Water Security: emerging global issues of 21st century and challenges for water

professionals

Ramesh KanwarProfessor and Chair

Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA

Humanity's Top Ten Problems for the Next 50 Years

• Energy • Water • Food • Environment • Poverty • Terrorism & War • Disease • Education • Democracy • Population

• Compiled by Dr. R. E. Smalley• University Professor, Rice University• 1996 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry• Discoverer of the C60 “buckyball” molecule • Developer of carbon nanotubes

Millennium Development Goals

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Achieve universal primary education

Promote gender equality and empower women

Reduce child mortality

Improve maternal health

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Ensure environmental sustainability

Develop a global partnership for development

Millennium Development Goals

How many of the Millennium Development Goals are related to water?

Ladish, 2005

Global Challenges: Climate Change

Ladish, 2005

Increased Green House Gases

Ladish, 2005

Increasing Population to Feed

Ladish, 2005

Aging Populations and Gender issues

SOCIAL JUSTICE – Challenge between “have’s” and “have-not’s” Can we apply this philosophy to water???

Major Challenges and Issues for the 21st Century

Challenges of 2050: Water Availability and Water Quality

Key Questions for Water Professionals/Society?• Can we provide clean drinking water to 9 billion

people in 2050?

• Will we be able to produce enough food to feed 9 billion people in 2050? Currently 80% of all global water use is in agriculture. What will be the use of water in agriculture in 2050?

Major Challenges and Issues for the 21st CenturyChallenges of 2050: Water Availability and Water

Quality

• Can we meet all water needs of developed and developing economies of the world in 2050 (including energy and industry)?

• Are we training water engineers and other water professionals to solve the problems of 2050? Very few students taking courses on water economics, water policies, water law, and water conflicts.

CONSERVATION!! CONSERVATION!! SOUND WATER POLICIES NEED TO BE

IMPLEMENTED!!

Major Challenges/Issues for the 21st Century Cont…• Climate Change/Global Warming: More than 200

million people could be permanently displaced by 2050 due to rising sea levels; shift in cropping systems over landscape.

• Overuse of Rivers and Groundwater Aquifers: Major rivers are drying up and do not deliver water to oceans – Dead Sea, Aral Sea, Yellow River, Ganges River, Colorado River etc. are good examples. Groundwater aquifers are being pumped dry.

• Water Quality: Going to be the major issue by 2050 if something is not done. More people will die from poor quality water than lack of food. About 1.2 billion people become sick every year due to poor quality drinking water and several million die.

Major Challenges/Issues for the 21st Century Cont…

• Water Conflicts/Trans-boundary Issues: Future wars could be over water.

• Water Policies for Freshwater Scarcity: Could lead to reduction of agricultural capacity in some regions. Must grow 'more crop per drop’. Subsidies, local politics, and policies leading to inefficiencies. Water can not be free for all. Marketing forces need a place.

• Access to Safe and Sufficient water for Basic Human Needs: Will effect human health and economic development. Today nearly 3 billion people live without basic sanitation;

Major Challenges/Issues for the 21st Century Cont…

• Ecosystems: Provide food chain of many birds and fish, and other aquatic life and must be supported

• Water & Cities: By 2030, over 60% of the world's population will be living in urban areas. The urban water crisis can only be met by good water conservation practices and avoiding wasteful use of water.

• Water and Energy: Even now, some 2 billion people do not have access to a reliable supply of electricity and what will happen in 2050.

World Water Supply

97.2% Saline2.15% Icecaps& Glaciers

0.307% in GroundWater < 0.5mi deep

0.307% in GroundWater > 0.5mi deep

0.005% soilmoisture

0.01% in surfacewaters & theatmosphere

2.8% Fresh

21st Century Water Challenges

Climate Change/Global Warming

Rising sea levels

Change in evapotranspiration?

Change in cropping patterns

Others?

21st Century Water Challenges

Water Supplies

Not enough available water for human use

Not enough water to meet demands of growing economies (irrigation, industry, drinking water)

Depletion of groundwater and lowering of water table

21st Century Water Challenges

Water Supplies

Wasteful use of already developed water supplies

Increasing costs of developing new water supplies

Non-uniform distribution of water resources among and within countries

21st Century Water Challenges

Water Quality

Single largest threat to human health and food security

Water pollution from industrial, municipal and agriculture

Majority of drinking water supplies in the developing world are contaminated

21st Century Water Challenges

Water Quality

Water borne disease increasing – pesticides, heavy metals, and pathogens

Food safety: fresh vegetables, fresh meat – washed with poor quality water

In 2025, more people will die from drinking contaminated water rather than lack of food if some thing not done soon???

