Why Latin America Is Suffering Critical Water Shortages

A Mexican woman skirts a Jaguey water hole, Feb. 4, 2006, near San Marcos Tlacoyalco. The Tehuacan Valley south-east of Mexico City has long experienced severe water shortages. Water resources in the area area are largely based on a weekly delivery by truck as well as collecting water from small pools known as Jagueys. This collected water was traditionally only used for animals but now more and more people are relying on it as a water source for crops and for drinking and bathing purposes. Brent Stirton/Getty Images

SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia—Nearly 31 percent of the world’s fresh water supply is in Latin America, which endures perilous scarcity in some areas due to decades of mismanagement, rapid population growth, privatization, and negligent agricultural practices.

There is enough water to meet the needs of the world’s population, yet its distribution is unequal. Also, much has been wasted, polluted, or poorly handled at an administrative level, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).