Chapter 15 Emerging Water Issues

Chapter Headings Future global water management issues Future global water management solutions Georgia Water Plan Conclusions

Future Global Issues Anyone who solves the problem of water deserves not one Nobel Prize but two – one for science and the other for peace –President John F. Kennedy Future issues include –Population and water quantity –Water quality –Environmental degradation

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Population and Water Quantity Population will continue to grow World’s freshwater supply will remain relatively constant Severe problems now with distribution Competition between agriculture and cities will intensify

Population and Water Quantity

Water Quality As population increases there will be more waste with potential to pollute Nearly half the world population lives without basic household sanitation –Sewer systems, septic systems, or latrines More than 5 million people die each year from water-borne diseases

Environmental Degradation As population grows loss of habitat for endangered species will be more of a problem More pressure to develop wetlands More demand for allocation surface water to other than environmental flows More mining of groundwater

Chapter Headings Future global water management issues Future global water management solutions Georgia Water Plan Conclusions

Future Solutions Privatization of water treatment and delivery Groundwater recharge Water conservation Dam construction Water education

Four Possible Scenarios Scenario 1: Business as usual Scenario 2: Technology saves the day Scenario 3: Global warming floods the world Scenario 4: Space is the answer

Business as Usual World population continues at current rate Thousands die in the Sudan and Ethiopia due to prolonged drought Tens of thousands die annually in Bangladesh due to flooding In Africa millions of infants die annually from waterborne diseases Drinking water becomes scarce in U.S. cities

Technology Saves the Day Improved desalination methods generate massive amounts of affordable drinking water along coasts Desalination is also used to provide irrigation water in coastal northern Africa, Middle east, and western U.S. Cheap methods are developed to create water molecules from H 2 and O 2 gas World’s water problems are solved!

Global Warming Floods World Water World scenario Global warming raises temperatures Polar ice caps and glaciers melt Mean sea level rises 10 ft 1 billion people forced to relocate US builds dikes relying on Dutch engineers

Space is the Answer Blade Runner scenario Humans escape to other worlds that have plenty of water Only human misfits and robots are left on earth to deal with polluted water and atmosphere

Chapter Headings Future global water management issues Future global water management solutions Georgia Water Plan Conclusions

Georgia Water Plan