21st Century Water Challenges

Water Quality

Degradation of water-related ecosystems – human sustainability at risk

Degradation of soils in irrigated areas – salinity level increasing

21st Century Water Challenges

Water Quality and Livestock

Drinking water qualityNitrate/nitrite causes “blue baby” diseaseNewborn babies essentially suffocate

Surface waterAmmonia > 2 mg/L Kills Fish

Phosphate > 0.05 mg/L promotes excess algae growth which leads to fish Kills

EutophicationBOD depletes oxygen which causes fish kills

Hypoxia

Major Water Quality Issue: WORLD HYPOXIC ZONES

21st Century Water Challenges

Water Quality and Agriculture in General60% N and 25% P from European agiculture to North Sea

Significant levels flowing into the Adriatic Sea

Hypoxia in Gulf of Mexico – due to nutrient pollution from agriculture

Eutrophication problems in Lake Erie

21st Century Water Challenges

Water Conflicts/Trans-boundary Issues

Population growth

Demand for water already increased by 900% and will continue to increase

Good drinking water supplies limited

Water supply/rainfall inadequate in many areas

Trans-boundary basins

In 2002, there were 263 trans-boundary basins compared to 214 in 1978.

- Africa: 59    - Asia: 58    - Europe: 73    - Latin America and the Caribbean: 61   - North America: 17    - Oceania: 1

19 basins involve five or more different countries:

The Danube River basin is shared by 18 riparian nations.

Five basins are shared between 9 and 11 countries. Thirteen basins have between 5 and 8 riparian nations.

Trans-boundary basins cont….

Selected Examples of Rivers & Lakes with five or more nations:

- Danube 18 nations

- Congo 11

- Nile 10

- Amazon 8

- Aral sea 6

- Ganges 6

- Jordan 6

- Mekong 6

- Tigris 6

- Will require good water policies and water treaties between countries

Water Conflicts

• The Texas Panhandle• Alabama and Florida VS Georgia in the USA• India/Pakistan; India/Bangladesh• Within India between states (serious situation)• China/India; China/Nepal; China/Vietnam• South Africa• The middle east– Israel/Syria– Egypt/Sudan

Water Conflicts• Main Example for this Course

21st Century Water Challenges

Water Policies for Freshwater Scarcity

Urban population growth

Increased income

Political pressure from farmers

Political pressure from industry

Water pricing

21st Century Water Challenges

Safe & Sufficient water for Basic Human Needs

Groundwater pollution

Disease control

Urban population growth

Increased sanitary needs

21st Century Water Challenges

Ecosystems and Sustainability

Ecosystems services Carbon sequestration Pollination Flood control Prevention of soil erosion

Biodiversity

Natural amenities

21st Century Water Challenges

Water and Cities

Supply of fresh water Competition for water input Treatment options Waste from treatment Delivery/mangement/pricing

Sewage disposalStorm water run-offOther run-offUse of waste water

21st Century Water Challenges

Water and Energy

Pumping (electricity)

Water treatment/desalinization

Hydroelectric plants

Med-Dead --- Red-Dead

21st Century Water Solutions

Conservation

Conserving water in existing systems through water management, incentives and policy reforms

21st Century Water Solutions

Conservation

More efficient use

Improving crop productivity per unit of water and land through integrated water management and agricultural research and policy efforts for rainfed and irrigated agriculture (agriculture uses 70-80% of water)

21st Century Water Solutions

Conservation

More efficient use

Improved infrastructure

Increasing the supply of water for irrigation, domestic, and industrial purposes through investment in infrastructure

21st Century Water Solutions

Conservation

More efficient use

Improved infrastructure

Enlightened policiesWater pricingUse quotasEnergy pricingWater law

21st Century Water Solutions

ConservationMore efficient useImproved infrastructureEnlightened policiesResearch (Science and Technology)

Water conservation/water management practicesWater harvesting --- reservoirs, groundwater recharge, watershed managementBetter and efficient irrigation systems; Recycling of waste water; Protection of water quality

21st Century Water Solutions

ConservationMore efficient useImproved infrastructureEnlightened policiesResearch (Science and Technology)

Education

Opportunities for Agricultural and Biological Engineers

• Design innovative sustainable irrigation systems of 21st century

• Redesign of landscape water management systems to protect the health of diverse ecosystems

• Develop water conservation technologies• Develop technologies and systems to protect and clean

degraded water supplies• Develop hydrologic models for water resources

management and help develop effective water policies• Engagement of agricultural and biological engineers in

policy• Develop innovative curricula to address 21st water issues• Develop global partnerships to solve global water problems• Take the social agenda to educate people on water

conservation and eliminate wasteful use of water