Natural disasters can have a big effect on how we manage water resources. Here are a few ways they do this:

1. Changes in Water Supply:

   • Droughts can reduce the amount of available water by up to 30%. This affects both farming and everyday use.
   • During floods, there can be too much water at first, but it can also make clean water unsafe to use.

2. Damage to Water Systems:

   • Storms like hurricanes and floods can break water treatment plants. For example, Hurricane Katrina caused over 100 plants to shut down, leaving millions without water.

3. Impact on Nature:

   • Disasters can change how water moves in the environment. Wildfires, for instance, can lead to 70% more runoff, which can harm water quality.

4. Changes in Policies:

   • After disasters, governments often decide to put more money into better water management. They look for ways to make systems more resilient to future disasters.

In short, natural disasters put a lot of pressure on the way we manage water. This means we need to adapt and plan better for the future.