What Does the Bible Say About the Global Water Crisis?
All of us need clean water for life. But “with global demand for water continuing to increase,” warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “we face a grave water crisis.” Billions of people around the world already lack ready access to potable water.
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Will we ever have enough water for all? Or will we always have to deal with water crises? What does the Bible say?
What the Bible promises about the water supply
The Bible states that water shortages will one day be eliminated. In fact, there will be an abundance of clean, fresh water.
“Waters will burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert plain. The heat-parched ground will become a reedy pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.”—Isaiah 35:6, 7.
Why can we believe that Bible promise? Consider what the Bible says about one aspect of the way our planet was designed.
What the Bible says about the earth and its water cycle
“[God] did not create [the earth] simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited.”—Isaiah 45:18.
Because God made the earth to support life, he put in place natural systems to produce an abundance of fresh water.
“[God] draws up the drops of water; they condense into rain from his mist; then the clouds pour it down; they shower down upon mankind.”—Job 36:27, 28.
In simple terms, this passage describes God’s design for a natural and reliable water recycling and supply system. Water evaporates from land and sea, condenses, and falls as rain, providing a constant supply of clean, fresh water for humans and animals.—Ecclesiastes 1:7; Amos 5:8.
“I will give you showers of rain at their proper time, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will give their fruit.”—Leviticus 26:4.
God promised to bless the ancient Israelites, an agricultural people, with a fruitful harvest by giving them a regular supply of water. He knows that successful food production relies on predictable rains.
What God did in ancient Israel he will soon do for the entire earth. (Isaiah 30:23) In the meantime, in many parts of the world, water crises are increasing, and a lack of rain is only part of the problem. What else does the Bible say about the solution to today’s water problems?
How the water crisis will end
The Bible reveals that God, by means of his Kingdom, will solve the problems afflicting our planet, including today’s water crisis. (Matthew 6:9, 10) God’s Kingdom is a heavenly government that will rule over the earth. (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 11:15) Moreover, God’s Kingdom will do what human governments are incapable of doing—it will eliminate the causes of our water problems.
Problem: Climate change is contributing to a serious imbalance in the water cycle. The consequences include severe droughts as well as major flooding, whether from torrential rains or rising sea levels.
Solution: God’s Kingdom will restore the natural balance of the environment so that our planet can recover. God has promised: “Look! I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5) Parched lands will enjoy abundant fresh water, making life blossom even in places that are now uninhabitable. (Isaiah 41:17-20) God’s Kingdom, in the hands of Jesus Christ, will also control earth’s natural forces.
When Jesus was on earth, he calmed a frightening storm and in this way gave a glimpse of the power God had given him. (Mark 4:39, 41) Under Christ’s rule as King of God’s Kingdom, natural disasters will cease. People will enjoy true peace and security, not fearing disasters of any kind.
Problem: Shortsighted humans and greedy corporations pollute rivers, lakes, and underground reservoirs, thus adding to the shortage of clean water.
Solution: God will cleanse the earth and restore the health of its rivers, lakes, seas, and soil. The earth will become a paradise. In poetic terms, the Bible states: “The wilderness and the parched land will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron.”—Isaiah 35:1.
What lies ahead for those who have no regard for the environment or their fellow humans? God has promised “to destroy those who are destroying the earth.”—Revelation 11:18, footnote; Proverbs 2:21, 22.
Problem: Water resources are being mismanaged, with supplies being depleted faster than they can be replenished.
Solution: Thanks to the Kingdom, the will of God—not that of selfish humans—is going to “take place . . . on earth.” (Matthew 6:9, 10) God’s Kingdom will give its human subjects the very best education. “The earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah,” says Isaiah 11:9.a Armed with that superior knowledge, along with a deep love for God and all his creations, humankind will perfectly care for our beautiful planet and its natural resources.
To find out more about what God’s Kingdom will do, see the article “What Will God’s Kingdom Accomplish?”
Go to the Bible book of Isaiah, chapter 35, to read for yourself how the earth will be transformed into a paradise.
Watch the video Why Did God Create the Earth? to learn more about God’s purpose for the earth and mankind.
a Jehovah is the personal name of God. (Psalm 83:18) See the article “Who Is Jehovah?”