Thirsty Because We Are Hungry: March 22 Is World Water Day

The world is thirsty because we are hungry. Learn more.

Coca-Cola Foundation's Signature Initiative - Supported by a $30 million dollar commitment by Coca-Cola, the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) is working to provide more than 2 million people in Africa access to drinking water by 2015. RAIN will launch more than 100 water-access programs across Africa as well as sanitation and hygiene education programs to kick start their robust initiative. (Photo: Alyce Henson/Rotary International/Getty Images)

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March 22 Is World Water Day! - This World Water Day, the United Nations is asking the world to be more conscious of the enormous amounts of water it takes to produce the foods we enjoy each day. The theme, “The World Is Thirsty Because We Are Hungry,” focuses on how global increases in food waste are contributing to water scarcity, and the U.N. warns we may be headed for an uncertain future if we don’t act now. —Naeesa Aziz(Photo: Alyce Henson/Rotary International/Getty Images)

Many Mouths to Feed = Lots of Water Use - Although the U.N. estimates we each drink only about ½ to one gallon of water each day, thousands more gallons are used to produce the food we eat. With an estimated seven billion people on the planet today and another two billion expected by 2050, feeding the entire world will only continue to cost us more water if we don’t act now. “Food — and agriculture in particular — is by far the largest user of water,” Pasquale Steduto, the head of water programs at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, told Voice of America.(Photo: Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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Many Mouths to Feed = Lots of Water Use - Although the U.N. estimates we each drink only about ½ to one gallon of water each day, thousands more gallons are used to produce the food we eat. With an estimated seven billion people on the planet today and another two billion expected by 2050, feeding the entire world will only continue to cost us more water if we don’t act now. “Food — and agriculture in particular — is by far the largest user of water,” Pasquale Steduto, the head of water programs at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, told Voice of America.(Photo: Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

Water Weight - On the whole, agriculture accounts for 70 percent of the water drawn from rivers and aquifers worldwide. It takes 25 gallons of water to raise just one pound of wheat.(Photo: REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin)

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Water Weight - On the whole, agriculture accounts for 70 percent of the water drawn from rivers and aquifers worldwide. It takes 25 gallons of water to raise just one pound of wheat.(Photo: REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin)

It’s Your Choice - Although all food takes lots of water to produce, your eating choices can have an effect on the amount of water lost in this process. Curbing your consumption of meat products is one way to cut water consumption. A whopping 2,500 gallons of water are used to produce just one pound of beef.(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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It’s Your Choice - Although all food takes lots of water to produce, your eating choices can have an effect on the amount of water lost in this process. Curbing your consumption of meat products is one way to cut water consumption. A whopping 2,500 gallons of water are used to produce just one pound of beef.(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Scrape Your Plate! - The U.N. is also concerned about food waste. After a tremendous amount of our precious water supply goes toward the production of food, experts say we throw away 30 to 50 percent of it all.To be exact, the average American throws away 33 pounds of food each month, totaling to nearly 400 pounds of food each year, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.(Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

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Scrape Your Plate! - The U.N. is also concerned about food waste. After a tremendous amount of our precious water supply goes toward the production of food, experts say we throw away 30 to 50 percent of it all.To be exact, the average American throws away 33 pounds of food each month, totaling to nearly 400 pounds of food each year, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.(Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

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Scorched Earth - Africa and other arid lands have long struggled to provide enough water for both their population to drink and crops to grow. It is an issue in places where most farmers depend on rainfall to water crops, which is becoming less reliable due to climate change.(Photo: REUTTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)