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WATER IS PRICELESS ON EARTH.
Populations continue to grow rapidly. Yet there is less water on earth now than there was 2,000 years ago, when the population was less than 3% of its current size. Rising demands for water for irrigated agriculture, domestic (municipal) consumption, and industry are forcing stiff competition over the allocation of scarce water resources among both areas and types of use.
Today 31 countries, accounting for less than 8% of the world population, face chronic fresh water shortages. By the year 2025, however, 48 countries are expected to face shortages, affecting more than 2.8 billion people, or 35% of the world\'s projected population.
Mineral Waters consumption has been a part of the history and a cultural heritage in France and Europe for centuries. Although some 70% of the earth's surface is water, only 3% of all water on earth is fresh-water, and most of this is largely unavailable. About three-quarters of all freshwater is locked away in the form of ice caps and glaciers located in polar areas; only about 1% is easily accessible surface freshwater. This is primarily the water found in lakes, rivers, and the soil at underground levels shallow enough to be tapped at an affordable cost.
Only a small amount of the water resources is regularly renewed by rain and snowfall and thus available on a sustainable basis. In all, only one one-hundredth of one percent of the world's total supply of water is considered easily accessible for human use.
Globally, about 9,000 cubic meters per person per year, as estimated in 1989 are considered available for human use on an annual basis.
By the year 2025 global per capita availability of freshwater is projected to drop to 5,100 cubic meters per person. (Note: 1 cubic meter equals 1,000 liters.)
For those reasons, and for more than twenty years, the consumption of bottled waters has been rapidly increasing worldwide: only in the USA, its consumption jumped from 11,980 million liters in 1995 to 20,500 million liters in 2002 and is projected to reach 27,250 million liters in 2006. The consumption more than doubled in ten years.
9 countries possess 60% of the planet’s drinkable water resources. 80 countries suffer from temporary water shortages. 20 countries face permanent shortages.
1.5 billion people do not have immediate access to drinkable water. 6000 children die every day from diseases related to non-drinkable water consumption.