Fresh water supply. World fresh water reserves on earth

Every time we open 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 the circulatory system of the 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 the world economy has grown even faster (since 1960, GDP has grown by an average of 3.5% per year). The combined need for food, energy, commodities and water for this enormous human production has required increased control over water consumption,” concludes Sandra Postel, who heads the US 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% of the earth's surface is 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 agriculture (consuming 70% of fresh water), industry (20%) and the domestic sphere (10%) in most parts of the Earth. However, the 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. Therefore, much more attention is paid to it. 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 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 Research and an expert on the interaction between water and energy, paints a frightening picture. “In the countries of the southern and eastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea,” he warns, “authorities local authorities 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 a source of 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 consequence, flour and bread, played a key role in Syrian war. Due to the drought, 1.5 million people have fled from rural areas to cities already in the grip of 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 sense 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.

Added to population growth and increased water use in dynamically developing countries global warming climate. "In times 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 linked to the rapid growth of marginalized 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 need to be developed to ensure a more equal distribution of this natural resource while respecting environmental standards.

According to Connor and Fereres, the key to solving the problem lies in using modern irrigation systems and growing plants that are most suitable for each area. They believe it will take 20 to 30 years to consider innovative solutions such as extracting water from the air or breeding plants that require little or no watering. research work. Maite Guardiola, for his part, emphasizes reuse 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 toilets Western countries much cleaner than what most people in developing countries enjoy.” 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 it? blue planet to red? 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.

, streams, fresh lakes, and also in the clouds. According to various estimates, the share of fresh water in the total amount of water on Earth is 2.5-3%.

About 85-90% of fresh water is contained in the form of ice.

In connection with the increasing pollution of water sources, population growth, and the development of new territories, the task of artificially obtaining fresh water arises. This is achieved by:

• desalination of sea water, including solar desalination
• condensation of water vapor from the air using deep sea water;
• condensation of water vapor in daily cold accumulators, in particular - natural origin such as caves in coastal cliffs.

The latter method creates huge natural reserves of fresh water in the coastal areas of several countries, which have been recently discovered. Strata of fresh water sometimes go under the seabed, and fresh springs emerge through cracks in the impenetrable layers.

The cost of fresh water is becoming so high that the production of refrigeration units has begun, obtaining water from humid air by condensation.

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 23.6 thousand km 3, about 60 km 3 of rare purity natural water is reproduced in the lake annually.

According to the UN, more than 1.2 billion people already live in conditions of constant shortage of fresh water, about 2 billion suffer from it regularly, and by the middle of the 21st century. the number of people living with constant water shortages will exceed 4 billion people. Thus, we can talk about an impending global water crisis. In such conditions, it is likely that the main advantage of Russia in the “post-oil” period is water resources, and the production of water-intensive products may become the dominant direction of development Russian economy.

see also

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See what “Fresh water” is in other dictionaries:

fresh water - Natural water with mineralization up to 1 mg/l... Dictionary of Geography

fresh water- — EN freshwater Water having a relatively low mineral content, generally less than 500 mg/l of dissolved solids. (Source: LANDY) EN bathing freshwater Freshwater in which bathing is explicitly authorized or in which bathing is not prohibited and is traditionally practiced by a large number of bathers. Water... Technical Translator's Guide

Evaporators, desalination units. P. water has always been an essential item on ships on sea voyages, but mainly only for drinking. Currently, P. water consumption on new ships has increased, thanks to realized in practice... ... encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

This term has other meanings, see Water (meanings). Water... Wikipedia

Books

• Imagine this. A new look at gigantic numbers and immeasurable quantities, Smith David J. If the entire history of our planet is compressed into 1 hour, then dinosaurs lived on Earth for only 3 minutes. If all the money in the world is a pile of 100 coins, then Africa will only get 3 coins. If the Sun is...

Many countries have already reached their limits on water use. According to calculations by UN experts, if nothing is done, then by 2030 almost 5 billion people (about 67% of the planet’s population) will be left without adequately purified water. Water shortages in desert and semi-desert regions will cause intense population migration. Between 24 million and 700 million people are expected to flee their homes due to water shortages.

Among the key problems facing humanity in the 21st century, energy and drinking water shortages stand out. It is curious that this problematic “tandem” is spontaneously realized and reflected even in natural language: only two liquids of the planet Earth are endowed with the attributes of jewelry and are metaphorically equated to the “sacred metal” - oil as “black” and water as “blue gold” (the second is rarely found in Russian, but, for example, in English and Spanish - respectively, blue gold, oro azul- constantly).

I didn’t use the term “tandem” for the sake of elegance; energy and water are truly twin problems: energy production requires a large consumption of water resources. For example, France has 75% of its energy of nuclear origin, but in turn, 60% of the country's water resources are used to maintain reactors.

The energy problem is on everyone's lips: the crisis and the end of the oil era, the need for a new alternative clean energy are broadcast from almost every iron. But not every bathroom faucet can tell you about the second problem, the water problem.

The twentieth century was a breakthrough in terms of hydraulic infrastructure. Just look at the pace of construction of reservoirs over the past 65 years: two reservoirs were put into operation every day during this period of time, and their total number on the planet increased from five thousand in 1950 to 55 thousand in 2014. Technologies for the extraction, delivery and storage of drinking water have improved. However, it cannot be ruled out that in the second half of this century the problem of large-scale synthesis water. And we are still only on the way to solving it.

