“Water will eventually become the single most important physical commodity-based asset class, dwarfing oil, copper, agricultural commodities and precious metals”. That was economist and ex-Bank of England MPC member Willem Buiter more than six years ago. You could say he was a bit early in his forecast. While water is vital for life, it hasn’t so far become the planet’s most-wanted asset. But as I examine today, this could be only a matter of time… Tewkesbury’s taps turn off Let’s start at home. The UK receives less rainfall per person than our northern European neighbours. The South East of England is the most water-stressed part of the country, with London actually drier than Istanbul (believe it or not!) Meanwhile, our national demand for water is high and rising. Every Brit uses about 150 litres of water a day, up 1% each year since 1930, according
AdamB wrote:Ironic this article comes from someone writing it on an island. And without any idea on how easy it is to convert contaminated water (say...salt water... ) and converting it to something else...say...fresh water.
Tuike wrote:Cape Town could become first major city in world to run out of water after 90-day warning -independent
Cape Town may become the first large city in the world to run out of water, as officials warn there are fewer than 90 days left before the supply runs dry. The city’s mayor Patricia De Lille said residents had until 22 April until “day zero”, when authorities have estimated the water supply will be finished if residents do not scale back their usage.
Newfie wrote:That’s true Onlooker. But if you look around you will see we are facing many “peaks”, on different time scales, but each significant and worriesome.
Although the site is labeled “Peak OIL” I personally see it as a place to discuss “Resource Depletion@ in general, with PO being the entry point.
It may bear some consideration to add some topics to our forum index or even just one labeled “Other Resource Depletion Discussions”.
I see this as an incomplete list:
Fossil Fuel
Water
Pollution Sinks
Arable Soul
Fish
onlooker wrote:true guys. That is why you will find my posts on the Oil sites sometimes alluding to the full extent of our overshoot dilemna. As the LTG expertly tried to model. All the constraints are quite interconnected. The entire forest and all that
GHung wrote:For those interested in reading the original LTG:
http://www.donellameadows.org/wp-conten ... ersion.pdf
30 year update:
https://www.slideshare.net/VRyzhonkov/l ... ars-update
Save the Snowpack, Save the Water Supply
Between droughts and floods, the last decade has offered water managers in the southwest a preview of how climate change could impact a supply largely dependent on winter snow. This year’s disappointing snowpack has them worried again.
"Water and climate change are joined at the hip,” said Brad Udall, a researcher at Colorado State University who published a paper earlier this year showing how climate change has reduced flows in the Colorado River. “One of the primary impacts of a warming atmosphere are changes to our water cycle."
Snowpack is 50 percent lower than the average at this point in the winter at dozens of basins in the region. It’s a major concern in a region with a growing population where water supplies are often pushed to their limits, even in good years. In addition to fueling the West's winter tourism industry, the snow provides a steady supply of water for the Colorado River, which serves 40 million people spread from Denver to Los Angeles. ......
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ter-supply
Demand for water is expected to increase by nearly one-third by 2050 as the planet's population expands, according to the 2018 World Water Development Report from the United Nations. To provide enough water for drinking, growing crops, generating power and other uses, governments and businesses should work more closely with nature, which controls the water cycle, the report said. Incorporating more green space into cities, conserving wetlands, and farming in ways that keep the soil healthy are examples of the "nature-based solutions" backed by the report. These can also help protect people from floods, drought and other water-linked threats, it said. Here are some facts on water use, and the risks of too much or too little water. * Global water use has increased by a factor of six over the past 100 years, and is growing steadily at a rate of about 1 per
About 600 million Indians are facing high to extreme stress over water, according to the Composite Water Resources Management report by the government's policy think-tank Niti Aayog this week.
The comprehensive study on the state of India's water warned of conflict and other related threats, including food security risks, unless actions are taken to restore water bodies.
Many parched cities and villages in India are pushing back their "Day Zero" (when water taps run dry), but barely, warned the new report.
About 40 percent of the population will have no access to clean drinking water by 2030.
More than 20 cities, including New Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai, will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million people, according to the report.
Agricultural baskets, states that are home to 50 percent of the population, are the low performers in the government policy body's Water Index, that could pose a "significant food security risk" for India."What this report says was true 15 years ago, now the situation has worsened. Ninety cities in India do not have enough clean drinking water now to sustain its populace,"
Depleting groundwater reserves, paired with climatic changes such as rising temperatures, could further exacerbate water scarcity, experts have warned.
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