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Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to humans. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" The household is the basic unit of analysis in many Social, Microeconomic and Government models Recreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's Body or Mind. See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved 97. 5% of water on the Earth is salt water, leaving only 2. 5% as fresh water of which over two thirds is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Regions with a polar climate are characterized by a lack of warm summers (specifically no month having an average temperature of 10 °C or higher An ice cap is an Ice mass that covers less than 50 000 km² of land area (usually covering a highland area The remaining unfrozen freshwater is mainly found as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air. [1] Fresh water is a renewable resource, yet the world's supply of clean, fresh water is steadily decreasing. A natural resource qualifies as a renewable resource if it is replenished by natural processes at a rate comparable or faster than its rate of consumption by humans or other users Water demand already exceeds supply in many parts of the world, and as world population continues to rise at an unprecedented rate, many more areas are expected to experience this imbalance in the near future. Supply and demand is an Economic model describing effects on price and quantity in a Market. The world population is the total number of living Humans on Earth at a given time The framework for allocating water resources to water users (where such a framework exists) is known as water rights. This article discusses water usage laws in common law. For a discussion of the right to water as a human right under international law, see Right

One of the thesauri to find terminology about water resources is Agrovoc ([1]). A thesaurus is a book that contains Synonyms and sometimes Antonyms, in contrast to a Dictionary, which contains Definitions and Pronunciations

Contents

Water and conflict

The only known example of an actual inter-state conflict over water took place between 2500 and 2350 BC between the Sumerian states of Lagash and Umma. Lagash ( is modern Tell al-Hiba, Iraq. Located northwest of the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and east of Uruk Umma (modern Tell Jokha) was an ancient city in Sumer. History Best known for its long frontier conflict with Lagash. [2] Yet, despite the lack of evidence of international wars being fought over water alone, water has been the source of various conflicts throughout history. War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units When water scarcity causes political tensions to arise, this is referred to as water stress. Scarcity (also called paucity) is the problem of Infinite human needs and Wants, in a world of Finite Resources In other Water stress has led most often to conflicts at local and regional levels. [3] Using a purely quantitative methodology, Thomas Homer-Dixon successfully correlated water scarcity and scarcity of available arable lands to an increased chance of violent conflict. [4]

Water stress can also exacerbate conflicts and political tensions which are not directly caused by water. Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Gradual reductions over time in the quality and/or quantity of fresh water can add to the instability of a region by depleting the health of a population, obstructing economic development, and exacerbating larger conflicts. Economic development is the development of economic wealth of countries or regions for the well-being of their inhabitants [5]

Conflicts and tensions over water are most likely to arise within national borders, in the downstream areas of distressed river basins. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there Areas such as the lower regions of China's Yellow River or the Chao Phraya River in Thailand, for example, have already been experiencing water stress for several years. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Yellow River or Huang He / Hwang Ho ( Hatan Gol Queen river) is the second-longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the The Chao Phraya (แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา is a major River in Thailand, with its low alluvial river plain marking the mainland of the country The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Additionally, certain arid countries which rely heavily on water for irrigation, such as China, India, Iran, and Pakistan, are particularly at risk of water-related conflicts. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and [5]. Political tensions, civil protest, and violence may also occur in reaction to water privatization. Water privatization is a short-hand for private sector participation in the provision of water services and Sanitation, although more rarely it refers to privatization The Bolivian Water Wars of 2000 are a case in point. The Cochabamba protests of 2000, also known as "The Cochabamba Water Wars" were a series of protests that took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia 's third largest 3. We use water in a lot of different ways. We use water for recreation such as swimming. We use water to wash objects. Water is used for electricity and irrigation. It is used to water plants; sprinklers also use water. Water is used for farming and growing crops.