"Drinking Poverty", or Don't Sing in the Shower

In recent decades, we have seen a trade boom around drinking water; many corporations, especially those associated with agricultural production, are encroaching on fresh water sources, seeking to privatize them and turn water into a commodity. This is especially true for countries Latin America, where in literally words, battles are unfolding between ordinary local residents and corporations for the right to access to drinking water. In some countries, the right of access to water sources is spelled out in the Basic Law. For example, in Mexico in 2012, a constitutional reform was even carried out, as a result of which the right to water was qualified as a universal right. All this is happening against the backdrop of an objective global shortage of fresh water.

The world leader among “hydropowers” ​​is Brazil. The most water-bearing river in the world flows here - the Amazon (pictured). The basin area of ​​this waterway with two hundred tributaries is almost equal to the area of ​​Australia. The Amazon basin contains a fifth of all the river water on the planet. Brazil is not deprived of underground water reserves - its territory contains most of the Guarani underground aquifer - the second largest in the world.
In general, the global top ten countries that have the most significant (renewable) water resources are as follows: 1. Brazil (8233 km³); 2. Russia (4508 km³); 3. USA (3069 km³); 4. Canada (2902 km³); 5. China (2840 km³); 6. Colombia (2132 km³); 7. Indonesia (2019 km³); 8. Peru (1913 km³); 9. India (1911 km³); 10. Venezuela (1320 km³). According to other estimates, the tenth place in the top is occupied by the Republic of the Congo - 1283 km³.

Let's take a look at the global water map. The arithmetic here is simple and not very comforting. The total volume of water resources on the planet is approximately 1.4 billion cubic kilometers. Of this, only 2.5%, that is, about 35 million km³, is fresh water. And this is still an optimistic estimate; some researchers reduce this figure to 1%, reasonably appealing to the fact that it is “floating”, dynamic, dependent on climate and average temperature global year, intensity of “world rain”, etc.

Of this amount of fresh water, almost 70% is conserved in glaciers and ice in Antarctica and the Arctic and de facto remains inaccessible. A third is underground (the so-called “paleovod” - very interesting phenomenon, which we will consider below) and only 0.3% is in direct land access (rivers, lakes, springs, etc.). It would be naive to believe that man himself, as an organism, with his daily thirst, is the main consumer of fresh water. No, the bulk is “consumed” by agriculture (about 58%), followed immediately by the “thirst” of industry (34%), and only a little less than a tenth goes to satisfy our needs. This 8% flows into taps, “waters” world trade in bottled packaging, goes to municipal and city needs, etc. At the same time, the level of water consumption is constantly growing: since 1950 overall volume Humankind's water consumption has tripled and reached 4,300 km³ per year, and the available volume of water resources per capita of the global population has decreased over 50 years from 15 thousand m³ to five thousand. Thus, with a more or less constant absolute volume of the Earth’s water component, there is an increase in the “noospheric” load.

How much water does it take to make a glass of tea? The question seems stupid: the glass is consumed, isn’t it? But the obvious answer is often wrong. The tea bush must be watered, the engines of harvesting equipment and vehicles transporting the product must be cooled, water is also used in the production of packaging. As a result, according to rough estimates, the indirect cost of water for the production of a 250 ml glass of tea is 30 liters. And this is nothing compared to, for example, a 125 ml cup of coffee - it takes about 140 liters of water. But this is also a small thing in comparison with beef: the production of one kilogram of this beloved source of protein by mankind requires - attention - fifteen and a half thousand liters of water.

Some countries are seeking to implement water conservation policies to reduce water consumption. Sometimes it comes to funny cases. Several years ago, when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was still alive, the Latin American media, and not only them, spent several weeks sucking up the news that he once addressed the residents of Caracas in his weekly speech with a request to sing less while taking a shower . Although Venezuela is one of the ten countries with the largest reserves of fresh water, its capital, like many megacities, experiences a colossal shortage of fresh water. Sociologists conducted a study and found that many Venezuelans have a habit of singing while washing, which increases water consumption. Chavez, considering such waste unacceptable, called on citizens to try to exclude this “cultural component” from the practice of everyday water procedures.

IN United Arab Emirates, where water shortages are also constantly increasing and, literally, every drop counts, they also came up with an interesting way to save precious moisture. Two businessmen and inventors created a car washing company and named it WaterWise. Their innovation lies in the fact that WaterWise cars are washed without using water. Instead of traditional liquid, tree sap extract is used in car washes. Many car owners refuse this method of washing, fearing that the bioenzyme with a detergent effect contained in the extract can have a destructive effect on the metal body of the car. But the project has been operating for two years, and its creators are now working to expand the implementation of their technology, switching from cars to washing skyscrapers.

In the press, and not only, you can often come across an interesting term - drinking poverty or hydropoverty. We are used to associating poverty with hunger, but this is only part of the problem. Poverty is also thirst, or rather, its insatiability.

The UN has developed and actively uses the Drinking Poverty Index (as part of the “Multidimensional Poverty Index” or “Multidimensional Deprivation Index”; see http://www.un.org/ru/development/hdr/2010/hdr_2010_technotes.pdf). According to UNESCO, 1.2 billion people in the world live in areas with limited access to water, and more than 800 million experience chronic thirst. Dry regions suffer the most from water shortages, in particular the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, Northern China, the western states of the United States, parts of Mexico and Central America, etc. There are also global imbalances. For example, in industrialized countries, individual freshwater consumption varies from 100 to 176 gallons (a gallon is approximately 4 liters depending on the state), and in African countries ah - only 2-3 gallons. Somewhere in Nairobi, a consumer pays ten times more per liter of water than, say, in New York. Speaking poetic language, some drink their own tears, while others take baths with theirs drinking water... But these are lyrics. The statistics are much harsher and more pragmatic. Lack or lack of drinking water in the world causes death more people than wars and local armed conflicts. Every year, about two million people die due to thirst... According to Bloomberg estimates published in 2013, by the end of the first quarter of this century, two-thirds of humanity, which is projected to amount to 5.3 billion people, will find themselves in a situation of water shortage. Are we already facing wars not for black, but for blue “gold”?

