A Thirsty PlanetA Thirsty Planet

Global Water Issues Part 1Global Water Issues Part 1

Water, water everywhereWater, water everywhere

• 70% of the earth’s surface is covered 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with waterwith water

• Around 97% of this water is saltwaterAround 97% of this water is saltwater– Of the 3% that is freshwater, less than Of the 3% that is freshwater, less than

1% is accessible1% is accessible

Who’s water-rich?Who’s water-rich?

• 6 countries (Brazil, Russia, Canada, 6 countries (Brazil, Russia, Canada, Indonesia, China and Colombia) have Indonesia, China and Colombia) have 50 percent of the world's freshwater 50 percent of the world's freshwater reserves reserves – Canada (with about 7%) is third after Canada (with about 7%) is third after

Brazil and RussiaBrazil and Russia

Who’s water-poor?Who’s water-poor?

• One-third of the world's population lives in One-third of the world's population lives in "water-stressed" countries, defined as a "water-stressed" countries, defined as a country's ratio of water consumption to country's ratio of water consumption to water availabilitywater availability

• Currently, 600 million people face water Currently, 600 million people face water scarcityscarcity– Depending on future rates of population Depending on future rates of population

growth, between 2.7 billion and 3.2 billion growth, between 2.7 billion and 3.2 billion people may be living in either water-scarce or people may be living in either water-scarce or water-stressed conditions by 2025water-stressed conditions by 2025

• Nearly a billion people lack access to safe Nearly a billion people lack access to safe drinking waterdrinking water

Who’s water-poor?Who’s water-poor?

• 5,000 children die every day from 5,000 children die every day from diarrhoea, or one every 17 secondsdiarrhoea, or one every 17 seconds– Over 1.5 million preventable deaths each yearOver 1.5 million preventable deaths each year

• Globally, diarrhoea is the leading cause of Globally, diarrhoea is the leading cause of illness and death, and 88 per cent of illness and death, and 88 per cent of diarrhoeal deaths are due to a lack of diarrhoeal deaths are due to a lack of access to sanitation facilities, together access to sanitation facilities, together with inadequate availability of water for with inadequate availability of water for hygiene and unsafe drinking waterhygiene and unsafe drinking water

Population vs. Water SupplyPopulation vs. Water Supply

• Populations grow, but the amount of water Populations grow, but the amount of water on the planet is fixedon the planet is fixed

• As the quality of life continues to improve for As the quality of life continues to improve for people around the globe, our water demands people around the globe, our water demands inflate even more, with gross amounts inflate even more, with gross amounts needed to raise cattle, harvest grain, and needed to raise cattle, harvest grain, and produce clothing, electronics, and energyproduce clothing, electronics, and energy

• Since 1950 global water use has nearly Since 1950 global water use has nearly tripled tripled

Where does it go?Where does it go?

• Water consumption worldwide:Water consumption worldwide:– Agriculture: 70%Agriculture: 70%– Industry: 20%Industry: 20%– Domestic use: 10%Domestic use: 10%

• In industrialized nations, however, In industrialized nations, however, industries consume more than half of the industries consume more than half of the water available for human usewater available for human use– Belgium, for example, uses 80% of the water Belgium, for example, uses 80% of the water

available for industryavailable for industry

Where does it go?Where does it go?

• Per capita residential water use rates Per capita residential water use rates (per person per day):(per person per day):– North America: about 350 litresNorth America: about 350 litres– Europe: about 200 litresEurope: about 200 litres– Sub-Saharan Africa: 10 to 20 litresSub-Saharan Africa: 10 to 20 litres

• A child born in the developed world A child born in the developed world consumes thirty to fifty times the consumes thirty to fifty times the water resources that a child in the water resources that a child in the developing world consumesdeveloping world consumes

Agriculture and WaterAgriculture and Water

• Part of the current Part of the current pressure on water pressure on water resources comes resources comes from increasing from increasing demands for animal demands for animal feedfeed

• Meat production Meat production requires 8-10 times requires 8-10 times more water than more water than cereal productioncereal production

Agriculture and WaterAgriculture and Water

• The shift towards The shift towards more meat more meat consumption amongst consumption amongst the global population the global population has hadhas had the greatest the greatest to impact on water to impact on water consumption over the consumption over the past 30 years, and is past 30 years, and is likely to continue well likely to continue well into the middle of the into the middle of the twenty-first centurytwenty-first century

Oil and WaterOil and Water

•Canada’s Oilsands operators used approximately 170 million cubic meters of water in 2011– equivalent to the residential water use

of 1.7 million Canadians

• It takes 3-5 litres of water to produce a litre of oil

Oil and WaterOil and Water

• The production of biofuels has The production of biofuels has increased sharply in recent years, increased sharply in recent years, with significant impact on water with significant impact on water demanddemand

• Between 1,000 and 4,000 litres of Between 1,000 and 4,000 litres of water are needed to produce a single water are needed to produce a single litre of biofuellitre of biofuel

Pollution and WaterPollution and Water

• Up to 90 % of wastewater in Up to 90 % of wastewater in developing countries flows untreated developing countries flows untreated into rivers, lakes and highly into rivers, lakes and highly productive coastal zones, productive coastal zones, threatening health, food security and threatening health, food security and access to safe drinking and bathing access to safe drinking and bathing waterwater

QuestionsQuestions

• Page 156 #12 &13Page 156 #12 &13

• Page 159 #15, 16, 17, 21Page 159 #15, 16, 17, 21

• Page 161 #25Page 161 #25