Sources of fresh water

Surface water

Lake Chungará and Parinacota volcano in northern Chile
Lake Chungará and Parinacota volcano in northern Chile

Surface water is water in a river, lake or fresh water wetland. Lake Chungará is situated in northern Chile, in Tarapacá Region. Parinacota may refer to Parinacota Volcano Parinacota Province Parinacota Chile Arica-Parinacota For Water masses on the surface of the world ocean see Surface water (ocean. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog Surface water is naturally replenished by precipitation and naturally lost through discharge to the oceans, evaporation, and sub-surface seepage. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e

Although the only natural input to any surface water system is precipitation within its watershed, the total quantity of water in that system at any given time is also dependent on many other factors. A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, These factors include storage capacity in lakes, wetlands and artificial reservoirs, the permeability of the soil beneath these storage bodies, the runoff characteristics of the land in the watershed, the timing of the precipitation and local evaporation rates. A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel Surface runoff is a term used to describe when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess Water, from Rain, Snowmelt, or other sources flows All of these factors also affect the proportions of water lost.

Human activities can have a large impact on these factors. Humans often increase storage capacity by constructing reservoirs and decrease it by draining wetlands. Humans often increase runoff quantities and velocities by paving areas and channelizing stream flow.

The total quantity of water available at any given time is an important consideration. Some human water users have an intermittent need for water. For example, many farms require large quantities of water in the spring, and no water at all in the winter. A farm is an area of land including various structures devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food ( Produce, Grains, or Livestock To supply such a farm with water, a surface water system may require a large storage capacity to collect water throughout the year and release it in a short period of time. Other users have a continuous need for water, such as a power plant that requires water for cooling. A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of To supply such a power plant with water, a surface water system only needs enough storage capacity to fill in when average stream flow is below the power plant's need.

Nevertheless, over the long term the average rate of precipitation within a watershed is the upper bound for average consumption of natural surface water from that watershed.

Natural surface water can be augmented by importing surface water from another watershed through a canal or pipeline. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. It can also be artificially augmented from any of the other sources listed here, however in practice the quantities are negligible. Humans can also cause surface water to be "lost" (i. e. become unusable) through pollution. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in

Canada is the country estimated to have the largest supply of fresh water in the world, followed by Brazil and Russia. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending [6]

Sub-surface water

Sub-Surface water travel time
Sub-Surface water travel time

Sub-Surface water, or groundwater, is fresh water located in the pore space of soil and rocks. Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations Porosity is a measure of the void spaces in a material and is measured as a fraction between 0–1 or as a Percentage between 0–100% In Geology, rock is a naturally occurring aggregate of Minerals and/or Mineraloids The Earth's outer solid layer the ‘ Lithosphere It is also water that is flowing within aquifers below the water table. An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay The water table is the level at which the ground water pressure is equal to Atmospheric pressure. Sometimes it is useful to make a distinction between sub-surface water that is closely associated with surface water and deep sub-surface water in an aquifer (sometimes called "fossil water").

Sub-surface water can be thought of in the same terms as surface water: inputs, outputs and storage. The critical difference is that due to its slow rate of turnover, sub-surface water storage is generally much larger compared to inputs than it is for surface water. This difference makes it easy for humans to use sub-surface water unsustainably for a long time without severe consequences. Nevertheless, over the long term the average rate of seepage above a sub-surface water source is the upper bound for average consumption of water from that source.

The natural input to sub-surface water is seepage from surface water. The natural outputs from sub-surface water are springs and seepage to the oceans. A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface

If the surface water source is also subject to substantial evaporation, a sub-surface water source may become saline. Salinity is the Saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of Water. This situation can occur naturally under endorheic bodies of water, or artificially under irrigated farmland. An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops In coastal areas, human use of a sub-surface water source may cause the direction of seepage to ocean to reverse which can also cause soil salinization. Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil Salt affected soils are caused by excess accumulation of salts typically most pronounced at the soil surface Humans can also cause sub-surface water to be "lost" (i. e. become unusable) through pollution. Humans can increase the input to a sub-surface water source by building reservoirs or detention ponds.

