How much clean water is there on earth? Planetary consumption and deficit. Types of Earth's water resources

Every time we open a water tap, a small miracle happens. There is more behind this familiar procedure than H2O (a combination of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom) in a liquid state. Water is circulatory system planet, a natural cycle on which human activity puts enormous pressure. “The amount of fresh water on Earth is now almost the same as in the time of Julius Caesar, who stood at the head of the Roman Empire. But over the past 2 thousand years, the world's population has increased from 200 million to 7.2 billion people, and world economy grew even faster (since 1960, GDP has grown by an average of 3.5% per year). The total need for food, energy, consumer goods and water for this huge human production demanded stronger control over water consumption,” summarizes Sandra Postel, head of the American organization Global Water Policy Project.

“There is very little water on the blue planet,” observes Elías Fereres, head of department at the University of Cordoba, who has previously held a number of positions related to agriculture and ecology. Fereres says that although 70% earth's surface covered with water, fresh water makes up only 1% of this amount, not counting what is found in the form of ice in glaciers, as well as in the Arctic and Antarctica. And this 1% is not only the source of our life, but also the main engine of world progress. “The cost of water is so high that it is impossible to determine it. Water must be used in such a way as to obtain the maximum benefit, without exacerbating inequalities in the economic, social and environmental spheres,” says the head of the department.

Where does this inequality come from? “The increase in population and economic growth that occurred in the 50s was largely due to advances in water supply: reservoirs, canals, pumps. Since 1950, the number of reservoirs has increased from 5 thousand to 50 thousand. That is, on average two a day for half a century. In the largest part of the world, water no longer flows in accordance with the laws of nature, but according to the will of man,” Postel emphasizes.

In the last century, these structures made it possible to meet the needs of most of the Earth. Agriculture(consuming 70% of fresh water), industry (20%) and domestic sphere (10%). However, an increase in demand, primarily due to developing countries, breaks this fragile balance. “The world is projected to be 40% water scarce in 2030 under constant climate conditions,” says the latest UN water report.

Its author, Richard Connor, deplores the lack of attention that state leaders pay to water supply issues, believing that water supplies are inexhaustible. “This issue needs constant attention, but people are completely unconcerned. Energy is considered as a primary economic and even geopolitical factor in ensuring the country's security. That's why he gets a lot of attention more attention. There will be a heavy price to pay for inattention to water issues, including a slowdown in the pace of development,” the researcher warns.

The course of events confirmed the correctness of scientists like Postel, who predicted that “water will become for the 21st century what oil was for the 20th century.” If the so-called black gold is so desirable that it even leads to military conflicts, then this is due to the fact that its reserves are running out and do not belong to everyone. The same thing will happen with fresh water as soon as demand exceeds its ability to reproduce. This phenomenon is called water stress.

Alexandre Taithe, director of the Foundation for Strategic Studies and an expert on the interaction between water and energy, paints a frightening picture. "In the countries of the south and east coast Mediterranean Sea- he warns - local authorities have decided to take the path of increasing water supplies. This policy, both in the case of seawater desalination and the exploitation groundwater and the transfer of large amounts of water entails large energy costs.”

According to his calculations, by 2025 the need for electricity for water supply in these countries will be about 20% of its total consumption. Now this figure is 10%. Water desalination, which is often presented almost as universal method To solve the problem of water shortage, it consumes the greatest amount of energy. Not all countries can afford this. Saudi Arabia, which has the largest desalination capacity, produces 5.5 million cubic meters of water daily. To obtain such an amount requires energy equivalent to 350 thousand barrels of oil per day.

In turn, generating electricity and extracting fossil fuels requires large amounts of water. In particular, according to Tait, 60% of river flow in France is used to cool thermal power plants and nuclear power plants. It should be noted that France ranks second in the world in generating electricity from nuclear power plants, and this water (in principle, not contaminated) flows back into river basins and lakes with slightly more than high temperature, which contributes to the spread of algae and the reduction of fish populations. In the water cycle, everything is interconnected. Any change in the natural course of things entails side effects.

Deep gas production using hydraulic fracturing deserves special discussion. Thanks to this technology, the United States achieved economic recovery and changed the geopolitical balance, ceasing to depend on Arab oil. But drilling each of these more than 500 thousand active wells (many of which are located in areas of water stress) requires from 75 to 180 million liters of water mixed with 36 kilograms of chemicals, including carcinogenic ones.

