ABSTRACT
On current patterns of development, the demand on water supply may continue growing further as human civilization continues to increase in size and complexity. However, while demand on freshwater resources has dramatically grown over the course of the entire 20th century, the picture is more nuanced in its last 25 yr. The rate of growth of consumption of freshwater resources appears to be slowing down, possibly thanks to conservation methods and new technologies. Population growth has also slowed down. There appears to be a marked slowdown in the rates of increase of population and water withdrawal that was apparently started in the 1970’s. This follows a pattern whereby, as nations start a period of growth, they increase demands on natural resources. Then, as they grow wealthier, they appear to become more effi cient users of natural resources. However, even if population growth rates is slowing down, total population has grown to unprecedented amounts over the course of the 20th century; while it took the entire human history to reach 1 billion people by 1800, then the population doubled by the 1930’s, and went on to exceed 6 billion by the onset of the 21st century.