Water in the ground are in sections called aquifers. An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay Rain rolls down and comes into these. Normally an aquifer is near to the equilibrium in its water content. Hydrostatic equilibrium occurs when compression due to Gravity is balanced by a Pressure gradient which creates a Pressure gradient force in the opposite The water content of an aquifier normally depends on the grain sizes. This means that the rate of extraction may be limited by poor permiability.

Desalination

Desalination is an artificial process by which saline water (generally sea water) is converted to fresh water. Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove excess salt and other Minerals from Water Saline water is a general term for Water that contains a significant concentration of dissolved Salts ( NaCl) Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3 The most common desalination processes are distillation and reverse osmosis. Distillation is a method of separating Mixtures based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture Reverse osmosis (RO is a separation process that uses pressure to force a Solution through a membrane that retains the Solute on one side and allows the Desalination is currently expensive compared to most alternative sources of water, and only a very small fraction of total human use is satisfied by desalination. It is only economically practical for high-valued uses (such as household and industrial uses) in arid areas. In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering The most extensive use is in the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the

Frozen water

An iceberg as seen from Newfoundland
An iceberg as seen from Newfoundland

Several schemes have been proposed to make use of icebergs as a water source, however to date this has only been done for novelty purposes. Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater Ice that has broken off from a snow-formed Glacier or Ice shelf and is floating in open water Glacier runoff is considered to be surface water.

Water stress

Main article: water crisis

The concept of water stress is relatively simple: According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, it applies to situations where there is not enough water for all uses, whether agricultural, industrial or domestic. Water Crisis is a term that refers to the status of the world’s Water resources relative to human demand The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD is a CEO-led global association of some 200 international companies dealing exclusively with business and Sustainable Defining thresholds for stress in terms of available water per capita is more complex, however, entailing assumptions about water use and its efficiency. Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' Nevertheless, it has been proposed that when annual per capita renewable freshwater availability is less than 1,700 cubic meters, countries begin to experience periodic or regular water stress. Below 1,000 cubic meters, water scarcity begins to hamper economic development and human health and well-being.

Population growth

In 2000, the world population was 6. 2 billion. The UN estimates that by 2050 there will be an additional 3 billion people with most of the growth in developing countries that already suffer water stress. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties [7] Thus, water demand will increase unless there are corresponding increases in water conservation and recycling of this vital resource. Water conservation refers to reducing the use of water The goals of water conservation efforts include Sustainability - To ensure availability for Recycling involves processing used materials into new products in order to prevent the waste of potentially useful materials reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials reduce [8]

Increased affluence

The rate of poverty alleviation is increasing especially within the two population giants of China and India. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and However, increasing affluence inevitably means more water consumption: from needing clean fresh water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and basic sanitation service, to demanding water for gardens and car washing, to wanting jacuzzis or private swimming pools. Wealth derives from the old English word "weal" which means "well-being Sanitation is the hygienic means of preventing human contact from the hazards of wastes to promote health

Expansion of business activity

Business activity ranging from industrialization to services such as tourism and entertainment continues to expand rapidly. This expansion requires increased water services including both supply and sanitation, which can lead to more pressure on water resources and natural ecosystems. Water supply is the process of self-provision or provision by third parties of water of various qualities to different users An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical (

Rapid urbanization

The trend towards urbanization is accelerating. Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing Small private wells and septic tanks that work well in low-density communities are not feasible within high-density urban areas. Description A septic tank generally consists of tanks between the size of 1000 and 2000 gallons (4000 - 7500 litres which is connected to an inlet wastewater pipe at one end and Urbanization requires significant investment in water infrastructure in order to deliver water to individuals and to process the concentrations of wastewater – both from individuals and from business. Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids These polluted and contaminated waters must be treated or they pose unacceptable public health risks. In 60% of European cities with more than 100,000 people, groundwater is being used at a faster rate than it can be replenished. [9] Even if some water remains available, it costs more and more to capture it. In Economics, diminishing returns is also called diminishing marginal returns or the law of diminishing returns.


