Why are our taps running dry?

The world faces a growing water crisis due to climate change and human activities. The podcast explores the causes and potential solutions to the problem of dwindling water supplies. Urban sprawl, particularly the construction on wetlands in cities like Chennai, reduces the land's capacity to store water and increases flood risks. In Brazil, deforestation for agriculture, especially in the Amazon rainforest, disrupts rainfall patterns and compacts the soil, leading to droughts and impacting water availability for both farming and urban centers like Sao Paulo. The rise of AI and data centers also strains water resources, with a significant number of data centers located in water-scarce regions. Singapore's "Four Taps Policy," which includes rainwater collection, wastewater recycling, and desalination, serves as a model for sustainable water management through long-term planning and public engagement.