Water Futures

Business as usual:Water changes by 2025; Water scarcity will reduce food production Consumption of water will rise by over 50% Household water use will increase by 70% (mainly in LEDCs) Industrial water demand will increase in LEDCs Wider Impacts; LEDCs will become reliant on food imports and experience increased hunger and malnutrition In Sub Saharan Africa grain imports will triple In USA, China, India, Egypt and North Africa, water will be pumped faster than aquifers can recharge

Water Crisis:Water changes by 2025; Global water consumption will increase mostly for irrigation Worldwide domestic demand will fall Industrial demand will increase by 33% over business as usual levels Wider Impacts; Food production will decline and food prices will increase rapidly In LEDCs malnutrition and food insecurity will increase Dam building will decline and key aquifers in China, India and North Africa will fail Conflict over water will increase

Sustainable Water:Water changes by 2025; Global consumption and industrial use will have to fall considerably Environmental flows increase Rain fed crop yields increase due to water harvesting and sustainable farming Agricultural and household water prices double in MEDCs and triple in LEDCs Wider Impacts; Increase in food production, prices fall slowly Investment in crop research, technology and water management reforms will increase Unsustainable pumping of groundwater stops

Water Quality:By 2020, 135 million people in LEDCs will die due to water borne diseases like typhoid and choleraEutrophication400 billion tonnes of industrial waste water is generated annually which is pumped into rivers untreatedDams trap sediment upstream which reduces fertility on the plainsRainwater Harvesting:Advantages: Cheap materials Straight forward construction methods Low maintenance costs Provides safe supply of water Disadvantages: Supply can be contaminated Poorly constructed jars can suffer algae growth