Depletion of aquifers

Due to the expanding human population, competition for water is growing such that many of the worlds major aquifers are becoming depleted. Overpopulation refers to a condition where an Organism 's numbers exceed the Carrying capacity of its Habitat. This is due both for direct human consumption as well as agricultural irrigation by groundwater. Millions of small pumps of all sizes are currently extracting groundwater throughout the world. For information on Wikipedia project-related discussions see WikipediaVillage pump. Irrigation in dry areas such as northern China and India is supplied by groundwater, and is being extracted at an unsustainable rate. Cities that have experienced aquifer drops between 10 to 50 meters include Mexico City, Bangkok, Manila, Beijing, Madras and Shanghai. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest The City of Manila Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million [10]

Pollution and water protection

Polluted Water
Polluted Water

Water pollution is one of the main concerns of the world today. Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities The governments of many countries have striven to find solutions to reduce this problem. Many pollutants threaten water supplies, but the most widespread, especially in underdeveloped countries, is the discharge of raw sewage into natural waters; this method of sewage disposal is the most common method in underdeveloped countries, but also is prevalent in quasi-developed countries such as China, India and Iran. Sewage is the mainly liquid Waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water Feces, Urine, laundry waste and other
Sewage, sludge, garbage, and even toxic pollutants are all dumped into the water. Even if sewage is treated, problems still arise. Treated sewage forms sludge, which is sent out into the sea and dumped. In addition to sewage, chemicals dumped by industries and governments are another major source of water pollution.

Uses of fresh water

Uses of fresh water can be categorized as consumptive and non-consumptive (sometimes called "renewable"). A use of water is consumptive if that water is not immediately available for another use. Losses to sub-surface seepage and evaporation are considered consumptive, as is water incorporated into a product (such as farm produce). Water that can be treated and returned as surface water, such as sewage, is generally considered non-consumptive if that water can be put to additional use. Water treatment describes those processes used to make water more acceptable for a desired end-use

Agricultural

A farm in Ontario
A farm in Ontario

It is estimated that 69% of world-wide water use is for irrigation, with 15-35% of irrigation withdrawals being unsustainable [11]. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec

In some areas of the world irrigation is necessary to grow any crop at all, in other areas it permits more profitable crops to be grown or enhances crop yield. Various irrigation methods involve different trade-offs between crop yield, water consumption and capital cost of equipment and structures. Irrigation methods such as most furrow and overhead sprinkler irrigation are usually less expensive but also less efficient, because much of the water evaporates or runs off. More efficient irrigation methods include drip or trickle irrigation, surge irrigation, and some types of sprinkler systems where the sprinklers are operated near ground level. See also Irrigation Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation or microirrigation is an Irrigation method which minimizes the use These types of systems, while more expensive, can minimize runoff and evaporation. Any system that is improperly managed can be wasteful. Another trade-off that is often insufficiently considered is salinization of sub-surface water.

Aquaculture is a small but growing agricultural use of water. Aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and saltwater organisms including Molluscs Crustaceans and aquatic plants Freshwater commercial fisheries may also be considered as agricultural uses of water, but have generally been assigned a lower priority than irrigation (see Aral Sea and Pyramid Lake). The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i

As global populations grow, and as demand for food increases in a world with a fixed water supply, there are efforts underway to learn how to produce more food with less water, through improvements in irrigation [2] methods [3] and technologies, agricultural water management, crop types, and water monitoring. Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt Water management is the practices of planning developing distribution and optimum utilizing of water resources under defined water polices and regulations

Industrial

A power plant in Poland
A power plant in Poland

It is estimated that 15% of world-wide water use is industrial. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Major industrial users include power plants, which use water for cooling or as a power source (i. e. hydroelectric plants), ore and oil refineries, which use water in chemical processes, and manufacturing plants, which use water as a solvent. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water An ore is a volume of rock containing components or Minerals in a mode of occurrence that renders it valuable for mining Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit

The portion of industrial water usage that is consumptive varies widely, but as a whole is lower than agricultural use.