So, we sacrifice water - and our own health - on the altar of the economy. Globally, the increase in demand is a major concern: by 2050, the need for drinking water will increase by 55%, and in electricity - by 70%! And this despite the fact that not all of humanity uses both. About 800 million people live far from sources clean water, and 1.3 billion do not have electricity at home. According to Tait, the growing energy demand for water extraction represents "the single greatest obstacle to the development of many countries and threatens their energy security."

To what extent can water shortages cause military conflicts? Tait believes this is irrational. In his opinion, states are more interested in cooperation - 250 international agreements have already been signed - although other experts predict that future wars will be fought over water resources. According to Connor, this future is already coming. The expert believes that the unprecedented drought that hit the territory of the former Mesopotamia from 2006 to 2009, causing a significant increase in the price of wheat and, as a result, flour and bread, played a key role in the Syrian war. Due to drought, 1.5 million people have moved from rural areas to cities already engulfed in protests against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Connor traces the same causal link between the drought followed by large fires that broke out in Russia in 2010 and the Arab Spring. “Russia is a major supplier of wheat to Arab countries, but the price of flour doubled, which gave rise to discontent in society,” he sums up. Without these tensions, would democratization efforts have received so much support? Connor thinks not.

There are more and more hotbeds of tension on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The construction of a large dam in Ethiopia has caused tensions with Egypt, which opposes its construction because, according to Cairo, it will negatively affect the flow of the Nile and worsen water supply problems.

“In the few places where reservoirs can still be built, the environmental consequences will be too negative. It is necessary to develop other solutions,” says Fereres. In India and southeast China, farmers have found an alternative solution to extracting water from underground. Thanks to targeted action, progress has come to many areas, although not without consequences. Sales of electric and diesel pumps have increased significantly over last years(China is estimated to have 20 million and India 19 million), which increases energy consumption. In some areas it reaches 35% to 45% of the total.

Tait attributes this phenomenon to “massive power outages that left 670 million people in northeast India without power in July 2012.” This year, he points out, the monsoon rains were not so strong, and the authorities acceded to requests to increase watering quotas to 6-8 hours a day. As a result, the outdated electrical grid could not cope.

The researcher considers the consequences for the environment even more alarming: “There is a deceptive feeling of excess water resources- he claims. “But water must now be paid for from ever deeper geological strata, which, like oil, are non-renewable.” According to a UN report, 20% of groundwater is overexploited. “We are now consuming water that is meant for the future,” Postel warns.

Population growth and increased water use in a dynamic developing countries global warming is added. “During major floods, water supplies seem limitless, but then long droughts return and water shortages become a matter of deep concern. This is especially true in the Mediterranean and is a consequence of climate change,” writes Maite Guardiola, a geological engineer and water specialist with extensive experience in humanitarian projects.

In Brazil, home to the Amazon, the world's largest watershed, water shortages have forced water rationing in Sao Paulo, illustrating the problem posed by uncontrolled suburban sprawl.

According to a UN report, “the increase in urban populations without water and sanitation is directly related to rapid growth marginal areas in developing countries. By 2020, their number will approach 900 million people, and they are the ones most exposed to extreme climate events.”

We need to act, but how? While scientists like Stephen Hawking advocate the exploration of other planets, arguing that within a hundred years the human race will face the threat of extinction due to “an aging world with more people and fewer resources,” others do not. so prone to drama, they advocate rationing of consumption. “There are sufficient water supplies to meet the growing needs of the world's inhabitants, but this will require changes in the way water resources are managed,” the UN report says. In particular, a comprehensive legal framework will be required to distribute this natural resource in compliance with environmental regulations.

According to Connor and Fereres, the key to solving the problem lies in the application modern systems watering and growing plants most suitable for each area. They believe that to consider such innovative solutions how to obtain water from the air or develop plants that will require almost no watering will take 20 to 30 years research work. Maite Guardiola, for his part, emphasizes the reuse of wastewater. In her opinion, if they were used for irrigation, then in Spain this could reduce the amount of water used in agriculture by 30%.

Fereres also talks about the need to change the nutritional structure, reducing the amount of protein in order to reduce the need for water. Strongly opposes bottled water: “Society spends too much money on water purification. When I go to a restaurant, I ask for a jug of tap water. According to Guardiola, it is regrettable that Spain is one of the largest consumers of bottled water. Its price is from 500 to a thousand times higher than tap water, not to mention the cost it causes environment plastic bottles and transportation."

Actor Matt Damon tries to attract public attention by dumping a bucket of toilet water on himself as he heads to the set: "For those like my wife who think it's disgusting, I can say this: water from Western toilets are much cleaner than those used by most people in developing countries.” Damon is one of the few celebrities who, through her NGO Water.org, are fighting against water scarcity and the problems it causes.