The range of water problems attracts the attention of the world community. Since 1997, the so-called “World Water Forum” has been held regularly, every three years. Recently, in October 2015, in Chilean city Valparaiso hosted the “Our Ocean” forum. Officials spoke and made reports... But, by and large, all these international conferences remain a voice crying in the wilderness...

Alternative hydrosources: desired versus actual

Now it is fashionable to talk a lot about alternative energy sources. And not just talk - alternative energy is actually developing quite actively. But is it possible to talk about alternative sources of water? This is a big and pressing question. In addition to water extraction, two areas are widely used in the world - desalination and reutilization (purification of already used water). The first way is very energy-intensive and quite expensive. For example, Saudi Arabia is self-sufficient in water through desalination. But how much does she spend “black” to get “blue gold”? The question is not rhetorical, but quite specific: every day the Saudis produce 5.5 million cubic meters of drinking water and spend 350 thousand barrels of oil on this luxury... Let's say Saudi Arabia can afford it. But globally, one and a half percent of drinking water is produced through desalination. And even despite the fact that over the past fifteen years, production costs have been halved with the same increase in productivity, not all countries can afford this luxury.

Another source is wastewater reuse. This technology was developed and began to be actively used by a number of countries since 1997. Previously, there were technologies for partial water purification, but progress reached the potential for purification to drinking level only by the turn of the century. Prior to this, the degree of purification was sufficient to meet the needs of agriculture and forestry. The world's most powerful hydrotreating plant was installed in 2008 in California, which regularly suffers from chronic drought. The installation’s capacity is sufficient to produce 265 million liters of drinking water per day and provide it to half a million people. But the cost of such a project speaks for itself, as they say. In euro terms, its construction cost 384 million, and annual maintenance is 21 million. Will even small countries be able to bear such a financial burden? But this is already a rhetorical question. Israel is the world leader in water purification. Here, 70% of dirty water is purified, and in Tel Aviv, one hundred percent. But this water is used for municipal and agricultural needs, and not for home taps, although according to sanitary standards the water is suitable for drinking. This problem has an important psychological aspect. So, not everyone is ready to drink previously used water. For example, in 2004, residents of the small Australian town of Toowoomba held a referendum and decided to refuse to use purified water as drinking water...

Research public opinion in the same California regarding drinking purified water, which turned out to be generally unpleasant, led the American bioethicist Arthur Caplan from the University of Pennsylvania to the discovery of a psychological phenomenon, namely the “yuck factor” (in English - “yuck factor”, in Spanish - “factor puaj”). In his opinion, the “fu factor” refers to the phenomenon when existing cultural and mental stereotypes and reflexes prevent the acceptance and use of new scientific achievements and technology. All the studies showed that the water was safe to drink, but people refused to drink it because it was processed. Thus, cultural inertia stood in the way of progress...

What is the “fu factor”... A simple financial factor stands in the way of water filtration. Just seven years ago, the average cost of wastewater treatment was 0.35 euros per 1 m³. Currently, the cost of the technology has been slightly reduced, but still remains expensive. Although in absolute terms, progress in filtering dirty water is obvious. If in 2005 the world's wastewater treatment capacity was approximately 20 million m³ per day, then ten years later it reached a volume of 55 million cubic meters daily.

Other alternative technologies are being developed, for example in Chile. Here the resource of air humidity is used and fog condensate is collected. In the desert, special water collectors are installed. They were given the poetic name “Moisture Catchers”. Since 2013, similar technology has been used, for example, by Ecuador. There are six such catch basins installed north of the capital Quito, each panel measuring 12 square meters. This is, of course, an interesting method, but it is unlikely to help solve the problem on a global scale... After all, each such installation is capable of “catching” from 120 to 160 liters of water per day. It’s quite suitable for a small village, but on the scale of a metropolis, as they say, it’s a drop in the ocean.

In another Latin American country- Mexico - “hard water” was invented, which can solve the problem of drought. The invention of National Polytechnic Institute researcher Sergio Jesus Rico could revolutionize land reclamation. He invented a polymer, the granules of which, being buried in the ground, upon contact with water (rain) are transformed into a gel that retains liquid. According to the Mexican, this polymer can be used to feed plants in dry areas. When there is no water for a long time, the gel turns back into granules with the release of water. The transformation cycle can last up to 10 years. The product does not pollute the soil and could possibly become a source of moisture for thousands of hectares of crops in low-moisture areas. In 2012, Rico was nominated for the World Water Award International Institute Water in Stockholm. But this, of course, is more of an agricultural invention, and a solution to the problem of drinking water shortage will have to be found.

