Water scarcity is a major environmental issue affecting many regions of the world. Journalist Judith Schwartz takes an in-depth look at the problem in her recently published book, Water in Plain Sight , which leads the reader on a global journey to learn about the root causes of water scarcity, and offers some solutions towards alleviate this perplexing problem. Schwartz recently visited with Knowledge at Wharton to talk about her book. An edited transcript of the conversation follows: Knowledge at Wharton: In your writing, you say that human beings are the greatest defenders of making this planet better and less thirsty. Can you explain? Judith Schwartz: We have many challenges with water. It seems like every time you turn around, somewhere there’s a drought, there’s a flood, there are wildfires, which have to do with dehydration of landscapes. But it doesn’t have to be this way. A lot has to do with how we think about water, and I think that we can broaden out our water literacy.…