Water bankruptcy

AS summers in recent years have shown, wildland mega-fires are no longer a regional anomaly; they have become a global hazard. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) reports that due to human-induced climate change, extreme wildfire activity has more than doubled worldwide. Hotter temperatures lead to soil moisture evaporation and vegetation gets dried up, making it more likely to catch fire. More intense wildfires are just one symptom of a much larger problem. A study in Science concluded that global soil moisture is in permanent decline because of warming climate. The drying of continents, driven by increased heat and evaporation, has been so pronounced that the transfer of water to the oceans has altered the distribution of the planet's mass, and affected the Earth's rotation on its axis. As continents go dry and water resources are polluted and overused, researchers warn that the world has entered an era of global water bankruptcy, in which critical water systems can no longer realistically recover to their former state. According to a recent report, the major rivers in many parts of the world have undergone substantial changes in flow. Moreover, about 70 per cent of the world's major aquifers exhibit long-term declining trends. We must insist that our legislators enact policies to cut emissions, conserve water and protect the planet's life support systems on which we, the humans, depend. Terry Hansen Wisconsin, USA Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2026