A 12-year-old Sudanese girl spends 2 to 4 hours every day collecting and carrying in a jug on her head just five liters of fresh water, which is necessary for her existence. This is exactly a quarter of the amount (20 liters) that both the World Health Organization and Unicef consider sufficient to meet basic needs. It is worth adding to this that her peers in Canada spend from 300 to 400 liters of water daily for their needs.

“Water itself is not too expensive. It costs a lot more to clean it up and keep the water pipes running, which is something people don’t notice,” says Connor. In Spain, the average water consumption is 142 liters per day per person. However, according to Guardiola, due to the poor condition of water pipelines, 17.5% of its volume is lost when delivering water to users. In Germany this figure is 5%.

It is clear that not all of the above measures will be able to compensate for the increase in demand. A future without water where humans are forced to leave Earth, as depicted in the animated sci-fi film WALL.E, turns out to be very close to Stephen Hawking's predictions. “We must prevent this and develop our own plan B,” says the famous astrophysicist. Why not really change the blue planet to a red one? According to research from the University of New Mexico, large reserves of water may be concentrated under the surface of Mars.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

Planet Earth is very rich in natural resources: oil, coal, natural gas, valuable metals. And people have been using these gifts for thousands of years.

Some of them are valued very highly, they are treasured, treated with care and judiciousness, while sometimes they don’t even think about the value of others, and only begin to appreciate them after losing them.

Is water more valuable than gold?

The answer is simple - water, or rather, fresh, clean water. Everyone knows examples of the disappearance of small rivers, lakes, and pollution of water bodies, but for some reason this does not cause concern. Most people simply don't think about the value of water and consider it a renewable resource. The naivety of these misconceptions can have irreparable consequences. Already, 1/3 of the entire population is experiencing a shortage of fresh water, and every hour the problem is only becoming more global.

Amount of water in the world

Many people wonder why it occurs this problem, because there is so much water. Indeed, 4/5 of the surface of the entire planet consists of water (this is one of the most common compounds; the volume of the world's oceans is approximately 1.3300 billion cubic meters of water). The presence of this fact allows people to believe that fresh water supplies are inexhaustible. But, unfortunately, this is not the case. 97% of water is in the seas and oceans (sea water is unsuitable for consumption) and only 3% is fresh water. But it is worth noting that only 1% of the total volume is available to humanity for use.

Related materials:

Where does the water go?

The bulk of fresh water (more than 65%) is concentrated in the glaciers of Antarctica. But did you know that due to global warming, this supply is rapidly decreasing? Which, of course, is great danger for all living things.

It's hard to imagine how much water is used every day. On average, a person uses about 200 liters. Multiplying this number by the total number of people inhabiting the Earth, we get more than 1400,000,000 tons - this is only household expenses, and if we take into account industry, the figure will rapidly increase. People began to forget that it is necessary to preserve not only rare species of animals and plants, but it is also very important to preserve water, without which life is impossible.

What to expect?

The forecasts are not encouraging, water reserves are not at all unlimited, and they are already being exhausted. Research shows that in the next 10 years, most of the world's countries will experience water shortages, and in another 20 years, 75% of the total population will be left without fresh water. The shortage will undoubtedly increase unless action is taken now. The main problem is the pollution of fresh water by industrial emissions, fertilizers from fields, the penetration of salt water into coastal areas, as well as irrational use, which, in turn, leads to the fact that groundwater does not have time to renew itself and its level gradually drops.

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How to determine what tap water is it safe?

The importance of water for humans

A person needs water every day throughout his life. It is needed for drinking and cooking, for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. You can live without water for no more than 5 days, otherwise, as a result of dehydration in the body, all organs and systems malfunction. That is why everyone needs to drink at least 1.5 liters of clean water. Declining water supplies are a direct threat to people. To avoid it, you need to act now.

Ways to save water

You are mistaken in thinking that nothing depends on you. Start saving water. There are simple and very effective ways. Here are a few of them:

When washing, use economy mode, A washing machine do not turn on when the load is incomplete
When you wash your hands, a lot of water is wasted while lathering them, it just flows unnecessarily. You can simply turn off the tap before soaping, which may be inconvenient. But now there are taps with levers, as well as taps with motion sensors that turn off the water as soon as you remove your hands
Monitor the condition of pipes, taps, and tank. You may not think this is that important, but even a small leak uses about 300 liters. per month!
When watering plants, use drip irrigation
Replace taking a bath with a shower, and when taking a shower, reduce the pressure
When brushing your teeth, be careful not to spill water in vain.
Use the toilet for its intended purpose, do not throw small garbage there
It is more economical to use for washing dishes dishwasher, provided that you download it completely.

