Skip to main content Skip to Search Box

Water Scarcity

From Science and Politics: An A-to-Z Guide to Issues and Controversies
Water scarcity could become one of the most pressing natural resource issues of the twenty-first century. Earth's population has nearly tripled since 1950, and projections indicate that it could quadruple by 2050. Rising demands for food and energy brought about by population increases and economic growth have seriously taxed this valuable resource worldwide, and ecosystems are further stressed by climate change and pollution ( Eckstein 2009 ). Despite the contributions of science to understanding water scarcity and hydrological cycles, water availability in the United States is still ultimately mediated through existing infrastructure and traditional sociopolitical institutions that govern water use. Although water covers 70 percent of Earth, only 2.5 percent is fresh. Freshwater comes from rain, underground sources, ice, rivers, and lakes; the rest is saltwater and is thus unusable in its natural state for most applications. Water scarcity exists when freshwater is insufficient to…
672 results

Full text Article Other New Terms in Water Management

From Key Concepts in Water Resource Management
1 New Terms Many new terms in water management have grown greatly in use in the last two decades. While preceding chapters of this book devoted primary focus to one set of key terms (water scarcity, water governance, water security, water productivity, virtual water, water footprint, green water, …
| 6,619 words
Key concepts:
The land and the water sphere.
Abstract The availability of sufficient water is a precondition for an adequate food supply for the growing world population. The scarce resources have to be used in an optimal way. To get a balanced understanding of global water utilization, an in-depth analysis of water consumption is required. …
| 14,177 words , 10 images
Key concepts:

Full text Article Water Scarcity

From Key Concepts in Water Resource Management
Water stress as water withdrawal to...
2.1 Introduction Water scarcity is widely considered to present a major global challenge (e.g., Seckler et al., 1998 ; Postel, 1998 ; WWC, 2001 ; UNDESA, 2007 ; Chartres and Varma, 2011 ; Vidal, 2012 ), often spurring language of a global “water crisis” (e.g., BBC, 2002 ; National Geographic, 2003 ; …
| 6,443 words , 3 images
Key concepts:

Full text Article Water Productivity

From Key Concepts in Water Resource Management
5.1 Introduction Improving water productivity ( WP ), especially in agriculture, is increasingly recognized as a central challenge in international development ( Rockström et al., 2003 ; Comprehensive Assessment, 2007 ; USAID, 2009 ; CAADP, 2012 ; UNEP, 2012 ). The development research community…
| 7,459 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Conclusions

From Key Concepts in Water Resource Management
8.1 Reviewing Findings The book is believed to be the first systematic attempt to examine some of the meanings, divergences in interpretation, and value added of water management concepts that have been introduced or grown greatly in use in recent times. Overall, it appears that while the new…
| 2,665 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Water scarcity on Nigeria’s coast is hardest on women: 6 steps to ease the burden

From The Conversation: An Independent Source of Analysis from Academic Researchers
Imagine waking up before dawn every day to fetch water for your family. You trek to the nearest water source, miles away, with only a jerrycan to carry the precious liquid. You brave scorching heat or heavy rain, while trying to avoid dangerous animals and strangers along the way. This is the…
| 855 words

Full text Article Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity and Variability

From Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity and Variability
| 84 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article How water scarcity adds to women's burden in northern Ghana (May 2020)

From The Conversation: An Independent Source of Analysis from Academic Researchers
Achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by the year 2030 is considered fundamental in attaining the Sustainable Development Goal 6. But about 4 billion people, nearly two-thirds of the population of the world, face severe water scarcity and over 2…
| 895 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Illustrations

From Key Concepts in Water Resource Management
Figures 2.1 Water scarcity based on the Falkenmark indicator 2.2 Water stress as water withdrawal to water availability 2.3 The IWMI water scarcity map 4.1 Water security in the Asia-Pacific, ordered from greatest to least water secure 4.2 Overall water security 4.3 Water security for basic needs…
| 178 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Figures and Boxes

From Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity and Variability
Boxes 1.1 The Economic Attributes of Water 2.1 A Look under the Hood at the Data and Methodology Employed 2.2 A “Safety-First” Response to Rainfall Shocks 3.1 Study Locations, Data, and Methodology 3.2 The Buffering Ability of Irrigation Infrastructure 3.3 The Economic, Social, and Physiological…
| 326 words
Key concepts:
Mind Map

Stack overflow
More Library Resources