International Water Management Institute - Declining freshwater storage: A hidden crisis
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has released a new working paper (Change in global freshwater storage) which highlights the need for strategic thinking about the longevity of the world’s freshwater stores, especially ‘operational’ water storage (i.e. the portion of global water resources which can actually be utilized by people). The paper highlights some worrying trends, with a total loss of global terrestrial water storage of approximately 27,000 billion cubic meters! These losses are driven by melting glaciers, degradation of lakes/wetlands and over-abstraction of groundwater resources.
Will these trends continue or worsen due to climate change driven impacts to water resources? This is one key question that the C1W project hopes to answer, at least in the Canadian context.
Abstract:
Freshwater in both natural and man-made stores is critical for socioeconomic development. Globally, cumulative reduction in terrestrial water storage from 1971 to 2020 is estimated to be of the order of 27,079 Bm3. Although insignificant in comparison to the total volume stored, the decrease in ‘operational’ water stored (i.e., the proportion of water storage that is sustainably utilizable by people) is estimated to be of the order of 3% to 5% since 1971. In many places, both natural and man-made water storage are declining simultaneously, exacerbating water stress. Conjunctive use of different water stores is a prerequisite for water security and it is vital that natural water stores are fully integrated, alongside man-made water infrastructure, in future water resources planning and management.
Click here to read the IWMI press release, or…
Click here to read the IWMI Working Paper - Change in Global Freshwater Storage.
“The demands of growing and increasingly thirsty societies with rapidly changing consumption patterns for food, mobility, and energy are putting pressure on already strained water resources. Additionally, we are likely to see greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events as a result of climate change. In the future, water storage will become more important for supporting adaptation and the resilience of societies. Storage options must be flexible to deal with uncertainty. More efforts are needed to protect and restore existing storage. It is vital that natural water stores are fully integrated, alongside man-made water stores, in water resources planning and management.”