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https://theconversation.com/the-world-is-in-water-bankruptcy-un-scientists-report-heres-what-that-means-273213>
"The world is now using so much fresh water amid the consequences of climate
change that it has entered an era of water bankruptcy, with many regions no
longer able to bounce back from frequent water shortages.
About 4 billion people – nearly half the global population – live with severe
water scarcity for at least one month a year, without access to sufficient
water to meet all of their needs. Many more people are seeing the consequences
of water deficit: dry reservoirs, sinking cities, crop failures, water
rationing and more frequent wildfires and dust storms in drying regions.
Water bankruptcy signs are everywhere, from Tehran, where droughts and
unsustainable water use have depleted reservoirs the Iranian capital relies on,
adding fuel to political tensions, to the U.S., where water demand has
outstripped the supply in the Colorado River, a crucial source of drinking
water and irrigation for seven states.
Water bankruptcy is not just a metaphor for water deficit. It is a chronic
condition that develops when a place uses more water than nature can reliably
replace, and when the damage to the natural assets that store and filter that
water, such as aquifers and wetlands, becomes hard to reverse.
A new study I led with the United Nations University Institute for Water,
Environment and Health concludes that the world has now gone beyond temporary
water crises. Many natural water systems are no longer able to return to their
historical conditions. These systems are in a state of failure – water
bankruptcy."
Via Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
