
- Book #2 -
The Last Drop: Solving the World’s Water Crisis
Water is the next big Climate Crisis. Water stress – not just scarcity, but also increased demand and pollution – is already driving the first waves of climate refugees. Rivers are drying out before they meet the oceans and ancient lakes are disappearing. Many of the world’s freshwater sources are being drained faster than they are being replenished. Of the world’s major aquifers (natural underground reservoirs), over half are receding, from India and China to the United States and France.
Following on from my first book on 'air', I wanted my next to focus on water. I've written many major articles on water scarcity, both as a global and a local issue (I've included the links to some at the bottom of this page). Now with the backing of my publisher Picador, I hope to dedicate most of 2020 and 2021 to researching this issue, and ultimately meeting and interviewing the people living on the front line of the water crisis (if that's you, do get in touch and tell me your story).
My book will take an unblinking look at the current situation and how we got here. And then look to the solutions. How are Singapore and Israel, for example – both severely water-stressed countries – not in the same predicament as Chennai or California, but now boast surplus water? Do we have to stop eating almonds and asparagus grown in the deserts of California and Peru? Could desalination of seawater be the answer? Or rainwater capture?
THE LAST DROP: Solving the World’s Water Crisis will be published by Picador in Spring 2022.