Practical Doomsday

15 Water

Second only to air, water is the most fundamental human necessity. Without it, death comes in a matter of days. This somber biological truth makes hydration a pressing, nonnegotiable priority in almost every preparedness plan.

It can be argued that water is never far away. Most human settlements have been built on the banks of rivers or other natural water sources, and even if municipal pumps or rural wells grind to a halt, relatively little infrastructure is needed for water trucks to get on the road. But this sentiment lacks nuance. Nowadays, tens of millions of people live in arid regions where water needs to be hauled from hundreds ...