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Water Shortages Could Affect 5 Billion People By 2050, UNESCO Warns (theguardian.com)
About 3.6 billion people are estimated to be living in areas with a potential for water scarcity for at least one month per year, and this number could rise to as many as 5.7 billion people by 2050, according to a report published by UNESCO [PDF]. From a report: The comprehensive annual study warns of conflict and civilisational threats unless actions are taken to reduce the stress on rivers, lakes, aquifers, wetlands and reservoirs. The World Water Development Report -- released in drought-hit BrasÃlia -- says positive change is possible, particularly in the key agricultural sector, but only if there is a move towards nature-based solutions that rely more on soil and trees than steel and concrete.
"For too long, the world has turned first to human-built, or 'grey', infrastructure to improve water management. In doing so, it has often brushed aside traditional and indigenous knowledge that embraces greener approaches," says Gilbert Houngbo, the chair of UN Water, in the preface of the 100-page assessment. "In the face of accelerated consumption, increasing environmental degradation and the multi-faceted impacts of climate change, we clearly need new ways of manage competing demands on our freshwater resources."
"For too long, the world has turned first to human-built, or 'grey', infrastructure to improve water management. In doing so, it has often brushed aside traditional and indigenous knowledge that embraces greener approaches," says Gilbert Houngbo, the chair of UN Water, in the preface of the 100-page assessment. "In the face of accelerated consumption, increasing environmental degradation and the multi-faceted impacts of climate change, we clearly need new ways of manage competing demands on our freshwater resources."
We get more than enough water for all world falling from the sky here. Finally the shite weather proves to be good for something ;)
What indigenous knowledge is there for managing water? Typically they would just move to another water source if their main one disappeared. Is there some magic tree and soil combination that creates water? My guess is Gilbert Houngbo is one of those African "leaders" who also believes in many crazy things.
Dismissed as bullshit alarmist crap
May be alarmist, but certainly the cracks in the water infrastructure of large cities are showing...
Melbourne, Australia
Mexico City, Mexico
Cape Town, South Africa
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Jakarta, Indonesia
Certainly, we aren't running out of fresh water as a species. However, the fresh water isn't where the people are, and the infrastructure planning to adjust for fluctuations in historical rainfall patterns is lagging greatly.
The problems are likely technically solvable, but may be so expensive that they will serve displace populations (negative growth in mega cities). I don't think 5B people will die of thirst by 2050, but I can certainly imagine that 5B people wouldn't live where they might have been if it weren't for water issues.
A lot of commenters seem to not get that, unless you have a handy solar, wind or tidal powered desalination plant lying around and the capital to build one, living on the coast won't help, as the water is not drinkable. Diseases are spread in marshlands too, so being too near the coast can impact your fresh water supply.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Once Tech solves the problem, the price will come down substantially.
Heck there are some very well known places that have fairly good DeSal plants supplying water already. There isn't a huge need (yet) therefore it is still expensive.
De-sal plants currently have two big flaws, you need to be near the ocean and you need to dump the brine somewhere. Okay, brine isn't high-level nuclear waste, but there's a lot more of it than high-level nuclear waste...
There's some folks working on making commercial chemical product like sodium bicarbonate calcium chloride from the brine which can finance the processing of the brine. However, right now, people are mostly just dumping the brine (back into the ocean making it locally saltier or into evaporation pools that contaminate the land).
That is the thing Slashdotters don't understand: things don't happen by magic. There isn't some sudden "breakthrough" where you can make desalinated water without a relatively expensive process. No one is going to suddenly create something to save the planet. That only happens in movies.
Don't worry about it. By that time, Nestle will be selling water to your kids. Just get filthy rich and everything will be fine.