Sponge Map Shows Human Water Consumption in 2030

This simple photograph belies a frightening question: how will we keep up with the consumption of water? Created by Hal Watts and Matthew Laws, the map uses real sponges to show where the most water is being consumed in the year 2030. The thrust of the piece is to illustrate how the move toward urbanization is going to leave some countries in the dust as other, more developed nations with more robust water distribution systems will thrive.

From Visualizing:

Over the next 20 years a combination of urbanisation and population growth will lead to a huge increase in domestic water needs in cities. While this will have little impact on some countries, others will need to develop large new infrastructures. Some countries will be able to afford this more easily than others.

So many thirsty sponges against all that blue is certainly visually appealing, but the underlying message is, nonetheless, scary.

Keep reading below for a short making-of video.

(Visualizing.org via Neatorama)