Of the total amount of water on Earth, fresh water, so necessary for humanity, makes up a little more than 2% of the total volume of the hydrosphere, or approximately 28.25 million km 3 (Table

Table 15.2

Fresh waters of the hydrosphere (according to M.I. Lvovich, 1974)

It should be taken into account that the bulk of fresh water (about 70%) is frozen in polar ice, permafrost, and on mountain peaks. Water in rivers and lakes makes up only 3% of the land, or 0.016% of the total volume of the hydrosphere. Thus, the water available for all uses is a tiny fraction of the total water supply on Earth. The problem is complicated by the fact that the distribution of fresh water around the globe is extremely uneven. Europe and Asia, where 70% of the world's population lives, contain only 39% of river waters.

Russia occupies a leading place in the world in terms of surface water resources. About 1/5 of the world's fresh water reserves and more than 4/5 of Russia's reserves are concentrated in the unique Lake Baikal alone.

With a total volume of 23 thousand km 3, about 60 km 3 of rare purity natural water is reproduced in the lake annually.

Average annual total flow of rivers of the Russian Federation in the 90s. XX century is 4270 km3 per year, including 230 kmE per year from adjacent territories.

Potential exploitable groundwater resources in Russia are about 230 km 3 per year.

In general, in Russia there is 31.9 thousand m 3 of fresh water per inhabitant per year. However, the distribution of fresh water, primarily river flow, across the territory is extremely uneven and does not correspond to the population size and the location of industrial enterprises (Table 15.3).

Table 15.3

Distribution of river flow in some economic regions of Russia (according to N.

F. Vinokurova et al., 1994)

90% of the total annual river flow occurs in the basins of the Arctic and Pacific oceans. The basins of the Caspian and Azov Seas, where over 80% of Russia's population lives and its main industrial and agricultural potential is concentrated, account for less than 8% of the total annual river flow. Water availability per 1 km 2 of territory ranges from 130 thousand m 3 in the Central Chernozem region to 610 thousand m 3 in the Volga-Vyatka region, and per inhabitant - from 2.8 thousand km 3 in the Central Black Earth region to 307, 5 thousand km 3 in the Far East. The Rostov, Astrakhan, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Belgorod, Kurgan regions, the Republic of Kalmykia and some other territories are insufficiently provided with their own water resources.

In the Kurgan region, on average, there are 1.15 thousand m 3 of water resources per person per year, which is 6.6 times less than in the Ural region, and 27.7 times less than in the Russian Federation as a whole.

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Water reserves on Earth

The main volume of water is concentrated in the World Ocean - 96.5% of the total reserves, 1,338,000 thousand km 3. Thus, the share of fresh water accounts for about 3.5%.

Again, most of the fresh water is concentrated in glaciers (68.7% of the volume of fresh water or 24,064.10 thousand km 3 - 1.74% of the total reserves) and underground (groundwater is divided into fresh and salty). Fresh water - 10,530 thousand km 3 or 30.1% of the total fresh water reserve and 300 thousand km 3 is underground ice or 0.86% of the total fresh water reserve. Fresh groundwater, as a rule, lies at a depth of 150-200 m, and its use is 100 times greater than the use of surface water.

The waters of fresh lakes contain only 91 thousand km 3 or 0.26% of the volume of fresh waters.

Water in the atmosphere – 12.9 thousand km 3 – 0.04%;

water in swamps – 11.47 thousand km 3 – 0.03%;

water in rivers – 2.12 thousand km 3 – 0.006%;

biological water – 1.12 thousand km 3 – 0.003%.

The largest freshwater body of water in the world in terms of surface area (82,680 km 2) is Lake. Upper. However, in terms of water volume (11,600 km 3) and maximum depth (406 m), it is significantly inferior to lake. Baikal (24,000 km 3 and 1,741 m, respectively) and lake. Tanganyika (18900 km 3 and 1435 m, respectively).

