Transcript Oceans Icecaps, Glaciers Groundwater Freshwater lakes Inland

We are entering an unprecedented period of
water stress globally. In 2015, nearly 3 billion
people -- 40 percent of the projected world
population -- will live in countries that find it
difficult or impossible to mobilize enough
water to satisfy the food, industrial, and
domestic needs of their citizens. How nations
respond to this dilemma, individually and
collectively, will have serious implications for
food security, for the health of the aquatic
environment, and for social and political
stability. A new mindset for water policy and
management is required if we are to meet the
needs of 9 billion people while protecting the
health of the aquatic environment that our
economies and all life depends upon.
Sandra Postel, Worldwatch
The global freshwater cycle
cloud
Aquifers and
groundwater flows
Ocean
The Cryosphere
At NOAA they think that the global mean sea level has
risen 10-25 cm over the last 100 years
If all the glaciers melted sea level would increase by 80 m
The figure directly above shows general global sea level trends relative to a 1951-70 base period. The red
dots (connected by the black dashed lines) represent annual mean sea levels. The green line shows the 5year running mean. The figure to the far right shows trends for select glaciers.
Source: Quayle, Robert G. and Thomas R. Karl, Climate Change Update; The State of the Climate - 1996;
A Summary of the 1995 Policymakers Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(Asheville, North Carolina: National Climatic Data Center, 1996).
Freshwater is rare
Freshwater systems include:
Lakes
Streams
Springs
Mudpuddles
Wetlands
Ponds
Reservoirs
Aquifers
Other groundwater pools
The cryosphere
Treeholes and spare tires
Where is the water?
100%
2% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
20%
Rivers
Atmosphere
Soil
moisture
Inland seas
Freshwater
lakes
Groundwater
Icecaps,
Glaciers
Oceans
0%
97%
120%
80%
60%
40%
Freshwater?
77%
22%
0%
0%
0%
Freshwater
lakes
Soil
moisture
Atmosphere
Rivers
Icecaps,
Glaciers
Groundwater
0%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Liquid freshwater
120.00%
100.00%
97.59%
80.00%
60.00%
40.00%
1.46%
0.78%
0.15%
0.01%
Freshwater
lakes
Soil
moisture
Atmosphere
Rivers
20.00%
0.00%
Groundwater
Freshwater makes up about 2% of the global water budget
Surface water accounts for about %0.01 of all freshwater
Water cycles both
globally and locally water distribution is not democratic
US Water use (American Water Works Association 1998)
Type of Use
Gallons/capita/day
Showers
Clothes Washers
Toilets
Dishwashers
Baths
Leaks
Faucets
Other Domestic Uses
TOTAL
27,000 Gallons of Water Each Year
13.2
16.8
19.3
1.0
1.3
9.4
11.4
1.6
74.0
"It takes 1,000 tons of water to grow 1 ton of grain. Where the
water to meet future food needs is to come from on a sustainable
basis is not obvious.”
Sandra Postel - World watch institute
Catfish ponds
water reel cranberry harvester
River market in Vietnam