*[Enwl-eng] Feature: The Looming Global Threat of Water Scarcity

[ENWLine]

*The Looming Threat of Water Scarcity*
As World Water Day approaches, new Worldwatch Institute study
examines global water use and steps to address water scarcity

Washington, D.C.---Some 1.2 billion people---almost a fifth of the
world---live in areas of physical water scarcity, while another 1.6
billion face what can be called economic water shortage. The situation
is only expected to worsen as population growth, climate change,
investment and management shortfalls, and inefficient use of existing
resources restrict the amount of water available to people, according to
Worldwatch Institute's Vital Signs Online service (www.worldwatch.org).
It is estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in countries
or regions with absolute water scarcity, with almost half of the world
living in conditions of water stress.

Water scarcity has several definitions. Physical scarcity occurs when
there is not enough water to meet demand; its symptoms include severe
environmental degradation, declining groundwater, and unequal water
distribution. Economic water scarcity occurs when there is a lack of
investment and proper management to meet the demand of people who do not
have the financial means to use existing water sources; the symptoms in
this case normally include poor infrastructure.Large parts of Africa
suffer from economic water scarcity.

World population is predicted to grow from 7 billion to 9.1 billion by
2050, putting a strain on water resources to meet increased food,
energy, and industrial demands. But there are many other pressures,
including increased urbanization and overconsumption, lack of proper
management, and the looming threat of climate change. According to the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and UN Water, global
water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population
increase in the last century.

At the global level, 70 percent of water withdrawals are for the
agricultural sector, 11 percent are to meet municipal demands, and 19
percent are for industrial needs. These numbers, however, are distorted
by the few countries that have very high water withdrawals, such as
China, India, and the United States.

Agricultural water withdrawal accounts for 44 percent of total water
withdrawal among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), but this rises to more than 60 percent within
the eight OECD countries that rely heavily on irrigated agriculture. In
the four transitional economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China,
agriculture accounts for 74 percent of water withdrawals, but this
ranges from 20 percent in Russia to 87 percent in India.

Policymakers must introduce a variety of measures to address global
water scarcity. One important initiative is to support small-scale
farmers. Much of the public investment in agricultural water management
has focused on large-scale irrigation systems. Farmers can also use
water more efficiently by taking a number of steps, including growing a
diverse array of crops suited to local conditions and adopting
irrigation systems like "drip" lines that deliver water directly to
plants' roots.

Climate change will affect global water resources at varying levels.
Reductions in river runoff and aquifer recharge are expected in the
Mediterranean basin and in the semiarid areas of the Americas,
Australia, and southern Africa, affecting water availability in regions
that are already water-stressed. In Asia, the large areas of irrigated
land that rely on snowmelt and high mountain glaciers for water will be
affected by changes in runoff patterns, while highly populated deltas
are at risk from a combination of reduced inflows, increased salinity,
and rising sea levels. And rising temperatures will translate into
increased crop water demand everywhere.

To combat the effects of climate change, efforts must be made to follow
an integrated water resource management approach on a global scale. This
involves water management that recognizes the holistic nature of the
water cycle and the importance of managing trade-offs within it, that
emphasizes the importance of effective institutions, and that is
inherently adaptive.

Further highlights from the report:

* A region is said to face water scarcity when supplies fall below
1,000 cubic meters per person, and absolute water scarcity is when
supplies drop below 500 cubic meters a year.
* About 66 percent of Africa is arid or semiarid, and more than 300
million people in sub-Saharan Africa currently live on less than 1,000
cubic meters of water resources per person.
* According to UN Water, each person in North America and Europe
(excluding former Soviet Union countries) consumes at least 3 cubic
meters per day of virtual water in imported food, compared with 1.4
cubic meters per day in Asia and 1.1 cubic meters per day in Africa.




http://www.worldwatch.org/looming-threat-water-scarcity


*** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this
material is distributed, without profit, for research and educational
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Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 3:11 PM
Subject: Feature: The Looming Global Threat of Water Scarcity


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