The largest freshwater body of water in Europe is Lake. Ladoga. The area of Ladoga is 17,700 km 2, the volume of water is 908 km 3, the maximum depth is 230 m. The total area of swamps on the globe is ~ 3 million km 2 or 2% of the land. Almost 60% of the bits are located in Russia, and the least in Australia (~ 0.05% of its area). Water in the atmosphere is water vapor and its condensate (droplets and ice crystals). The higher the temperature, the more water vapor there is in the air. Biological water is the water of living organisms, in which on average it is about 80%. The total mass of living matter is estimated at 1400 billion tons. Hence the mass of water is 1120 billion tons or 1120 km 3.

Water consumption (water as a resource)

Water, the most important component of the natural environment, has always been subject to anthropogenic influence, which has especially intensified in the last century. Water consumption by industry and agriculture has now reached enormous proportions.

According to experts, irrecoverable water consumption is ~ 150 km 3 per year, i.e. 1% sustainable freshwater flow.

The demand for water is increasing all the time, and recently the acceleration of this increase is about 3.1% per year, i.e. over 10 years, water consumption can increase by ⅓.

The average total resources of river waters of the globe are 46.8 thousand km 3 per year, of which on the territory of Russia - 4.3 thousand km 3 per year (9.1%) with an area of 17.08 million km 2 ( 11.5%) and the population in 2002 – 145.2 million people. (~2.6%). The average water supply per resident of Russia is 80 m 3 per day, while the world average is 22.5 m 3 per day.

However, 90% of Russia's river flow occurs in the basins of the Arctic and Pacific oceans. The basins of the Caspian and Azov Seas, where the main industrial and agricultural potential of Russia is concentrated and over 80% of the population lives, account for less than 8% of the total annual river flow. This leads to tension in the water balances in these river basins.

The world's reserves of fresh water in lakes are equal to 91 thousand km 3, of which more than 25% (24.5 thousand km 3) are located in Russian lakes, including Lake Baikal - 23 thousand km 3 and Lake Ladoga - 908 km 3 (the largest lake in Europe).

The operational reserves of groundwater in explored deposits in Russia are estimated at 29.1 km 3 per year, potential - 230 km 3 per year, with general estimates in the world - 23,400 km 3 (slightly less than 10% in Russia). Currently, according to the UN, over 400 million people live in regions where there is not enough water and, according to estimates, in 2050 their number will increase to 2 billion people. More than 1 billion people do not have safe drinking water. In developing countries, up to 75% of diseases are associated with the consumption of unsuitable water.

The lack of water in surface sources and its pollution leads to an ever-increasing withdrawal of groundwater. In some areas of the United States, China, India, Yemen and other countries, groundwater is being used up faster than it is replenished, and its levels are steadily declining. As a result, even such large rivers as the Colorado in the USA, the Yellow River in China, not to mention small rivers, often dry up and no longer flow into the ocean as before.

Water consumption is increasing year by year, and the water is becoming dirtier. One liter of wastewater makes 8 liters of fresh water unfit for drinking, and the volume of global wastewater has already exceeded 1.5 thousand km 3 per year. It is easy to calculate that already ¼ of river water is unfit for drinking.

Many experts are convinced that the world has entered an era of wars for resources, among which the most important is water (there is simply nothing to replace it with). According to forecasts, by the middle of the century, only 3-4 countries in the world will not experience an acute shortage of fresh water.

According to UN experts, the highest quality of drinking water today is in Finland, Canada and New Zealand. Russia is in 7th place. The lowest quality is in Belgium, Morocco and India.

In terms of reserves per capita, Denmark (at the expense of Greenland), French Guiana and Iceland are the leaders. Russia is not even in the top ten. The countries with the worst water supply are Kuwait, Palestine and the United Arab Emirates.

Water is one of the most important factors determining the location of productive forces, and very often the means of production.

Agriculture consumes the most water. For example, when growing

1 ton of wheat requires 1500 tons of water;

1 t of rice – 7000 t of water;

1 ton of cotton – 10,000 tons of water.

Industry also has a very high need for water. The production of 1 ton of products consumes water (in m3):

steel, cast iron - 15-20 m 3;

soda ash - 10 m 3;

sulfuric acid – 25-80 m3;

nitric acid – 80-180 m3;

viscose silk – 300-400 m3;

synthetic fiber – 500 m3;

copper - 500 m 3;

plastics – 500-1000 m3;

synthetic rubber – 2000-3000 m3.

To operate a thermal power plant with a capacity of 300 thousand kW, 300 km 3 of water per year is required. An average chemical plant annually consumes 1-2 million m 3 of water. In a city with a population of over 3 million people. daily water consumption is more than 2 million m3, and annual water consumption is 1 km3. Freshwater consumption from 1940 to 2000 in the USA is presented in table. No.__.

