Water scarcity is not primarily a global problem — it is a distribution problem. Total freshwater is sufficient; it is concentrated in the wrong places and flows at the wrong times.

The Ogallala Aquifer (US Great Plains) is being depleted faster than it recharges — effectively a non-renewable resource at the timescale of agriculture. Similar dynamics in northern India, northern China, the Middle East.

The solutions differ by cause: over-extraction requires pricing water at replacement cost (politically difficult); distribution requires infrastructure; timing requires storage. Most current approaches address symptoms, not the extraction rate.

Related: [[tipping-points]], [[@james/price-signals]]