Another interesting experiment, similar to the Chilean and Ecuadorian experiments, is being practiced in Australia: scientist Max Whisson decided to create a device that produces water... from the air and even from the wind. When information about such a device came to the press in 2007, how could journalists not try to come up with catchy headlines: “Now water made from air will flow into your soul”, “Water from nothing”, “Moisture from emptiness”, etc. Wisson proceeded from the hypothesis that a huge amount of water was “dissolved” in the air, “transported” by the wind. You just need to come up with a special device, similar to the “windmills” common in the world for generating electricity. The versatility of this potential water source is remarkable. The Australian, relying on the fact that water, rising from the surface of the ocean, is unevenly distributed in the air at an altitude of up to 100 kilometers, decided that it could be searched both in the skies over the Sahara and over the tropical zones; there is no fundamental difference. The principle of operation is similar to collecting condensate under an air conditioner or in the tray of a refrigerator - cooling the air. Whisson imagined a windmill with aerodynamic blades and Aeolian turbines that would collect air and cool it on itself, and the water would be expressed into reservoirs installed below. The innovation of the Australian’s design concept also lay in the fact that it was a “clean” technology without the use of electricity. Wind energy would be enough to operate the device. Moreover, such a device could operate in a “two-in-one” mode, that is, in addition to producing water, it could be used as a traditional windmill-electric generator. But this is all in theory. What happened in practice? The first draft version of the Wind-Water mill was created in 1997. Its capacity was 70-120 liters per day. Whisson encountered a wave of skepticism, but did not fold his arms. In 2010, he created a more powerful prototype, capable of generating up to a thousand liters per day. But so far this invention exists only in sample format and has not been put into industrial production.

In the poorest areas of African countries, where residents are forced to transport, and often carry, literally, heavy containers of water, it has recently been gaining popularity. interesting invention- a huge can in the shape of a wheel or roller (trademarks Q Drum, Wello Water Wheel). It holds up to 90 liters and is relatively easy to roll. But this, of course, is an invention that is called with tears in the eyes: it does not solve the problem of water shortage, it only slightly facilitates the delivery of water to places where it is lacking.

Unfortunately, for now it can be stated that the search for innovative ways to save and extract water is not able to solve the problem of humanity’s growing global thirst. These are all measures of local application and generally limited effect. It is difficult to say how these areas will develop. Therefore, it is logical to move on to what we have now.

How much is a bottle of “paleo water”?

Have you ever thought about the origin of its contents when buying a bottle of soda that easily sweats in the heat in the supermarket on a hot summer day? I do not rule out the possibility that if Rospotrebnadzor had introduced the corresponding norm, then the label would have written: “Pale water.” What is a "paleowater"? These are non-renewable underground water sources that arose in ancient times. climatic conditions. When we say the phrase “minerals,” the average person’s brain conjures images of rare metals, precious and other stones, gas and oil. But perhaps the most useful resource is simple drinking water. The term paleowater is the most exotic one available to refer to this natural phenomenon. The terms “aquifers”, “formations”, “lenses”, “groundwater”, “veins”, “aquifers” are more often used. Due to the fact that the ice of the Earth's poles is not used as a source of fresh water and, in addition, has a difficult international legal status, the “paleowater” turns out to be the dominant open and accessible source of water on Earth.

Underground aquifers contain 96% of the available fresh water on our planet. The rest comes from land-based sources - rivers, lakes, etc. Thus, indeed, when buying a bottle of soda in a store, you “risk” with a high probability of satisfying your thirst with “paleo water”. It covers 70% of the life-giving moisture needs of the European Union, and the dependence of many countries, especially in arid regions such as Spain, South Africa, Tunisia, India, on groundwater ranges from 80 to 90%. Currently, about three hundred similar underground sources have been explored in the world, and their exploration continues to this day.

The richest region in terms of the number of underground water lenses is Europe, there are about one hundred and fifty of them, followed by the two Americas (68 “horizons”), 38 of them have been discovered in Africa, and only twelve in Asia so far. There is also a political aspect to the problem of paleowater extraction: the vast majority of underground basins are located on the territory of several countries, which is why there are continuous interstate disputes. There is even a hypothesis that one of the motives of the so-called “Arab Spring” was the redistribution of rights to extract “blue gold” from Nubian sandstone, most of which is located in Libya and Egypt.

A special place among underground tanks paleoducts occupy the four largest: the Great Artesian Basin in Australia, the Guarani aquifer in South America, the West Siberian artesian basin in Russia and that same African Nubian sandstone. The least written in Russian is about the Latin American aquifer lens, so below we will write about it in a little more detail.

Aquifer Guarani

The Guarani aquifer is classified as transboundary and is located on the territory of four South American countries - Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

There are practically no disputes regarding the exploitation of groundwater between these states, because all four countries are united in the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR), the legal documents of which quite effectively regulate the rights and responsibilities of each of the states, including in terms of water production (unlike same Nubian sandstone, about general policy the use of which the North African countries have not yet been able to agree on). The name of the aquifer comes from a group of Guarani Indian peoples living in the territory of the above-mentioned states, mainly in Paraguay. The volume of the Guarani aquifer is huge - 45 thousand km³. It is estimated that this water will be enough to feed humanity for two hundred years, even taking into account demographic growth. The area of ​​the aquifer is equally impressive - about 1,180 thousand km², most of it is located in Brazil (840 thousand km²), the remaining area is distributed between Argentina (225 thousand km²), Paraguay (70 thousand km²) and Uruguay (45 thousand . km²). This global “blue gold mine” is home to just over 30 million people: 25 million Brazilians, almost three million Argentines, two million Paraguayans and just over five hundred thousand Uruguayans. The depth of Guarani ranges from 70 to 1140 meters (minimum and maximum recorded in Brazil). The South American lens was formed, according to geologists, approximately 144 million years ago. The lion's share of consumption falls, naturally, in Brazil, where the waters of Guarani are used by residents of approximately five hundred cities and rural areas. settlements. There are about 130 wells and boreholes in Uruguay, and about two hundred in Paraguay. All of them are state or municipal property, and any attempts to privatize them are met with heated rebuff from the local population. As hot as Guarani water itself. When extracted, its temperature can reach 65 degrees Celsius. Such is the general outline portrait of a paleowater in South America.

