What are the possible human and physical causes of water insecurity?

  Water insecurity is defined as the lack of a reliable source of water, of appropriate quality and quantity to meet the needs of the local human population and environment. It is often caused by water scarcity, which can be both physical and economic - and thus caused by either physical processes or humans. It is important to note that water insecurity is not a global issue, but hugely impacts specific countries and regions, due to their physical location, and level of economic development. Economic water scarcity can be attributed to a lack of investment in necessary water infrastructure, for both transportation and supply. This can negatively impact the water quantity, resulting in insufficient water supply to meet the needs of the human population. However, this can also reduce water quality as poor infrastructure can lead to rust, human waste, and chemicals entering the water supply, making it unsuitable for human consumption/use, and thus leading to further water insecurity. Another key issue in terms of water quantity in particular, is that of increasing consumption of water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use. As economic development continues, water consumption increases - and thus this is becoming a long-term cause of water insecurity.   Physical water scarcity can be attributed to several key causes, beginning with the lack of global freshwater. Freshwater makes up approximately 1% of the water on Earth, meaning freshwater is already limited. This scarcity is furthered by the physical environment, including the location of river courses/water sources in relation to populations. Population centres which are not located close to water sources are at a higher risk of experiencing water insecurity, due to not being able to easily access the water supply. A final key physical cause is that of rising temperatures, due to climate change, causing more and more water sources to dry up - and thus hugely limit water quantity. These are some of the main physical causes of water scarcity, which are increasingly leading to increased water insecurity across the world.