The Composition of the Planet’s Water

The Hydrologic Cycle

Global Freshwater Availability

Physical Water Scarcity vs. Economic Water Scarcity

Region Average water availability (cubic meters/person) Middle East and North Africa500 Sub-Saharan Africa1,000 Caribbean2,466 Asia/Pacific2,970 Europe4,741 Latin America7,200 North America (including Mexico)13,401 Water Availability per region (2012)

Green, Blue, and Gray Water

Global Water Use

Water Consumption Per Capita

Virtual Water: All the water (green, blue, grey) used throughout the process of production of each good ProductVirtual-water content (liters) 1 sheet of paper (80 g/m2)10 1 tomato (70 g)13 1 slice of bread (30 g)40 1 orange (100 g)50 1 apple (100 g)70 1 glass of beer (250 ml)75 1 glass of wine (125 ml)120 1 egg (40 g)135 1 glass of orange juice (200 ml)170 1 bag of potato crisps (200 g)185 1 glass of milk (200 ml)200 1 hamburger (150 g)2,400 1 cotton T-shirt2,700 1 pair of shoes (bovine leather)8,000

Type of fuel Amount of water needed in the extraction/production of 2 Million BTUs of energy Natural Gas (conventional)5 gallons Unconventional natural gas (shale)33 gallons Oil (conventional)32 gallons Oil tar sands (mining)616 gallons Biofuel type 1 (irrigated corn)35,616 gallons Biofuel type 2 (irrigated soy)100,591 gallons Virtual water used in six types of fuels, for a round trip New York City- Washington D.C.

Calculate your own water footprint = direct water use + virtual water of all goods and services The average person living in the US consumes about 2220 gallons of water a day: That’s 44 bathtubs each day. Diet makes a big difference: a vegetarian’ water footprint can be less than 50% of a meat eater’s footprint.

National Water Footprint for selected countries, in cubic meters per person per year ( )

Water-Energy Nexus

Trade in Virtual Water : Cotton

Transfers of virtual water through trade Virtual-water balance per country (billion cubic meters)

1,5 million people internally displaced because of the drought March 2011: Anti-Assad Revolution erupts Water Scarcity and Conflicts: Syria

Two people, one land, one aquifer: Water and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Addressing Water Shortages Increasing water supply? Dams (dramatic ecological and social consequences). Pumping aquifers (20% aquifers are already being mined beyond their rate of recharge, including the Upper Ganges Valley in India and Pakistan, the Nile Delta Region in Egypt, and the Central Valley in California). Desalination: energy-intensive and costly. Dealination in California: $1800-$2800 per AF Groundwater: $375-$1100 per AF Surface water: $400-$800 per AF Water Conservation Micro-irrigation – reuse and recycle wastewater Cost of conservation (San Diego county): $150-$1000 per AF How to promote water efficiency?

Regulation by the market? The market price of water and the problem of subsidies for large irrigators Subsidies to irrigation lead to a consumption of Quantity Qs of water Qe would be the market equilibrium without subsidies Q * would be the ecologically optimal quantity withdrawn

Average Monthly Water Bills in U.S. Cities

Price per Unit Quantity of Water Used Uniform Rate Structure Price per Unit Quantity of Water Used Increasing Block Rate Structure Price per Unit Quantity of Water Used Decreasing Block Rate Structure Pricing Structures

Increasing Bloc Rate Structure in U.S. Cities

Marginal Value of Water in Various Uses (per acre-foot)

Markets of Water Rights for Major Users (irrigators, industries, cities) Water markets are in place in several countries, including Australia, Chile, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In the US, Municipalities are the most common purchaser of water (mostly from irrigators), but transfers between irrigators are also common. About 17 percent of the water purchased is for environmental purposes, including purchases by municipalities and environmental organizations. => great potential for water markets to improve the environment

Water Management and Governance: What institutional frameworks for water conservation? State control? Public services in developing countries have often proven inefficient and corrupt Privatization? Promoted by World Bank and IMF – but without appropriate regulation, water companies can charge excessive rates and fail to address the needs of the poorest The “Water War” in Cochabamba, Bolivia, 2000

The acequias of New Mexico are communal irrigation canals, a way to share water for agriculture in a dry land. “ Communities have relied on institutions resembling neither the state nor the market to govern some resource systems with reasonable degrees of success over long periods of time ” - Elinor Ostrom, in “Governing the Commons” (1990) Re-creating Collective Systems for Management of the Commons?

Local Movements for Re-Municipalization of Water 2002: Felton water system was sold to California American Water Co. (Cal-Am), a subsidiary of RWE Aktiengesellschaft - the third largest water company in the world. RWE filed for a 74% rate increase. In 2003, residents form a coalition to buy back their water resources to Cal-Am – at ballot, 75% voters voted YES – A six-year legal battle ensued. In 2008 Felton citizens won back their water, inspiring dozens of other towns to do the same. 180 cities and communities in 35 countries, including Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Paris, Accra, Berlin, La Paz, Maputo and Kuala Lumpur, have all “re-municipalized” their water systems in the past 10 years.