Everything ends. But not for everyone at once

The total groundwater reserves are about 60 million km³. This is about 2% of all water on Earth. A fair portion of them are in fresh aquifers. And if the Guarani aquifer alone can supply humanity with water for 200 years, it would seem there is nothing to worry about. However, not everything is rosy. Firstly, water lies at different depths, and as the surface horizons are depleted, its extraction will become more difficult and expensive. Secondly, production itself has the consequence of deteriorating the quality of underground aquifers. The water level in them is gradually decreasing. Because of this, it will become more difficult to drill down to it over time, but this is not the worst thing: when the water level drops in coastal underground lenses, ocean salt water seeps into them, making the paleowater undrinkable. Finally, even in a very distant future, even these reserves are objectively exhaustible. This means that sooner or later humanity will be forced to move either to the use of polar ice, or to desalination of ocean waters, or will come face to face with the problem of the synthesis of drinking water. When this will happen is an open question. One thing is certain: given the existing global political and economic system the transformation of such a vital resource as water into an acutely scarce one, the extraction or production of which will require considerable investments and advanced technologies - whenever this happens - will make less developed countries even more dependent on more developed ones than is the case today, and many densely populated countries today space - will turn into a lifeless desert.

Notes

1. In a similar way, in the early 1980s, the Soviet satirical magazine Krokodil made fun of how in Israel either environmental organizations or one of the officials once urged spouses to take a shower together - with the goal, again, of saving fresh water.

2. Currently, California is planning to build an even more productive wastewater treatment complex, see about this -.

Fresh water is water that contains no more than 0.1% salt. It can be in the form of liquid, vapor or ice. Of the total amount of water resources it is 2.5-3%. But of this 3%, only 1% is available to humans.

Its distribution on globe characterized by unevenness. Europe and Asia, inhabited by 70% of the population, have only 39% at their disposal.

The main sources are:

• surface (rivers, streams, fresh lakes, glaciers);
• groundwater (springs and artesian springs);
• precipitation (snow and rain).

Most large stock stored in glaciers (85-90%), especially in Antarctic ones. Russia ranks second in the world in terms of fresh water reserves (first place belongs to Brazil). The main amount of water is concentrated in Lake Baikal: 80% of Russian reserves and 20% of global reserves.

The total volume of the lake is 23.6 thousand cubic kilometers. Every year it produces approximately 60 m 3 of water, characterized by extraordinary purity and transparency.

Fresh water shortage problem

Recently, humanity has been faced with the problem of shortages. Now over 1.2 billion people are experiencing constant shortages. According to forecasts, in a few decades more than 4 billion people will find themselves in such conditions, as its number will be halved. The reasons for this situation include:

• contamination of water sources;
• population growth;
• melting of glaciers as a result greenhouse effect.

They are trying to restore this deficit in the following ways:

• export;
• creation of artificial reservoirs;
• cost savings;
• artificial production of fresh water.

Methods for obtaining fresh water:

• desalination of sea waters;
• condensation of water vapor from the air in natural cold stores, most often in coastal caves.

With the help of condensation, huge reserves of water are formed, which fall under the seabed, where they often break through with fresh springs.

Meaning and Application

First of all, water is necessary for the Earth's ecosystems to function properly. Water creates and supports life on Earth, plays the role of a universal solvent, and takes part in all chemical reactions, occurring in the human body, shapes climate and weather.

The human body contains 70% water. Therefore, it must be constantly replenished: without it, a person cannot live for more than 3 days.

The bulk of water resources is used by agriculture and industry, and only a small part (about 10%) is used for consumer needs.

Recently, consumption for household needs has increased sharply due to the introduction of automatic dishwashers and washing machines.

Compound

The water of rivers and lakes is not the same in composition. Since it is a universal solvent, its composition depends on the composition of the surrounding soil and the minerals contained in it. It contains dissolved gases (mainly oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide), various cations and anions, organic substances, suspended particles, and microorganisms.

Characteristics

An important characteristic is its purity. Water quality depends on acidity pH, hardness and organoleptics.

The acidity of water is affected by the content of hydrogen ions, and hardness is affected by the presence of calcium and magnesium ions.

Hardness can be general, carbonate and non-carbonate, removable and irremovable.

The organoleptic properties of water depend on its smell, taste, color and turbidity.

The smell may be earthy, chlorine, petroleum, etc. It is rated on a 5-point scale:

1. complete absence of odor;
2. the smell is almost not felt;
3. the smell can only be noticed if you specifically pay attention to it;
4. the smell can be easily noticed and you don’t really want to drink it;
5. the smell is clearly audible, which prevents the desire to drink it;
6. the smell is particularly strong, making it undrinkable.

The taste of fresh water can be salty, sour, sweet and bitter. It is also rated on a 5-point scale. It can be absent, very faint, weak, noticeable, distinct and very strong.

Color and turbidity are assessed on a 14-point scale by comparison with a standard.

Water is characterized by inexhaustibility and self-purification. Inexhaustibility is determined by its self-replenishment, which results from the natural water cycle.

What does water quality depend on?

To study its properties, qualitative and quantitative analysis. On its basis, the maximum permissible concentration is determined for each substance included in its composition. But for some substances, viruses and bacteria, the maximum permissible concentration should be zero: they should be completely absent.

Quality is affected by:

• climate (especially frequency and amount of precipitation);
• geological feature of the area (mainly the structure of the river bed);
• ecological conditions of the region.

