Author
 |
Bouwer, Herman |
|
Submitted to: Agricultural Water Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 3/8/2000 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Growing populations, limited renewable water resources, and uncertainty about climate changes will aggravate water shortage problems. People will increasingly live in cities, creating increasing numbers of sewage and pollution problems. Intensification of agriculture can lead to more contamination of surface water and groundwater. Internationally, water shortages can lead to water wars. While the politicians and heads-of-stat may argue over water and generals may fight over it, ultimately, it is the engineers and scientists who must develop optimum solutions. Increasingly, solutions must consider all aspects of water management issues, including sustainability, public health, environmental and ecological protection, economics, conservation, and recycling or reuse of water, socio, cultural aspects, long-term storage, water pollution control, regional approaches, public involvement, conflict resolution, and other aspects of integrated water management. The main issues discussed in this paper are global wate outlook, artificial recharge of groundwater, water reuse, nonpoint source pollution of groundwater and virtual water. An example of the latter is a water-short area that imports agricultural commodities or electric power from other countries that have more water and therefore, receives the water that was necessary to produce these commodities; hence, that water is virtually embedded therein. Use of the virtual water concept may prevent water conflicts from turning into water wars. Beneficiaries include planners, government officials, water districts, municipalities, water resources departments, engineers and scientists, and ultimately water users and consumers. Technical Abstract: Most of the projected global population increases will occur in Third World Countries that already suffer from water, food, and health problems. Increasingly, agricultural water management must be coordinated with, and integrated into, the overall water management of the region. Sustainability, public health, and environmental protection are key factors. More storage of water behind dams and especially in aquifers via artificial recharge is necessary to save water in times of water surplus for use in times of water shortage. Municipal wastewater can be an important water resource, but its use must be carefully planned and regulated to prevent adverse health effects and, in the case of irrigation, undue contamination of groundwater. While almost all liquid fresh water of the planet occurs underground, its long-term suitability as a source of water is threatened by nonpoint source pollution from agriculture and by aquifer depletion due to groundwater withdrawals in excess of groundwater recharge. Water short countries can save water by importing most of their food and electric power from other countries that have more water, so that in essence they also get the water that was necessary to produce these commodities and, hence, is virtually embedded in the commodities. This "virtual" water tends to be a lot cheaper for the receiving country than developing its own water resources. Local water can then be used for purposes with higher social or economic returns or saved for the future. |
