Mankind's insatiable thirst for water resources in recent
decades has pushed our most precious natural resource to the brink. Bodies of
water, stressed by human consumption, are disappearing quicker than we ever
imagined. Many of the world's largest rivers have become victimized by water
demand. In fact, as the slideshow above shows, 18 of the world's mightiest
rivers are undergoing "extremely high" water stress, meaning more
than 80 percent of their flow is withdrawn each year.
Couple water demand with a grim forecast for more severe
droughts due to climate change, and the stress on some bodies of water becomes
too much to bear. Ancient shorelines are retreating and leaving behind death
and decay in the place of once thriving wetland ecosystems.
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