In the question below, two statements (

• I and (I
• I are given. These statements may be either independent causes or may be effects of independent causes or a common cause. One of these statements may be the effect of the other statement. Read both the statements and decide which of the following answer choice correctly depicts the relationship between these two statements. Statements: I. Many cities across the country have reported severe water shortages during the summer months. II. Over-extraction of groundwater and inadequate rainfall have significantly depleted water levels in several regions.