Table __

Freshwater consumption (km 3 /year) in the USA

Read in the same book: Land Monitoring | Soil and human health | Receipt of pollutants from the atmosphere | Disposal of highly hazardous waste in the oceans | Environmental consequences of marine pollution | Environmental consequences of pollution with chlorinated hydrocarbons | Environmental consequences of pollution of sea waters with heavy metals | Protection of the marine environment from oil pollution | Oil Spill Response Measures | Legal basis for sea protection |

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HYDROSPHERE (from the Greek hydor - water and sphaira - ball * a. hydrosphere; n. Hydrosphare, Wasserhulle; f. hydrosphere; i. hidrosfera) - the intermittent water shell of the Earth, which is a collection of all types of natural waters (oceans, seas, surface land waters, groundwater and ice sheets). In a broader sense, the hydrosphere also includes atmospheric water and water of living organisms. Each of the groups of waters is divided into subgroups of lower ranks.

For example, in the atmosphere we can distinguish waters in the troposphere and stratosphere, on the surface of the Earth - waters of oceans and seas, as well as rivers, lakes and glaciers; in the lithosphere - waters of the basement and sedimentary cover (including waters of artesian basins and hydrogeological massifs).

Land surface waters, occupying a relatively small share of the total mass of the hydrosphere, play a vital role as the main source of water supply, irrigation and water supply. The amount of fresh water in the hydrosphere available for use is about 0.3% (see Water resources), however, river and fresh groundwater in the water exchange zone are intensively renewed in the process of the general water cycle, which allows their rational use for an unlimited period of time. The modern hydrosphere is the result of the long evolution of the Earth and the differentiation of its matter.

The hydrosphere is an open system, between the waters of which there is a close relationship, which determines the unity of the hydrosphere as a natural system and the interaction of the hydrosphere with other geospheres. The flow of water into the hydrosphere during volcanism, from the atmosphere, the lithosphere (squeezing out water during lithification of silts, etc.) occurs continuously, as well as the removal of water from the hydrosphere. The burial of water in the lithosphere extends over entire geological periods (tens of millions of years). The decomposition and synthesis of water also occur in the hydrosphere. Individual parts of the hydrosphere differ both in the properties of the medium containing water and in the properties and composition of the water itself. However, thanks to the water cycle of various scales and durations (ocean-continent, intra-continental cycle, cycles within individual river basins, lakes, landscapes, etc.) it represents a single whole. All forms of the water cycle constitute a single hydrological cycle, during which all types of water are renewed. Biological waters that are part of plants and living organisms and atmospheric waters are most quickly renewed. The longest period (thousands, tens and hundreds of thousands of years) occurs during the renewal of glaciers, deep-lying groundwater, and waters of the World Ocean. Managing the water cycle and its use for the needs of the national economy is an important scientific problem of great economic importance.

Date of: 2016-04-07

How much fresh water is left on the planet?

Life on our planet originated from water; the human body is 75% water, so the issue of fresh water reserves on the planet is very important. After all, water is the source and stimulant of our life.

Fresh water is considered to be water that contains no more than 0.1% salt. Moreover, it does not matter what state it is in: liquid, solid or gaseous.

World fresh water reserves

97.2% of the water that is on planet earth belongs to salty oceans and seas. And only 2.8% is fresh water. On the planet it is distributed as follows:

2.15% of water reserves are frozen in the mountains, icebergs and ice sheets of Antarctica;
0.001% of water reserves are in the atmosphere;
0.65% of water reserves are in rivers and lakes. This is where people take it for their consumption.

In general, it is believed that fresh water sources are endless. Because the process of self-healing constantly occurs as a consequence of the water cycle in nature. Every year, as a result of the evaporation of moisture from the world's oceans, a huge supply of fresh water (about 525,000 km3) is formed in the form of clouds. A small portion does end up back in the ocean, but most falls on the continents in the form of snow and rain and then ends up in lakes, rivers and groundwater.

Freshwater consumption in different parts of the planet

Even such a small percentage of available fresh water could meet all the needs of humanity if its reserves were evenly distributed throughout the planet, but this is not the case.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has identified several areas whose water consumption levels exceed the amount of renewable water resources:

Arabian Peninsula. For public needs, five times more fresh water is used here than is available in available natural sources. Water is exported here using tankers and pipelines, and seawater desalination procedures are carried out.
Water resources in Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are under stress. Almost 100% of renewable water resources are consumed here. More than 70% of renewable water resources are produced by Iran.
Freshwater problems also exist in North Africa, especially in Libya and Egypt. These countries use almost 50% of water resources.

