He appears a report An issue issued by the World Bank, based on satellite measurements and global economic data, indicates that the Earth loses approximately 324 billion cubic meters of fresh water annually, due to waste and depletion of groundwater resources.
This volume of water could meet the annual water needs of about 280 million people, so each year of loss carries more risk for communities already living on the brink of drought.
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
The study focuses on continental drought, the long-term decline in fresh water stored on land, and highlights places where water use is rising most rapidly and where people are most vulnerable.
Researchers at the Dutch University of Twente combined satellite data on surface water, soil moisture, and underground storage with detailed information on land use, crops, and climate.
The team also calculated water use on a 10-kilometre-by-10-kilometre grid for the entire world, revealing local patterns that are often hidden by national averages.
The new study shows that many places are already in the red, especially those that depend on shrinking rivers and stressed underground reserves.
Rapidly drying areas exist under high population densities and intensive agriculture, meaning that even small changes in storage can impact food prices, jobs and migration.
Drain fresh water
Agriculture accounts for about 70% of global freshwater withdrawals, while industry and drinking water together use the remaining share, according to For estimates UNESCO.
Agricultural crops return much of that water to the atmosphere through evaporation, so much of it disappears from local use after once passing through a field.
The study indicates that changes in agricultural practices often have a greater impact on overall water use than changes in factories or household behavior.
In dry areas where farmers rely on pumping, heavy irrigation can pull water from the ground faster than nature can replenish it.
Over time, overuse causes the water table to fall, pumping costs increase, and poor farmers may be denied access to what remains. At the same time, cities are expanding and consuming more water for homes, services and cooling.
As urban demand increases, governments face difficult choices about whether to direct scarce water to crops, homes, or energy, especially during drought years.
As for virtual water, it is that contained in products that move through trade. When people buy food, clothes, or electronic devices, they are also buying, indirectly, the water needed to grow or manufacture these goods.
And it was study Haditha has revealed that agricultural commodities traded across borders account for about a quarter of the total water consumed by crops worldwide, so a large share of water use is actually exported or imported in the form of food.
In practice, this means that water is not just a local problem, linked to rain and rivers within the country’s borders. Trade patterns, consumer choices, and agricultural policies in one region may alleviate or exacerbate water problems in another.
Researchers measure Water stress The proportion of available fresh water drawn by people in an area, and once this proportion exceeds certain limits, countries may face increased competition among users and greater risks of shortages.
The new study shows that large parts of northern India, Central America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East are already “drying basins,” where demand and pressure are increasing simultaneously.
As for sub-Saharan Africa, the study links water shortages resulting from drought to job loss for about 600,000 to 900,000 people annually, especially in rural agricultural communities, and among women and older workers.
Continental drought also causes frequent and severe forest fires, especially in forests and grasslands that used to remain wet throughout most of the year.
The study estimates that a modest increase in the rate of freshwater depletion could increase the probability of wildfire outbreaks by more than a quarter, and by about half in biodiversity hotspots where species are already under pressure.
As water levels fall and rivers shrink, ecosystems lose the steady flows they need to keep species alive.
Wetlands can turn into dry plains, fish populations may decline, and soils may deteriorate, making recovery more difficult even if rains eventually return.
Sustainability methods
The most optimistic part of the study is that changing how and where food is grown could lead to huge savings.
The researchers estimate that moving major crops to areas with moderate water efficiency could have a significant impact on global consumption.
They also point out that modifying agricultural land patterns alone could save about 137 billion cubic meters of fresh water annually. This quantity is approximately sufficient to meet the needs of more than 100 million people.
Improving irrigation efficiency, and limiting the amount of water allocated to crops that actually reaches their roots, is a major part of this potential.
Improving the quality of canals, drip or sprinkler irrigation systems, and smart scheduling also constitute a practical solution that reduces losses caused by evaporation and seepage so that the same harvest requires less water.