Although water covers approximately sixty-seven percent of the Earth’s surface, less than three percent is fresh water. Accounting for fresh water locked in glaciers, icecaps, or otherwise inaccessible, less than a tenth of a percent of the Earth’s water is available for human consumption. Pollution, population growth, and wasteful irrigation practices they are contributing to a worldwide water shortage. When the clear precious liquid becomes scarce, countries begin to assert claims on fresh water supplies. As a result, drinkable water has become a region of conflict that could eventually lead to greater hostilities between nations.
Some countries such as the United States, have ample sources of water. In other nations, such as China, water is less plentiful. As water resources dwindle, competition for available sources rose. Nations may claim rights to a particular body of fresh water or they may plan to build dams and other projects on rivers. If two or more nations which disagree on water rights or building projects, conflicts can emerge. In order to combat this issue many countries are adopting water conservation and security solutions. The United Nations has implemented programs to combat potential issues that could lead to violence.
What can the reader infer about the distribution of fresh water on earth?
Explanation
Answer [D]: The reader can infer that water is not evenly distributed around the planet. The passage states, for example, that some countries, like the United States, have ample sources of water. In other countries, like China, water is less plentiful. If water were evenly distributed there would be equal supplies all over the world.
