Climate Change Means Water Shortages

Population and Climate Change Point to Future Water Shortages; A new study suggests that reductions in agricultural water use will probably play the biggest role in limiting future water shortages.

28 February 2019 (Earth and Space Science News)

“Climate change plus population growth are setting the stage for water shortages in parts of the U.S. long before the end of the century…Even efforts to use water more efficiently in municipal and industrial sectors won’t be enough to stave off shortages…[According to new U.S. Forest Service research, reductions] in agricultural water use will probably play the biggest role in limiting future water shortages…[Researchers found serious challenges are likely] in some regions of the U.S., notably the central and southern Great Plains, the Southwest and central Rocky Mountain States, and California, and also some areas in the South and the Midwest…

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The heart of the new analysis is a comparison of future water supply versus estimated water demand in different water-using sectors, like industry and agriculture…[R]eductions in per-capita water use rates are likely in most water-use sectors, but will be insufficient to avoid impending water shortages…Increasing the size of reservoirs does not look promising for fending off water shortages…Further reductions in groundwater reserves and greater diversions of in-stream flows could help…but come with serious social and environmental costs. If those costs are to be avoided, improvements in irrigation efficiency will need to become a high priority, and further transfers of water from agriculture to other sectors will likely be essential…” click here for more

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