Water Secuity Challenges In A Changing World Flashcards
Why is water a critical natural resource?
Water sustains life
All social and economic activities and ecosystems functions depend of water
Essential for humans- drinking sanitation, food production, washing, energy production, industry
Quantity & quality
“Water is the driving force of all nature”
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
On the origin and fate of water
All ecosystems on earth need an adequate supply of uncontaminated water to survive
An adequate supply of clean water is essential for human society and economy
Water Security
Having sufficient water to meet ecosystem and human health needs
The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability
Where is water?
70% seawater
30% freshwater
0.3% of freshwater is usable
70% in ice and snow, 30% in groundwater, 0.3% in freshwater lakes and rivers
Water stressed
Don’t have enough water to meet needs
How is water distributed
Unevenly
Water isn’t necessary located where large populations are
What has reduced water availability
Economic development Societal change (daily showers)
Why do we worry about water security?
Forecast increases in food and energy production will continue to drive change
World food production needs to rise by 50% to meet increasing energy demands by 2030
Total world energy demands are predicted to increase by 50% but 2030
How is fresh water used?
70% used to irrigate agriculture
20% used for energy and industrial production
10% for domestic use
What impacts has food production had on water availability?
Lake Chad UNSECO world heritage, irrigates Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger has reduced in size over time
Case study- cash crops in Malawi
One of the poorest countries in the world
Population density highest in South African development
83% of population live in rural areas, 2/10 have access to a toilet
Moderate rainfall but mono-modal (6 months of the year no rain) and plateau regions (where people live) have less rain than mountains
Mean annual temperature is high-very high evaporation rates, evaporate-concentration of salts in surface water
25% of land used for agriculture, 12.5% occupied by large estates producing irrigation-subsided cash crops
Water resources over exploited and increasingly salinized (treat with salt) to support cash crop production for minority of producers
Not climate resistant- both food & water security are not assured
17% of population lack clean water, many have to walk 4-5 hours a day to fetch water from wells, compromising opportunities for education for women and children
Extracting more water not not using it in an efficient way
Developing counties use resources in proficient way without thinking of long-term consequences
How will climate change affect water security?
Water stress predicted to increase in response to climate change and population growth
Changing climate will also effect groundwater recharge, increasing water scarcity in vulnerable areas
Increased drought and increased risk of flooding
Water related natural disasters
90% of natural disasters are water related
2012- 184,000 Somalis fled due to water and food insecurity related to drought in the Horn of Africa
2 million people die every year due to water-related disease, inadequate water supply and sanitation
The state of freshwater ecosystems 2014- the living planet report
Freshwater species have declined more rapidly 76% the Marine terrestrial species 39%
Statistics based on trends in 3066 population of 757 mammal, bird, reptile, amphibians and fish species
Plant decline in freshwater is extensive globally, but not included in this analysis
Main threats to freshwater species- habitat loss, fragmentation, pollution and invasive species
Conservation efforts fail to take into account the water body within its wider catchment context
Traditional terrestrial protected-area models are not effective for the conservation of complex, interconnected freshwater ecosystems
Fish population is declining
Impact of water quality, biodiversity and ecosystem health
Human secure threat
Incident biodiversity threat
Earth has lost half of its wildlife in the past 40 years (WWF)
Life on earth is dying, thanks to one species
Is ecosystem loss just a problem for water stresses areas of the world
No
Freshwater biodiversity is declining in the UK
“Never before have so many wildlife organisations come together to undertake a health check of nature in the UK” RSPB & 25 others (2013) The State of Nature
Fish population
Fish population is declining
While Atlantic salmon have returned to the Mersey & Tyne, abundance is critically low
Losses of the European eel have been even more marked, now listed as critically endangered globally
What contaminates inland and costal waters?
Production of :
Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, livestock, industrial waste, urban water, air pollution, herbicides and pesticides, nanoparticles
Biggest water quality issues comprising global water security?
Eutrophication (nutrient enrichment) of inland and costal waters from land-based sources (carbon, mercury & aluminium flux)
Acidification and organic carbon release from upland and boreal peatlands
Organic and heavy metal contamination in rapidly developing economies
Pesticide, pharmaceuticals and herbicide contamination in developing countries
Soil erosion and sediment transfer from food production systems
Causing algal blooms and fish kills
What happens when the nutrient flux reaches the coastal zone?
Characteristics
- 50% of the human population live and 70% of mega-cities with the coastal zone
Supports 25% of global biological productivity and 90% of global fishery production
Ecosystems services associated with the coastal zone are estimated at 11 trillion, compared to a total global estimate of 20 trillion
UNEP foresight process on 21 Century Emerging Environmental issues, 2012
Cross-cutting issues
Aligning governance to global sustainability challenges
Moving towards a green economy
Reconnection science and policy
Social tipping points in human behaviour toward the environment
Coping with creeping changes and imminent thresholds
Coping migrating caused by environmental change
UNEP foresight process on 21 Century Emerging Environmental issues, 2012
Food, biodiversity and land issues
Ensuring food safety and food safety security for 9 billion people
Integrating biodiversity across environmental and economics agendas
Boosting urban sustainability and resilience
The rush for land- responding to new pressures
UNEP foresight process on 21 Century Emerging Environmental issues, 2012
Freshwater and marine issues
New insights on water-land interactions
Degradation of inland water in developing counties
Potential collapse of oceanic systems
Coastal ecosystems: addressing increasing pressures
UNEP foresight process on 21 Century Emerging Environmental issues, 2012
Climate change issues
Managing the consequences of migration and adaptation
Acting on the changing frequency of extreme events
Managing the impacts of glacier retreat
UNEP foresight process on 21 Century Emerging Environmental issues, 2012
Energy, technology and waste issues
Accelerating implementation of renewable energy systems
Minimising the risks of novel technologies and chemicals
Waste recycling to address the scarcity of strategic minerals
Environmental consequences of nuclear reactor decommissioning
Are food, water and energy security mutually exclusive?
Food production uses water and energy, releasing pollutants to the atmosphere and aquatic ecosystems
Energy production can use land otherwise available for food production- it consumes energy and water resources, releases pollutants to the atmosphere and aquatic ecosystems
Water quality and quantity is negatively impacted by food and energy production and domestic water consumption
Shifts in the chemical or microbiology character of a water body generates undesirable shifts in aquatic ecosystem health and the services these ecosystems provide to society
Aquatic ecosystem health will continue to decline in a food and energy severe world, comprising water security with undesirable feedbacks to food production, climate and economic production systems on which society rely
How can we resolve these challenges?
Understand and influence the processes driving environmentally damaging behaviour
Curb world population growth and the per capita increase in resource consumption
Manage retreat from land areas where current land uses is unsustainable
Develop food security through sustainable intensification of farming
Develop novel, less damaging approaches to food and energy production
How can we reduce out impact on water quality?
Personal choices
Reduce protein and long-haul food intake
Live an energy and water efficient lifestyle
Adopt low-emission and energy efficient systems for transport
Make informed choice about “luxury” goods and services
How can we reduce out impact on water quality?
Societal Choice
Increase water use efficiently with investment in new technologies
Reduce long-haul “luxury” travel and “demand” more luxury goods
Reduce luxury water consumption where it is unsustainable
Improve nutrient use efficiently and pesticide resistance in crops and animal production (GM crops and new technologies)
Develop and deploy new technologies for recycling of sewage, food and industrial waste
Develop low-emission & energy efficient combustion systems
