| Abstrakt: |
The paper considers the causes of freshwater scarcity and its worsening, and gives recommendations for the prevention, remediation and mitigation of climate change negative effects on groundwater. Wet technology sectors have been developed rapidly in the global market. Currently, there is already a clear increase in freshwater scarcity. According to the UN, over 1.2 billion people live under constant growth of freshwater scarcity, and FAO predicts that the number of those living in water scarcity conditions will exceed 4 billion people [1] by the middle of the third decade of the XXI century. As far as is known, G. Rodda, as early as 1997, offered an ascending global water consumption curve (under 3 possible scenarios) and a descending curve of economically available water resources. Already existing factors of negative anthropogenic impact on water sources (pollution, depletion due to unacceptably high water intake, draining of raised bogs with the inevitable depletion of small rivers fed by raised bogs, deforestation watershed, etc.) were taken into account [2]. The analysis shows that the curves of water consumption and available resources intersect in 20352045 (depending on the scenario). It is projected that, considering the water consumption level over the past 10 years, which has grown 10 times, the amount of available resources is decreasing more rapidly than during the period taken as the basis for extrapolation. Thus, with appropriate adjustments, the intersection is anticipated in 2025-2030. In recent decades, freshwater scarcity has been increasing in regions where it did not exist before and is aggravating everywhere. The obvious reason is the increased water consumption by the growing population and economy. However, if the issue was limited only to this reason, only relative indicators of water availability (not necessarily real consumption) would deteriorate: amount of water resources per capita and per unit of output. However, fresh water of satisfactory quality is shrinking, not only in relative but also in absolute terms. This fact is often underestimated, and sometimes goes unnoticed. Nevertheless, it allows understanding the essence of the water scarcity widening process and determining the basic principles of strategy which will allow the developing mankind to solve a problem. To analyse it, it is necessary to start with the natural science aspect, and then move to the economic and political aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
