doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1500323. eCollection 2016 Feb.
Four billion people facing severe water scarcity
Affiliations
- PMID:26933676
- PMCID: PMC4758739
- DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1500323
Item in Clipboard
Four billion people facing severe water scarcity
Mesfin M Mekonnen et al. Sci Adv..
Display options
Format
Display options
Format
Abstract
Freshwater scarcity is increasingly perceived as a global systemic risk. Previous global water scarcity assessments, measuring water scarcity annually, have underestimated experienced water scarcity by failing to capture the seasonal fluctuations in water consumption and availability. We assess blue water scarcity globally at a high spatial resolution on a monthly basis. We find that two-thirds of the global population (4.0 billion people) live under conditions of severe water scarcity at least 1 month of the year. Nearly half of those people live in India and China. Half a billion people in the world face severe water scarcity all year round. Putting caps to water consumption by river basin, increasing water-use efficiencies, and better sharing of the limited freshwater resources will be key in reducing the threat posed by water scarcity on biodiversity and human welfare.
Keywords: envrionmnetal flow requirement; high spatial resolution; monthly water scarcity; water footprint.
Figures
Water scarcity at the grid cell level is defined as the ratio of the blue water footprint within the grid cell to the sum of the blue water generated within the cell and the blue water inflow from upstream cells. Period: 1996–2005.
Period: 1996–2005.
Period: 1996–2005.
Similar articles
- Global monthly water scarcity: blue water footprints versus blue water availability.Hoekstra AY, Mekonnen MM, Chapagain AK, Mathews RE, Richter BD.Hoekstra AY, et al.PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e32688. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032688. Epub 2012 Feb 29.PLoS One. 2012.PMID:22393438Free PMC article.
- Mapping Monthly Water Scarcity in Global Transboundary Basins at Country-Basin Mesh Based Spatial Resolution.Degefu DM, Weijun H, Zaiyi L, Liang Y, Zhengwei H, Min A.Degefu DM, et al.Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 1;8(1):2144. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20032-w.Sci Rep. 2018.PMID:29391421Free PMC article.
- Assessment of Water Footprints of Consumption and Production in Transboundary River Basins at Country-Basin Mesh-Based Spatial Resolution.Wu X, Degefu DM, Yuan L, Liao Z, He W, An M, Zhang Z.Wu X, et al.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Feb 27;16(5):703. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16050703.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019.PMID:30818781Free PMC article.
- Freshwater biodiversity: importance, threats, status and conservation challenges.Dudgeon D, Arthington AH, Gessner MO, Kawabata Z, Knowler DJ, Lévêque C, Naiman RJ, Prieur-Richard AH, Soto D, Stiassny ML, Sullivan CA.Dudgeon D, et al.Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2006 May;81(2):163-82. doi: 10.1017/S1464793105006950. Epub 2005 Dec 12.Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2006.PMID:16336747Review.
- Global hydrological cycles and world water resources.Oki T, Kanae S.Oki T, et al.Science. 2006 Aug 25;313(5790):1068-72. doi: 10.1126/science.1128845.Science. 2006.PMID:16931749Review.
Cited by
- Simultaneous atmospheric water production and 24-hour power generation enabled by moisture-induced energy harvesting.Li T, Wu M, Xu J, Du R, Yan T, Wang P, Bai Z, Wang R, Wang S.Li T, et al.Nat Commun. 2022 Nov 9;13(1):6771. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34385-4.Nat Commun. 2022.PMID:36351950Free PMC article.
- A GIS-based interactive map enabling data-driven decision-making in Nigeria's food supply chain.Odion D, Shoji K, Evangelista R, Gajardo J, Motmans T, Defraeye T, Onwude D.Odion D, et al.MethodsX. 2023 Feb 1;10:102047. doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2023.102047. eCollection 2023.MethodsX. 2023.PMID:36845370Free PMC article.
- The Planet's Stressed River Basins: Too Much Pressure or Too Little Adaptive Capacity?Varis O, Taka M, Kummu M.Varis O, et al.Earths Future. 2019 Oct;7(10):1118-1135. doi: 10.1029/2019EF001239. Epub 2019 Oct 8.Earths Future. 2019.PMID:31894201Free PMC article.
- Fluids and Electrolytes under Confinement in Single-Digit Nanopores.Aluru NR, Aydin F, Bazant MZ, Blankschtein D, Brozena AH, de Souza JP, Elimelech M, Faucher S, Fourkas JT, Koman VB, Kuehne M, Kulik HJ, Li HK, Li Y, Li Z, Majumdar A, Martis J, Misra RP, Noy A, Pham TA, Qu H, Rayabharam A, Reed MA, Ritt CL, Schwegler E, Siwy Z, Strano MS, Wang Y, Yao YC, Zhan C, Zhang Z.Aluru NR, et al.Chem Rev. 2023 Mar 22;123(6):2737-2831. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00155. Epub 2023 Mar 10.Chem Rev. 2023.PMID:36898130Free PMC article.Review.
- Nanostructured Metal Oxide Sensors for Antibiotic Monitoring in Mineral and River Water.Magro C, Moura T, Dionísio J, Ribeiro PA, Raposo M, Sério S.Magro C, et al.Nanomaterials (Basel). 2022 May 29;12(11):1858. doi: 10.3390/nano12111858.Nanomaterials (Basel). 2022.PMID:35683715Free PMC article.
References
- World Economic Forum, Global Risks 2015, 10th Edition (World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015).
- Vörösmarty C. J., Green P., Salisbury J., Lammers R. B., Global water resources: Vulnerability from climate change and population growth. Science 289, 284–288 (2000). - PubMed
- Ercin A. E., Hoekstra A. Y., Water footprint scenarios for 2050: A global analysis. Environ. Int. 64, 71–82 (2014). - PubMed
- Postel S. L., Daily G. C., Ehrlich P. R., Human appropriation of renewable fresh water. Science 271, 785–788 (1996).
- Savenije H. H. G., Water scarcity indicators; the deception of the numbers. Phys. Chem. Earth B 25, 199–204 (2000).
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Related information
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Miscellaneous