Household

Drinking water
Drinking water

It is estimated that 15% of world-wide water use is for household purposes. These include drinking water, bathing, cooking, sanitation, and gardening. Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water is termed potable water whether it is used for drinking or not Bathing is the immersion of the body in a Fluid, usually Water or an aqueous solution Cooking is the process of preparing Food by applying Heat, selecting measuring and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure for producing safe and edible Gardening is the practice of growing Plants for their attractive flowers or foliage and Vegetables or Fruits for consumption Basic household water requirements have been estimated by Peter Gleick at around 50 liters per person per day, excluding water for gardens. Dr Peter H Gleick (born 1956 is a scientist working on issues related to the environment, economic development and international security with a focus on global Freshwater [12]

Recreation

Whitewater rapids
Whitewater rapids

Recreational water use is usually a very small but growing percentage of total water use. Recreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's Body or Mind. Recreational water use is mostly tied to reservoirs. If a reservoir is kept fuller than it would otherwise be for recreation, then the water retained could be categorized as recreational usage. Release of water from a few reservoirs is also timed to enhance whitewater boating, which also could be considered a recreational usage. Whitewater is formed in a Rapid, when a River 's gradient drops enough to disturb its Laminar flow and create Turbulence, i Other examples are anglers, water skiers, nature enthusiasts and swimmers.

Recreational usage is usually non-consumptive. Golf courses are often targeted as using excessive amounts of water, especially in drier regions. A golf course consists of a series of holes each consisting of a Teeing ground, Fairway, rough and other hazards and a green with a pin and cup all designed for It is, however, unclear whether recreational irrigation (which would include private gardens) has a noticeable effect on water resources. This is largely due to the unavailability of reliable data. Some governments, including the Californian Government, have labelled golf course usage as agricultural in order to deflect environmentalists' charges of wasting water. Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. However, using the above figures as a basis, the actual statistical effect of this reassignment is close to zero.

Additionally, recreational usage may reduce the availability of water for other users at specific times and places. For example, water retained in a reservoir to allow boating in the late summer is not available to farmers during the spring planting season. Water released for whitewater rafting may not be available for hydroelectric generation during the time of peak electrical demand.

Environmental

A natural wetland
A natural wetland

Explicit environmental water use is also a very small but growing percentage of total water use. Environmental water usage includes artificial wetlands, artificial lakes intended to create wildlife habitat, fish ladders around dams, and water releases from reservoirs timed to help fish spawn. Fishways, most commonly called fish ladders but also known as fish passes and in Australia also referred to as fish steps, are structures on or around artificial A dam is a barrier that divides waters. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water while other structures such as Floodgates, Levees

Like recreational usage, environmental usage is non-consumptive but may reduce the availability of water for other users at specific times and places. For example, water release from a reservoir to help fish spawn may not be available to farms upstream.

World water supply and distribution

Food and water are two basic human needs. However, global coverage figures from 2002 indicate that, of every 10 people:

At Earth Summit 2002 governments approved a Plan of Action to:

Projected water distribution in 2025
Projected water distribution in 2025

As the picture shows, in 2025, water shortages will be more prevalent among poorer countries where resources are limited and population growth is rapid, such as the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. By 2025, large urban and peri-urban areas will require new infrastructure to provide safe water and adequate sanitation. This suggests growing conflicts with agricultural water users, who currently consume the majority of the water used by humans.

