everyone.
Santiago, in Chile, sometimes doesn’t get enough water, especially when there’s a drought. The city gets most of its water from rivers, but if it doesn’t rain enough, there’s not enough water for everyone. They are trying to save water and use it more wisely.
Sydney, like other big cities, sometimes has problems with not enough water during dry times. When there’s a drought, they have to use water carefully. The city has built special plants to turn ocean water into drinking water and to recycle water so they don’t run out.
Los Angeles is in a dry area, so it often has trouble getting enough water. The city needs to get water from faraway places, and when there is a drought (when it doesn’t rain enough), it can cause problems. They try to save water by using recycled water and even making water from the ocean!