Special devices are used for cleaning. But even when using the latest modifications of treatment systems, some of the pollutants (about 10%) remain in the water.

Freshwater classification

Divided into:

• regular;
• mineral.

Depending on mineral content mineral water classified into:

In addition, there are also artificial fresh waters, which are divided into:

• mineral and distilled;
• desalinated and melted;
• shungite and silver;
• "alive" and "dead".

Melt water has a number of beneficial properties. But it is not recommended to prepare it by melting snow or ice from the street: it will contain benzopyrene, which is an organic carcinogenic compound that is characterized by the first hazard class. Its source is car exhaust gases.

Shungite water is formed when water passes through deposits of shungite (rock), acquiring medicinal properties. They also make artificial shungite water, but its effectiveness has not been proven.

Silver water is formed as a result of saturation with silver. It has bactericidal properties and can kill pathogenic microorganisms.

“Living” and “dead” water does not only exist in fairy tales. It is obtained by electrolysis of ordinary water and is used to treat various diseases.

• A leaking tap, from which tap water flows in a thin stream, will carry away 840 liters per day.
• Most clean water Finland can boast.
• The most expensive water is sold in Finland: 1 liter costs $90.
• If you put hot and cold water in the refrigerator, the hot water will freeze faster.
• Hot water will put out a fire faster than cold water.
• At school we learned that water can be in 3 states. Scientists identify 14 states of frozen water and 5 states of liquid water.
• Modern people need 80-100 liters of water per day. During the Middle Ages, 5 liters was enough for a person.
• A person drinks 2-2.5 liters per day, and 35 tons over a lifetime.

Water shortages are increasingly making themselves felt to humanity. Something needs to be done to change the situation, otherwise the inhabitants of the blue planet, most of which is occupied by water, will be left without something to drink. In this case, all living things will have only 3 days to live.

More than 98% of all water resources of the Earth are salty waters of the oceans, seas, etc. The total volume of fresh water on Earth is 28.25 million km3, or about 2% of the total volume of the hydrosphere. The bulk of fresh water is concentrated in glaciers, the waters of which are still used very little. The rest of the fresh waters suitable for water supply account for 4.2 million km3 of water, or only 0.3% of the volume of the hydrosphere.

The hydrosphere plays a huge role in the formation natural environment of our planet. It also has a very active effect on atmospheric processes (heating and cooling air masses, saturating them with moisture, etc.).

Atmosphere ( Greek “atmos”  steam)  gas shell of the Earth, consisting of a mixture of various gases, water vapor and dust (Table 6.3, according to N. Reimers, 1990). The total mass of the atmosphere is  5.15  1015 tons. At an altitude of 10 to 50 km, with a maximum concentration at an altitude of 20–25 km, there is an ozone layer that protects the Earth from excessive ultraviolet radiation, which is fatal to organisms.

Table 6.3

Atmospheric composition

The atmosphere physically, chemically and mechanically affects the lithosphere, regulating the distribution of heat and moisture. Weather and climate on Earth depend on the distribution of heat, pressure and water vapor content in the atmosphere. Water vapor absorbs solar radiation, increases air density and is the source of all precipitation. The atmosphere supports various forms of life on Earth.

In the formation of the Earth’s natural environment, the role of the troposphere (the lower layer of the atmosphere up to a height of 8–10 km in polar, 10–12 km in temperate and 16–18 km in tropical latitudes) and, to a lesser extent, the stratosphere, a region of cold rarefied dry air with a thickness of approximately 20 km. Meteorite dust continuously falls through the stratosphere, volcanic dust is thrown into it, and in the past, products nuclear explosions in the atmosphere.

In the troposphere, global vertical and horizontal movements of air masses occur, which largely determine the water cycle, heat exchange, and transboundary transport of dust particles and pollution.

Atmospheric processes are closely related to processes occurring in the lithosphere and water shell.

Atmospheric phenomena include: precipitation, clouds, fog, thunderstorm, ice, dust (sand) storm, squall, blizzard, frost, dew, frost, icing, Polar Lights and etc.

The atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere interact closely with each other. Almost all surface, exogenous, geological processes are caused by this interaction and take place, as a rule, in the biosphere.

Biosphere the outer shell of the Earth, which includes part of the atmosphere up to a height of 25–30 km (up to the ozone layer), almost the entire hydrosphere and the upper part of the lithosphere to a depth of approximately 3 km. The peculiarity of these parts is that they are inhabited by living organisms that make up the living matter of the planet. Interaction of the abiotic part of the biosphere  air, water and rocks, and organic matter biota, determined the formation of soils and sedimentary rocks. The latter, according to V.I. Vernadsky, bear traces of the activity of ancient biospheres that existed in past geological eras.

19. World water resources

The concept of water resources can be interpreted in two senses – broad and narrow.

In a broad sense, this is the entire volume of water in the hydrosphere contained in rivers, lakes, glaciers, seas and oceans, as well as in underground horizons and in the atmosphere. The definitions huge, inexhaustible are quite applicable to it, and this is not surprising. After all, the World Ocean occupies 361 million km2 (about 71% of the total area of ​​the planet), and glaciers, lakes, reservoirs, swamps, and rivers account for another 20 million km2 (15%). As a result, the total volume of the hydrosphere is estimated at 1390 million km3. It is not difficult to calculate that with such a total volume, each inhabitant of the Earth now has approximately 210 million m3 of water. This amount would be enough to supply a large city for a whole year!

However, it is necessary to take into account the possibilities of using these enormous resources. Indeed, of the total volume of water contained in the hydrosphere, 96.4% falls on the share of the World Ocean, and of the water bodies on land, the largest amount of water contains glaciers (1.86%) and groundwater (1.68%), the use of which is possible, but for the most part very difficult.

That is why, when we talk about water resources in the narrow sense of the word, we mean fresh water suitable for consumption, which constitutes only 2.5% of the total volume of all waters in the hydrosphere. However, significant adjustments must be made to this indicator. One cannot ignore the fact that almost all fresh water resources are “conserved” either in the glaciers of Antarctica, Greenland, mountainous regions, in the ice of the Arctic, or in groundwater and ice, the use of which is still very limited. Lakes and reservoirs are used much more widely, but their geographical distribution is by no means ubiquitous. It follows that the main source of meeting humanity’s needs for fresh water has been and remains river (channel) water, the share of which is extremely small, and the total volume is only 2100 km3.

This amount of fresh water would not be enough for people to live by now.

However, due to the fact that the duration of the conditional moisture cycle for rivers is 16 days, during the year the volume of water in them is renewed on average 23 times and, consequently, resources river flow purely arithmetically can be estimated at 48 thousand km3/year. However, the prevailing figure in the literature is 41 thousand km3/year. It characterizes the “water ration” of the planet, but reservations are also necessary here. It is impossible not to take into account that more than half of the channel waters flow into the sea, so that the resources of such waters actually available for use, according to some estimates, do not exceed 15 thousand km3.

If we consider how the total river flow is distributed between large regions of the world, it turns out that foreign Asia accounts for 11 thousand km3, South America - 10.5, North America - 7, CIS countries - 5.3, Africa – 4.2, for Australia and Oceania – 1.6 and for foreign Europe – 1.4 thousand km3. It is clear that behind these indicators are, first of all, the largest river systems in terms of flow: in Asia - the Yangtze, Ganges and Brahmaputra, in South America - the Amazon, Orinoco, Parana, in North America - the Mississippi, in the CIS - the Yenisei, Lena, in Africa - Congo, Zambezi. This fully applies not only to regions, but also to individual countries (Table 23).

Table 23

TOP TEN COUNTRIES BY SIZE OF FRESHWATER RESOURCES

Figures characterizing water resources cannot yet give full view about water availability, since the provision of total flow is usually expressed in specific indicators - either per 1 km2 of territory or per inhabitant. This water supply to the world and its regions is shown in Figure 19. Analysis of this figure suggests that with a global average of 8000 m3/year, Australia and Oceania, South America, the CIS and North America, and below is Africa, foreign Europe And foreign Asia. This situation with water supply in the regions is explained both by the overall size of their water resources and by the size of their population. No less interesting is the analysis of differences in water availability in individual countries (Table 24). Of the ten countries with the greatest water availability, seven are located within the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical zones and only Canada, Norway and New Zealand are within the temperate and subarctic range.

Rice. 19. Availability of river flow resources according to large regions world, thousand m3/year

Table 24

COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST AND LEAST AVAILABILITY OF FRESHWATER RESOURCES

Although based on the above per capita indicators of water availability for the whole world, its individual regions and countries, it is quite possible to imagine its general picture, it would be more correct to call such availability potential. To imagine the real water availability, you need to take into account the size of water intake and water consumption.

World water consumption in the twentieth century. grew as follows (in km3): 1900 – 580, 1940 – 820, 1950 – 1100, 1960 – 1900, 1970 – 2520, 1980 – 3200, 1990 – 3580, 2005 - 6000. These general indicators of water consumption are very important: they indicate that throughout the 20th century. global water consumption increased 6.8 times. Already, almost 1.2 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. According to the UN forecast, universal access to such water can be achieved: in Asia - by 2025, in Africa - by 2050. The structure, i.e., the nature of water consumption, is no less important. Nowadays, 70% of fresh water is consumed by agriculture, 20% by industry, and 10% goes to meet domestic needs. This ratio is quite understandable and natural, but from the point of view of saving water resources, it is quite unprofitable, primarily because in agriculture (especially in irrigated agriculture) irrecoverable water consumption is very high. According to available estimates, in 2000

Distribution of water resources on the planet

irrecoverable water consumption in world agriculture amounted to 2.5 thousand km3, while in industry and public utilities, where it is more widely used recycling water supply, respectively, only 65 and 12 km3. From all that has been said, it follows, firstly, that today humanity already uses quite a significant part of the planet’s “water ration” (about 1/10 of the total and more than 1/4 of the actually available) and, secondly, that irreversible water losses amount to more than 1/2 of its total consumption.

It is no coincidence that the highest rates of per capita water consumption are characteristic of countries with irrigated agriculture. The record holder here is Turkmenistan (7000 m3 per person per year). It is followed by Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, etc. All these countries are already experiencing a significant shortage of water resources.

In Russia, the total river flow reaches 4.2 thousand km3/year, and, therefore, the resource availability of this flow per capita is 29 thousand m3/year; This is not a record, but quite a high figure. Total fresh water intake in the second half of the 1990s. Due to the economic crisis, there was a tendency to decrease slightly. In 2000 it was 80–85 km3.

The structure of water consumption in Russia is as follows: 56% is used for production, 21% for household and drinking needs, 17% for irrigation and agricultural water supply, and 6% for other needs. It is easy to calculate that in Russia as a whole, the total water intake is only 2% of shared resources river flow. However, this is an average figure, and in some river basins it reaches 50–75% or more. The same applies to individual economic regions of the country. So, in the Central, Central Black Earth and Volga regions water availability per capita is only 3000–4000 m3/year, and in the Far East – 300 thousand m3.

