In the past two decades, over 80 metropolitan cities around the world have experienced water shortages and extreme drought. DepositPhotos

air, food & watercities & towns

Urban water crises often boil down to classism – Dr. Stephanie Pincetl in Popular Science

Wealthy people generally have the infrastructure to make water available to them, so it’s easier for them to consume it. They also have larger properties to maintain, larger dwelling units, pools, and more, says Stephanie Pincetl, director of the California Center for Sustainable Communities at UCLA.
“In places like the Southwest, we need to aggressively change outdoor landscapes,” says Pincetl. In California, landscape irrigation accounts for about 50 percent of annual residential water consumption. Overall, federal and local governments have a responsibility to manage urban water supplies sustainably and equitably.