Scribd
Upload
49 views2 pages

Edit Water Cycle Reservoirs: Limited Resource (

Fresh water is a finite natural resource that can only be replenished through the water cycle. Locally, if more fresh water is consumed through human activities than is naturally restored, it can reduce availability and damage surrounding environments. There are many factors contributing to limited fresh water supplies, including increasing populations, higher per capita water usage, climate change melting glaciers and raising sea levels, and uneven distribution between countries. Due to continued population growth and increased individual water usage, many areas are already experiencing water stress that is expected to worsen in the future without prudent management of this vital resource.

Uploaded by

Bheo Belly
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
49 views2 pages

Edit Water Cycle Reservoirs: Limited Resource (

Fresh water is a finite natural resource that can only be replenished through the water cycle. Locally, if more fresh water is consumed through human activities than is naturally restored, it can reduce availability and damage surrounding environments. There are many factors contributing to limited fresh water supplies, including increasing populations, higher per capita water usage, climate change melting glaciers and raising sea levels, and uneven distribution between countries. Due to continued population growth and increased individual water usage, many areas are already experiencing water stress that is expected to worsen in the future without prudent management of this vital resource.

Uploaded by

Bheo Belly
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Limited resource[edit]

Fresh water is a renewable and variable, but finite natural resource. Fresh water
can only be replenished through the process of the water cycle, in which water
from seas, lakes, forests, land, rivers, and reservoirs evaporates, forms clouds, and
returns as precipitation. Locally however, if more fresh water is consumed through
human activities than is naturally restored, this may result in reduced fresh water
availability from surface and underground sources and can cause serious damage to
surrounding and associated environments.
Fresh water withdrawal[edit]
Fresh water withdrawal is the quantity of water removed from available sources for
use in any purpose, excluding evaporation losses. Water drawn off is not
necessarily entirely consumed and some portion may be returned for further use
downstream.
Causes of limited fresh water[edit]
There are many causes of the apparent decrease[citation needed] in our fresh water
supply. Principal amongst these is the increase in population through increasing
life expectancy, the increase in per capita water use and the desire of many people
to live in warm climates that have naturally low levels of fresh water resources.
[citation needed]
Climate change is also likely to change the availability and distribution
of fresh water across the planet:
"If global warming continues to melt glaciers in the polar regions, as expected, the
supply of fresh water may actually decrease. First, fresh water from the melting
glaciers will mingle with salt water in the oceans and become too salty to drink.
Second, the increased ocean volume will cause sea levels to rise, contaminating
freshwater sources along coastal regions with seawater.[16]
The World Bank adds that the response by freshwater ecosystems to a changing
climate can be described in terms of three interrelated components: water quality,
water quantity or volume, and water timing. A change in one often leads to shifts in
the others as well.[17] Water pollution and subsequent eutrophication also reduces
the availability of fresh water.[18]
Also, there is an uneven distribution of fresh water. While some countries have an
abundant supply of fresh water, others do not have as much. For
example, Canada has 20% of the world's fresh water supply, while India has only

10% of the world's fresh water supply, even though India's population is more than
30 times larger than that of Canada. A reason for the uneven distribution of fresh
water supply may be the differences in climate. For example, in some countries in
Africa, the frequent lack of rain has led to insufficient water supply for irrigation.
This has affected agriculture and has led to a shortage of food for the people.[19]
Fresh water in the future[edit]
Many areas of the world are already experiencing stress on water availability. Due
to the accelerated pace of population growth and an increase in the amount of
water a single person uses, it is expected that this situation will continue to get
worse. A shortage of water in the future would be detrimental to the human
population as it would affect everything from sanitation, to overall health and the
production of grain.[20]
Choices in the use of fresh water[edit]
With one in eight people in the world not having access to safe water[21] it is
important to use this resource in a prudent manner. Making the best use of water on
a local basis probably provides the best solution. Local communities need to plan
their use of fresh water and should be made aware of how certain crops and
animals use water.
As a guide the following tables provide some indicators.
Table 1 Recommended basic water requirements for human needs (per person)

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy