Planetary Resources

1. Planetary Resources Water

3. “Water is about quantity, quality, space and time. Whether you have a big problem or not depends entirely on where you live.” Source: Ian Cluckie Professor of Hydrology and Water Management, University of Bristol

4. Key Questions • Nearly one billion in habitants do not have access to safe drinking water: why is this essential resource unequally distributed? • By what means do humans mobilize their water resources and transform space? • How can water be developed sustainably given different levels in development?

5. Unit Preview • Water Supply • Water Footprint • Water Security • Water Scarcity • Water Conflicts • Case Studies: • Yangtze River, China • Spain • Colorado River, USA • South-North water transfer, China • Middle East • Water Management & Governance

7. Water Supply

9. Global Water Footprint

10. Daily Domestic Water use per capita

11. Water Footprint • Water Footprint Website Before consulting the website, how many liters of water do you think are needed to make the following: 1 liter beer? 1 liter milk? 1 kg of cotton? 1 kg of cane sugar? 1 kg of wheat bread?

12. The relation between consumption and water use • "The interest in the water footprint is rooted in the recognition that human impacts on freshwater systems can ultimately be linked to human consumption, and that issues like water shortages and pollution can be better understood and addressed by considering production and supply chains as a whole. Water problems are often closely tied to the structure of the global economy. Many countries have significantly externalized their water footprint, importing water-intensive goods from elsewhere. This puts pressure on the water resources in the exporting regions, where too often mechanisms for wise water governance and conservation are lacking. Not only governments, but also consumers, businesses and civil society communities can play a role in achieving a better management of water resources." • Going back to the website, compare China, Japan and the U.S. for their externalized water footprint…

13. Water Security: a definition “The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability.”

14. WATER SECURITY Core elements necessary to achieving and maintaining water security: • Protection of livelihoods, human rights, and cultural and recreational values; • Preservation and protection of ecosystems in water allocation and management systems in order to maintain their ability to deliver and sustain the functioning of essential ecosystem services; • Water supplies for socio-economic development and activities (such as energy, transport, industry, tourism); • Collection and treatment of used water to protect human life and the environment from pollution; • Collaborative approaches to transboundary water resources management within and between countries to promote freshwater sustainability and cooperation; • The ability to cope with uncertainties and risks of water-related hazards, such as floods, droughts and pollution, among others; • Good governance and accountability, and the due consideration of the interests of all stakeholders through appropriate and effective legal regimes; transparent, participatory and accountable institutions; properly planned, operated and maintained infrastructure; and capacity development.

15. The risks of water insecurity • What are the potential implications of an increasingly ‘water insecure’ world? Water supplyproblems Increasing water shortagesmaybe more important thanenergyshortages- becausethereis no alternative! Water conflicts Wheredemandexceedssupply and no effective management operates, thentherewillbeconflictsbetween the variousplayersinvolved Water geopolitics The conflictsbetween nation states, despite the international agreement called the Helsinki Rulesdesigned to create more equitable use of water extendingacrossboundaries Water transfers Of this precious resource by either diverting the actual river, or using canals . Long carried out at a small scale but increasingly over larger distances, and even transboundary

16. Synopticity-Water-Energy • Energy and Water: Solving Both Crises Together: • Water and energy are the two most fundamental ingredients of modern civilization • We consume massive quantities of water to generate energy, and we consume massive quantities of energy to deliver clean water • Peak Oil is topical. Peak Water or ‘Blue Gold’ is less thought about. There are tensions between the two: • An issue in energy rich states ,which are semi arid/arid: to sell cheap oil or keep to power desalinisation plants • Water is needed to generate energy. Energy is needed to deliver water. Both resources are limiting the other—and both may be running short. Is there a way out? energy problems, particularly rising prices, are curtailing efforts to supply more clean water. water restrictions are hampering solutions for generating more energy

17. A Delicate Balance Water is needed to grow food Energy is needed to clean and transport water Food transports (virtual) water Water is needed to generate energy Energy is needed to produce food Food can be used to produce energy

18. Water Scarcity NPR : Water the Epic Struggle

19. Drought • Somali exodus linked to drought: • In 2011 alone, some 184,000 Somalis fled to neighboring countries, with water and food insecurity linked to drought in the Horn of Africa being one of the major driving factors • VIDEO: Great Chinese Drought continuing • What are some of the causes and consequences of the drought problems in Northern China mentioned in the report? Source: UNHCR, 2011