Water
Water is an essential nutrient - it is required in amounts that exceed the body's ability to produce it. Water is a transparent and nearly colorless chemical substance. Its chemical formula is H2O, meaning that its molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms. All biochemical reactions occur in water. It fills the spaces in and between cells and helps form structures of large molecules such as protein and glycogen.
Most foods contain water. The body can usually get 20% of its total water requirements from solid foods alone. The human body can last weeks without food, but only days without water. The digestion process also produces water as a byproduct and can provide around 10% of the body’s water requirements.
Safe drinking water is essential to humans and other lifeforms even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients.
Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface. It is vital for all known forms of life.
- 97% of the planet's crust water is found in seas and oceans,
- 1.7% in groundwater,
- 1.7% in glaciers and the ice caps.
Only 2.5% of this water is freshwater, and 98.8% of that water is in ice (except in clouds) and groundwater. Less than 0.3% of all freshwater is in rivers, lakes.
Abut one billion people lack access to safe water. It was estimated that by 2025 more than half of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability, and by 2030 water demand in some developing regions of the world will exceed supply by 50%.
Approximately 70% of the freshwater used by humans goes to agriculture.
Safe drinking water is essential to humans and other lifeforms even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients. ~One billion people still lack access to safe water. It was estimated that by 2025 more than half of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability, and by 2030 water demand in some developing regions of the world will exceed supply by 50%.
Agriculture accounts for 92% of the freshwater footprint of humanity; almost one third relates to animal products.
