The problem of a diminishing water supply is taking its toll on the residents of Brazil, pointing to the growing issue of a world that is running out of water and as a result, entering a global crisis which will likely have serious agricultural, social and economic consequences.
In Brazil, so severe are droughts (October rain showers in the Sao Paulo area were one-fifth the normal amount) that over the past six months, more than 10 million people in Sao Paulo have been told cut water use. In Itu, Sao Paulo, where rain and groundwater is relied upon more than rivers, a reservoir has fallen to a shocking two percent of capacity; its residents no longer see water coming from a tap. Violent protests from residents who want tap water restored are taking place and in other areas, so coveted is water that its a common sight for police escorts to accompany water trucks in an effort to stave off potentially armed men from hijacking them. In other instances, people are filling their small cars to the gills with water bottles while other individuals are paying exorbitant fees to obtain water from private water trucks.(1)
