Solid summary of United Nations report, "Water in a Changing World," published before the fifth World Water Forum, to be held March 16--22 in Istanbul. The outlook is grim, pointing to increasing threats to the world's water supply and predicting political insecurity to come with future shortages. Key human-generated factors discussed include: demographic growth; extraction from rivers, lakes, and aquifers; environmental degradation from water pollution.
The report pointed to a double squeeze on fresh water.
On one side was human impact. There were six billion humans in 2000, a tally that has already risen to 6.5 billion and could scale nine billion by 2050.
Population growth, especially in cities in poor countries, is driving explosive demand for water, prompting rivers in thirsty countries to be tapped for nearly every drop and driving governments to pump out so-called fossil water, the report said. These are aquifers that are hundreds of thousands of years old and whose extraction is not being replenished by rainfall. Mining them for water today means depriving future generations of liquid treasure.
Applying pressure from the other side is climate change, said the report.
Shifts to weather systems, unleashed by man-made global warming, will alter rainfall patterns and reduce snow melt, scientists say.
Water stress, amplified by climate change, will pose a mounting SECURITY CHALLENGE. The struggle for water could threaten fragile states and drive regional rivalry.
“Conflicts about water can occur at all scales,” the report warned, adding: “Hydrologic shocks that may occur through climate change increase the risk of major national and international security threats, especially in unstable areas.”
CONSERVATION and reuse of water, including recycled sewage, are the watchwords of the future.
When it comes down to the fundamentals, clean, fresh water is far more valuable than gold: without enough water, everything dies. This issue warrants our full attention.