The greatest need is not in countries with frequent droughts, but in those with high population densities. You can see this using the table below. For example, Asia has the largest area of water resources and Australia the smallest. But at the same time, every resident of Australia is provided with drinking water 14 times better than any resident of Asia. This is because Asia has a population of 3.7 billion, while Australia has only 30 million.

Problems of fresh water use

Over the past 40 years, the amount of clean fresh water per person has decreased by 60%. Agriculture is the largest consumer of fresh water.

Today, this sector of the economy consumes almost 85% of the total volume of fresh water used by humans. Products grown using artificial irrigation are much more expensive than those grown on soil and irrigated by rain.

More than 80 countries around the world experience a shortage of fresh water. And every day this problem is becoming more acute. Water scarcity even causes humanitarian and government conflicts. Improper use of groundwater leads to a decrease in its volume. Every year these reserves are depleted by 0.1% to 0.3%. Moreover, in poor countries, 95% of water cannot be used for drinking or food at all due to high levels of pollution.

The need for clean drinking water increases every year, but its quantity, on the contrary, is only decreasing. Almost 2 billion people have limited water consumption. According to experts, by 2025, almost 50 countries of the world, where the number of inhabitants will exceed 3 billion people, will experience the problem of water shortage.

In China, despite high rainfall, half the population does not have regular access to sufficient drinking water. Groundwater, like the soil itself, is renewed too slowly (about 1% per year).

The issue of the greenhouse effect remains relevant. The climate condition of the Earth is constantly deteriorating due to the constant release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This causes an abnormal redistribution of atmospheric precipitation, the occurrence of droughts in countries where they should not occur, snowfall in Africa, high frosts in Italy or Spain.

Such abnormal changes can cause a decrease in crop yields, an increase in plant diseases, and an increase in the population of pests and various insects. The planet's ecosystem is losing its stability and cannot adapt to such a rapid change in conditions.

Instead of results

In the end, we can say that there are enough water resources on planet Earth. The main problem with water supply is that these supplies are unevenly distributed on the planet. Moreover, 3/4 of fresh water reserves are in the form of glaciers, which are very difficult to access. Because of this, some regions are already experiencing a shortage of fresh water.

The second problem is the contamination of existing accessible water sources with human waste products (salts of heavy metals, petroleum products). Clean water that can be consumed without preliminary purification can only be found in remote ecologically clean areas. But densely populated regions, on the contrary, suffer from the inability to drink water from their meager supplies.

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Types of Earth's water resources

The water resources of our planet are the reserves of all water. But water is one of the most common and most unique compounds on Earth, since it is present in three states at once: liquid, solid and gaseous. Therefore, the Earth's water resources are:

. Surface waters (oceans, lakes, rivers, seas, swamps)

. The groundwater.

. Artificial reservoirs.

. Glaciers and snowfields (frozen water from glaciers in Antarctica, the Arctic and highlands).

. Water contained in plants and animals.

. Atmospheric vapors.

The last 3 points relate to potential resources, because humanity has not yet learned to use them.

Fresh water is the most valuable; it is used much more widely than sea, salt water. Of the total water reserves in the world, 97% of water comes from seas and oceans. 2% of fresh water is contained in glaciers, and only 1% is fresh water reserves in lakes and rivers.

Use of water resources

Water resources are the most important component of human life. People use water in industry and at home.

According to statistics, most water resources are used in agriculture (about 66% of all fresh water reserves). About 25% is used by industry and only 9% goes to meet the needs of utilities and households.

For example, to grow 1 ton of cotton, about 10 thousand tons of water are needed, for 1 ton of wheat - 1,500 tons of water. To produce 1 ton of steel, 250 tons of water are required, and to produce 1 ton of paper, at least 236 thousand tons of water are needed.

A person needs to drink at least 2.5 liters of water per day. However, on average, 1 person in large cities spends at least 360 liters per day. This includes the use of water in sewers, water supply, for watering streets and extinguishing fires, for washing vehicles, etc., etc.

Another option for using water resources is water transport. Over 50 million tons of cargo are transported annually in Russian waters alone.

Don't forget about fisheries. Breeding marine and freshwater fish plays an important role in the economies of countries. Moreover, fish farming requires clean water, saturated with oxygen and free of harmful impurities.

An example of the use of water resources is also recreation. Who among us doesn’t like to relax by the sea, barbecue on the river bank or swim in the lake? In the world, 90% of recreational facilities are located near water bodies.

