Global River Basin Usage How humans use water1

Water Use by humans Increasing Freshwater Supplies Build dams & reservoirs to store runoff Bring in surface water from another area Withdraw ground water Desalination – convert salt water to fresh water Waste less water Import food to reduce water use How humans use water2

Various Water Retention Systems EEn  Groundwater: Precipitation that infiltrates the ground and percolates downward through voids (pores, fractures, & crevices)  Zone of saturation: voids completely filled with water  Water table: located at the top of the zone of saturation  Aquifers: Porous, water-saturated layers of sand, gravel, or bedrock through which groundwater flows How humans use water3

Wells Wells are a way to access water in an Aquifer Over pumping can remove water from an aquifer faster than it is renewed by precipitation. Lowering of the water table when a well is drilled into aquifer (left) A cone of depression(middle) Excessive water removal continues, the water table falls & the aquifer is depleted How humans use water4

Aquifer depletion from groundwater overdraft  Areas of greatest aquifer depletion from groundwater overdraft (top)  Ground subsidence (bottom)  Areas of greatest aquifer depletion from groundwater overdraft (top)  Ground subsidence (bottom)  Groundwater depletion prevention – Controlling population growth – Not planting water-intensive crops such as cotton in dry areas – Shifting to crops that need less water in dry areas – Developing crop strains that need less water & are heat resistant – Wasting less irrigation water How humans use water5

Dams Pros of dams & reservoirs :  Controlling floods  Producing hydroelectric power  Supplying water for irrigation, towns & cities  Reservoirs also provide recreational activities, such as swimming, fishing, & boating Cons of large dams & reservoirs Reduces downstream flow, preventing water to reach the sea Increased diversion of water is needed for irrigation for cities Flood large areas of productive farmland & forests where the dam is built The region’s entire ecosystem will be radically changed Water pollution will increase because of the river’s reduced water flow The reservoir fills up with sediment, making a flooding disaster more likely Annual deposits of nutrient-rich sediments will be reduced and fish hatching reduced How humans use water6

Agricultural It is estimated that 69% of worldwide water use is for irrigation It takes around 2, ,000 litres of water to produce enough food to satisfy one person's daily dietary need. To produce food for the now over 7 billion people who inhabit the planet today, it requires the water that would fill a canal ten metres deep, 100 metres wide and 2100 kilometres long. Agriculture Above are some of the way’s that farmers are able to reduce their impact on water supplies How humans use water7

Salt-Water Intrusion Saltwater intrusion occurs along coastal regions When the water table is lowered, the normal interface (dashed line) between fresh & saline groundwater moves inland (solid line) making groundwater drinking supplies unusable How humans use water8

Water Supplies Water prices rise as water supplies are being privatized worldwide. This results in: Decreased ability of poor farmers & city dwellers to buy enough water to meet their needs Transnational corporations are buying large supplies of water in water-short countries for resale at huge profits bCwZyJEb8Y bCwZyJEb8Y Population and Water Demand video questions.docx Population and Water Demand video questions.docx How humans use water9