The general trend for the whole world and its individual regions is a gradual decrease in water availability, so various ways to save water resources and new ways of water supply are being sought.

Date: 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, huge stock fresh water (about 525,000 km3) 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, they use five times more fresh water than is 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.
• Fresh water 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 more expensive than that one, which grew on the soil and is 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 a large number of precipitation, half the population does not have regular access to drinking water in sufficient quantities.

Distribution of waters on Earth

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.

Water resources include all usable surface and underground waters of the Earth. Water is necessary to maintain organic life on Earth, the existence of man, his economic activity. The water factor has a great influence on the location of social production. Water-intensive industries with a focus on large sources of water supply include many industries (electric power, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, pulp and paper, chemical industry, etc.), agriculture (rice growing, cotton growing, etc.). Water resources are an extremely important factor not only for obviously water-intensive industries, but also for the development of cities and meeting the household needs of the population.

People's needs for fresh water are especially great, the reserves of which are limited on Earth. The total water reserves on Earth, forming its hydrosphere (oceans and seas, rivers, lakes, swamps and reservoirs, groundwater, glaciers and snow, soil moisture and atmospheric vapor), are estimated at 1,386 million cubic meters. km. Of these, 96.5% of water resources come from the salty waters of the World Ocean and 1% from salty groundwater. The remaining 2.5% of the volume of the hydrosphere constitutes the fresh water resources on the globe.

However, in reality their number is much smaller (only 0.3% of the volume of the hydrosphere), since polar ice As a source of fresh water, they are practically not yet used.

Thus, despite the presence of enormous water resources on Earth, their quantity suitable for direct practical use (fresh water) is very limited.

Among the few sources of fresh water, rivers are the main ones. River water resources are renewable and inexhaustible, unlike underground fresh water, the reserves of which are exhaustible. The amount of annually renewable water resources is estimated by the size of river flow, which depends on the relationship between precipitation (falling in the form of rain and snow on the surface of the river basin) and evaporation of the fallen moisture.

River water resources (river flow resources) are estimated at 47 thousand cubic meters. km per year, and the world average river flow (flow per capita) is about 8 thousand cubic meters. m/year.

More than half of the fresh water resources from the planet’s river flows are in Asia (13,190 cubic km per year), where such large rivers Lands like the Yangtze, Irrawaddy, Mekong, Ganges, Brahmaputra, and South America (10,380 cubic km/year) with its the greatest river(by runoff volume, basin area, length and width) by Amazon. The other half of the total volume of river flow is shared between North America (5,960), Africa (4,225), Europe (3,110), Australia and Oceania (1,965 cubic km/year). Australia and Oceania, which are in last place on this list, at the same time have the highest water supply per capita (83 thousand cubic meters / year), and Asia, which leads in fresh water reserves, has the lowest average water supply per capita - 4.5 thousand cubic meters m/year. In South America this figure is 34 thousand cubic meters. m/year, in Northern - 15, in Africa - 6.5, in Europe — b thousand cubic meters m/year. Water availability varies significantly across countries around the world. Russia has significant fresh water resources. The total volume of its river flow is estimated at 4,270 cubic meters. km/year, which is about 10% of the total flow of all rivers in the world. According to this indicator, following Brazil, Russia surpasses all countries in the world. Russia's water supply per capita (28.5 thousand cubic meters/year) is more than three times higher than the world average. Water resources within the country are distributed extremely unevenly - about 70% of its total surface flow falls on sparsely populated, economically underdeveloped regions of Siberia and Far East and only 30% - for the densely populated and most water-intensive areas of the European part and the Urals.

Distribution of water on Earth and its cycle. Water balance

The worst provision of water is in the central regions (Lipetsk, Belgorod, Kursk and Voronezh region) and southern (Rostov, Astrakhan regions, Republic of Kalmykia, etc.) regions of the European part.

In Russia there are about 120 thousand.

rivers (over 10 km long), most of them belong to the basins of the Arctic (Northern Dvina, Pechora, Ob with Irtysh, Yenisei, Lena, Indigirka, Kolyma, etc.), Pacific (Amur, Anadyr, Penzhina, etc.) and Atlantic (Don, Kuban, Neva) oceans. One of the largest and most abundant rivers in Russia, the Volga belongs to the internal drainage basin and flows into the Caspian Sea. A significant volume of fresh water is contained in reservoirs (of which Bratskoye, Krasnoyarsk, Zeyskoye, Ust-Ilimskoye, Samara are among the largest in the world) and lakes (Baikal - the deepest lake in the world, Ladoga, Onega, Taimyr, etc.). Russia is also rich in fresh groundwater resources, the exploitable reserves of proven deposits amount to 27.3 cubic meters. km/year, of which 80% are located in the European part.

In general, water consumption in the world is constantly growing and in 2000 it amounted to 4,780 cubic meters. km, i.e. approximately 10% of the total freshwater resources (total annual flow) of the planet. The main consumers of water in the world are agriculture (69%), industry (21%), public utilities (6%) and reservoirs. At the same time, the share of water used in agriculture and municipal services is constantly increasing.

In Russia, about 100 cubic meters are used annually. km of fresh water (in the USA - 550 cubic km), or approximately 2.4% of its total annual river flow. In the structure of water consumption, in contrast to the world average, the leading role is played by industry (55%), the share of agriculture is low (20%) and the public sector is high (19%).

In recent years, many countries around the world have begun to experience a shortage of water resources, associated not with their depletion, but with the qualitative deterioration of natural resources. surface waters- their contamination as a result of use in everyday life and at work. The volume of contaminated surface water is so large that the problem of clean water has become global.

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