ABSTRACT
Water scarcity is evident in many parts of the world. The United Nations (UN) believes about 1.9 billion people live in potentially severely water-scarce areas, and about 3.6 billion people worldwide are living in such areas for at least one month per year; this will get worse in a climate-changed world. Current global water withdrawals are near maximum sustainable levels, and some groundwater resources are under considerable pressure. The status of traditional sources – surface water and groundwater – will be assessed in this chapter. Several water management options are available, such as improved infrastructure, greater efficiency in use and recycling, and more widespread use of desalination. A holistic view of water resources available will highlight the scale of the challenge going forward.
