**4. Discussion**

This study demonstrates that freshwater systems are directly endangered by human activities and could be further impacted by anthropogenic climate change; water is often regarded as the most important of all natural resources. Because freshwater is a limited resource, many countries around the world are experiencing water scarcity as water demand rises. Many countries have developed national and regional water managemen<sup>t</sup> plans to address the growing water crisis. We discovered that nearly 80% of the world's population (4.8 billion) lives in areas where the human water security threat exceeds the 75th percentile (for 2000). Due to the intense agriculture and dense population, the USA, almost all of Europe, and significant sections of central Asia, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and eastern China have a high incident hazard. Central Mexico, Cuba, North Africa, Nigeria, South Africa, Korea, and Japan all have smaller contiguous zones with a high threat of occurrence. The world's growing population is the primary cause of contaminated water. A large portion of fresh water is used in agricultural practices, which also causes a drop in the groundwater level. The 'global' imperative is a recent addition to the discourse of water security. Both the International Water Resources Association (IWRA) and the World Water Congress (WWC) are currently promoting a water strategy for global and continental water security that promotes adaptive approaches and Integrated Water Resources Management.
