eli5: If we have methods like desalination, why is the world suffering from a water shortage, when 70% of the Earth is water?

Question

Even though the water is saline, to the best of my understanding, you can convert saltwater into freshwater so why is there a water crisis?

In: Biology

Answer 1

The world isn’t suffering from a water shortage. Certain areas are suffering from local shortages of clean freshwater due to rapid population growth both polluting and draining the natural aquifers more rapidly than nature replenishes them.