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Business Week covers water issues; are we nearing the next major natural resource crisis?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 21, 2008 at 7:36 am

From Business Week:

Water may be the source of the next major natural resource crisis. A rising world population; increased demand for water for agriculture, industry, and energy production; and a growing desire for safer and more plentiful water supplies are pressuring existing resources. At the same time, climate change may be reducing the availability of fresh water. Most citizens of Europe and North America have taken for granted access to cheap, safe water. People in Asia, Africa, and Latin America would like to. Will all of us have to start thinking harder about it?

Drought conditions in several parts of the world have increased the attention paid to water resources recently. In the U.S., the drought in the Southeast that began last year is the second-worst in the region’s history and has strained state and city governments, including that of Atlanta. Australia, a country where water has always been very limited, has been suffering from a severe dry period. The continuing lack of rainfall in much of Africa has increased fears of famine and war.

At the same time, nonhousehold demand for water, particularly for irrigation, has been growing. Ethanol production requires more crops, which in turn demand more water. Potential exploitation of shale oil and tar sands for energy also requires water for processing. Increased development raises the need for electrical power, which requires water to generate electricity at hydro dams or to cool nuclear or fossil-fuel plants.

But the most significant problem is that an increasing population is pressing on limited water resources. The most rapid population growth is in the Middle East and Africa, the part of the world with most limited water resources.

Get the rest of this in-depth story from Business Week by clicking here.

February 21, 2008 · Filed Under National water news

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