Generally speaking the more developed countries of North America, Europe and Russia will not see a serious threat to water supply by the year 2025, not only because of their relative wealth, but more importantly their populations will be better aligned with available water resources. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending North Africa, the Middle East, South Africa and northern China will face very severe water shortages due to physical scarcity and a condition of overpopulation relative to their carrying capacity with respect to water supply. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The supportable Population of an Organism, given the food habitat, water and other necessities available within an environment is known as the environment's Most of South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern China and India will face water supply shortages by 2025; for these latter regions the causes of scarcity will be economic constraints to developing safe drinking water, as well as excessive population growth. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries Population growth is the change in Population over time and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals in a population using "per unit time" for

Economic considerations

Water supply and sanitation require a huge amount of capital investment in infrastructure such as pipe networks, pumping stations and water treatment works. Investment or investing is a term with several closely-related meanings in Business management, Finance and Economics, related to saving It is estimated that OECD nations need to invest at least USD 200 billion per year to replace aging water infrastructure to guarantee supply, reduce leakage rates and protect water quality. [14]

International attention has focused upon the needs of the developing countries. To meet the Millennium Development Goals targets of halving the proportion of the population lacking access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015, current annual investment on the order of USD 10 to USD 15 billion would need to be roughly doubled. This does not include investments required for the maintenance of existing infrastructure. [15]

Once infrastructure is in place, operating water supply and sanitation systems entails significant ongoing costs to cover personnel, energy, chemicals, maintenance and other expenses. The sources of money to meet these capital and operational costs are essentially either user fees, public funds or some combination of the two.

But this is where the economics of water management start to become extremely complex as they intersect with social and broader economic policy. Such policy questions are beyond the scope of this article, which has concentrated on basic information about water availability and water use. They are, nevertheless, highly relevant to understanding how critical water issues will affect business and industry in terms of both risks and opportunities.

Business response

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development in its H2OScenarios engaged in a scenario building process to:

It concluded that

References

  1. ^ Scientific Facts on Water: State of the Resource. GreenFacts Website. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
  2. ^ Rasler, Karen A. and W. R. Thompson. “Contested Territory, Strategic Rivalries, and Conflict Escalation. ” International Studies Quarterly. 50. 1. (2006): 145-168.
  3. ^ Wolf, Aaron T. “Water and Human Security. ” Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education. 118. (2001): 29
  4. ^ Homer-Dixon, Thomas. "Environment, Scarcity, and Violence. " Princeton University Press. (1999).
  5. ^ a b Postel, S. L. and A. T. Wolf. “Dehydrating Conflict. ” Foreign Policy. 126. (2001): 60-67.
  6. ^ http://www.worldwater.org/data.html The World's Water 2006-2007 Tables, Pacific Institute.
  7. ^ World population to reach 9.1 billion in 2050, UN projects
  8. ^ Groundwater – the processes and global significance of aquifer degradation
  9. ^ http://reports.eea.europa.eu/92-826-5409-5/en Europe’s Environment: The Dobris Assessment]
  10. ^ Groundwater in Urban Development
  11. ^ WBCSD Water Facts & Trends
  12. ^ "The World's Water: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources" (Island Press, Washington DC)
  13. ^ WBCSD Water Facts & Trends
  14. ^ The cost of meeting the Johannesburg targets for drinking water
  15. ^ Financing Water for All

See also

External links

Ecological sanitation, also known as ecosan or eco-san, is a new paradigm in sanitation that recognises human excreta and household wastewater not as waste but as An air well, fog collector, or fog fence is an apparatus for collecting liquid Water from Fog, using of a fine Mesh or array of parallel Geoffrey Dabelko is director of the Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP a nonpartisan policy forum on environment population and security issues at the Woodrow Wilson Hydrology (from Greek Yδωρ hudōr, "water" and λόγος logos, "study" is the study of the movement distribution and quality of Shared vision planning was developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers during the National Drought Study (1989-1993 Tap water ( running water) is part of indoor Plumbing, which became available in the late 19th century and common in the mid-20th century Virtual water (also known as embedded water, embodied water, or hidden water) refers in the context of trade to the water used in the production of a Water Crisis is a term that refers to the status of the world’s Water resources relative to human demand The Earth 's Water is always in movement and the water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on above This article is an overview of the distribution of Water on Earth. This article has been tagged &mdash please see the bottom of the page for more information Water purification is the process of removing contaminants and other harmful microorganisms from a raw water source
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