Water conservation

Today there are only two ways to conserve water resources:

1. Preservation of existing fresh water reserves.

2. Creation of more advanced collectors.

The accumulation of water in reservoirs prevents its flow into the world's oceans. And storing water, for example, in underground cavities, allows you to protect water from evaporation. The construction of canals allows us to solve the issue of delivering water without it seeping into the ground. New methods of irrigating agricultural land are also being developed that make it possible to use wastewater.

But each of these methods has an impact on the biosphere. Thus, the reservoir system prevents the formation of fertile silt deposits. The canals impede the replenishment of groundwater. And water filtration in canals and dams is the main risk factor for swamps, which leads to disturbances in the planet’s ecosystem.

Today, the most effective measure for protecting water resources is the wastewater treatment method. Various methods can remove up to 96% of harmful substances from water. But this is often not enough, and the construction of more advanced treatment facilities often turns out to be economically unprofitable.

Water pollution problems

Population growth, development of production and agriculture - these factors have led to a shortage of fresh water for humanity. The share of polluted water resources is growing every year.

Main sources of pollution:

. Industrial wastewater;

. Wastewater from municipal routes;

. Drains from fields (when the water is oversaturated with chemicals and fertilizers);

. Disposal of radioactive substances in water bodies;

. Drains from livestock complexes (such water contains a lot of biogenic organic matter);

. Shipping.

Nature provides for the self-purification of reservoirs, which occurs due to the water cycle in nature, due to the vital activity of plankton, irradiation with ultraviolet rays, and the sedimentation of insoluble particles. But all these processes can no longer cope with the mass of pollution that human activity brings to the planet’s water resources.

There are about 1.5 billion km3 of water on our planet and it covers more than 70% of the Earth's surface. However, fresh water accounts for only 3% of the total, namely 91 million km3. The main part of the water contained in the oceans is bitterly salty, and it is practically not applicable for economic activities without proper preparation. The main supply of fresh water is water located underground and in glaciers. Those. its extraction is difficult in both the first and second cases. But if in order to extract water from underground, it is possible to drill a water well , then the extraction of water from glaciers is practically impossible and economically unjustified. Scientists have calculated that natural ice contains more than 24 million cubic km of fresh water - this is the volume of flow of all the Earth's rivers over 500 years. If you try to evenly distribute ice over the surface of the Earth, it will cover it with a layer 53 meters thick. Rivers, lakes and usable underground freshwater account for only 0.3% of the world's free water reserves.

It is noteworthy that Lake Baikal contains a fifth of all the world's surface fresh water reserves.

Over the past 40 years, the amount of fresh water per person has decreased by more than 60%. Over the next 30 years, a further decrease in this amount by another 2 times is predicted.Agriculture is the main consumer of fresh water. It currently consumes 87% of available water. Products produced on irrigated lands are 2-5 times more expensive than those grown due to rainfall, since the cost of fuel and hydraulic structures is constantly increasing.

More than 80 countries around the world experience a constant shortage of fresh water, where together more than 2 billion people live.

Recently, Australian researchers announced that they were able to identify the existence of huge reserves of fresh water trapped below the ocean floor. Perhaps these are the resources that will be able to support future generations when existing sources dry up.Lead author of the study Vincent Postfrom Flinders University reported that, according to his colleagues, about 500 thousand cubic kilometers of water with low salinity levelswas discovered under the seabed on the continental shelfoff the coast of Australia, China, North and South America.“The volume of this water resource is a hundred times greater than the amount of fresh water extracted from the bowels of the earth in the last century, since 1900,” says Post. “Fresh water on our planet is drying up over time, so the discovery of new underground reservoirs off the coast is quite important. This means we now have another option to consider to help those suffering from drought and continental water shortages."

According to Post, his team came to this unexpected discovery after studying the seabed for scientific purposes and during geological exploration to discover oil and gas deposits. “By combining all the information we received, we came to the conclusion that fresh water lying below the seabed is a fairly common occurrence, and not an anomaly at all,” says the Australian scientist.

Such deposits are formed over hundreds of thousands of years. Their origins began when sea levels were significantly lower and those areas that are now hidden by the World Ocean were exposed to precipitation absorbed into the soil. When the polar ice sheets began to melt about 200 thousand years ago, these coastlines were hidden by water, but their aquifers remain intact, protected by layers of clay and other sedimentary rocks.

According to experts, extracting fresh water from such sources will cost much less than desalinating sea water. The most expensive process will be drilling, after which considerable efforts will need to be made to prevent contamination of groundwater.

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