Seven western states agreed this week share the waters of the Colorado River, something that’s proved difficult after two decades of drought. Success of the deal hinges on dramatically cutting water usage, but at least there’s a pledge to cooperate.

Yet around the world, population growth paired with rising demand for water-intensive consumer goods is rapidly draining available fresh water faster than they can be replenished, and in many cases, there are no blueprints in place to correct that imbalance.

This week on “Wake” we’ll look at the risk of an American and global water crisis and what if anything can be done to stop it.

Helping us do that is this week's guest:

• Sandra Postel, director, Global Water Policy Project, author, "Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity"

If you enjoy this discussion, follow Wake on Twitter @WakeOnAir. To share feedback with us, send an email to [email protected].

Taped: March 22, 2019.

Hosted by Luke Vargas.