Skip to main content

Science and Technology and the Future Development of Societies International Workshop Proceedings (2008) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:

Addressing Water Security: The Role of Science and Technology--Henry Vaux
Pages 39-44

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 39...
... Moreover, current levels of supply will almost surely be reduced because of groundwater overdraft, which is found in virtually every region of the world; declines in water quality, including soil salinization; and global climate change. Water security can be defined at different levels.
Read the entire page →
From page 40...
... These people have no alternative but to drink contaminated water, and this results in more than 50 million deaths annually and an incidence of waterborne diseases rarely seen in the developed world. Even in developed countries, advanced water treatment technologies such as chlorination fail to provide complete protection against some pathogens, for example, crypto­sporidium.
Read the entire page →
From page 41...
... The problem can be placed in stark perspective by some analyses based on the proposition that each person requires 1,500 m3 of water annually for personal use and for growing the food needed for adequate and healthy nutrition. A common classification scheme defines countries with 1,000–1,500 m3 per capita annually to be under water stress, those with 500 –1,000 m3 per capita annually to be experiencing water scarcity, and those with less than 500 m3 to be experiencing extreme water scarcity (Falkenmark and Rockstrom, 2004; Zehnder, 2004)
Read the entire page →
From page 42...
... Advanced irrigation technology that allows growers to apply water with great precision and improvements in irrigation scheduling are among the most promising avenues. In addition, work on the moisture stressing of crops at strategic points in the life cycle or annual cycle has promise of leading to water management regimes that produce high-quality crops with little penalty in terms of quantities.
Read the entire page →
From page 43...
... Today, with widespread recognition of the value of environmental services such as biodiversity and water purification as well as the amenity values of aquatic and associated terrestrial ecosystems, the supplier of last resort is frequently thought of as agriculture. Nevertheless, as the global demand for food and fiber grows, it may be very difficult to find sufficient water to maintain aquatic ecosystems.
Read the entire page →
From page 44...
... Despite the need for innovative and creative institutional arrangements, financial support of social science research related to the management of water resources has almost disappeared. Research in the social sciences is every bit as important as research in the more traditional physical and biological sciences if water problems are to be successfully addressed.
Read the entire page →

Key Terms

  • water security
  • water scarcity
  • drinking water
  • water quality
  • environmental services

  • developed world
  • lack access
  • global water
  • additional water
  • virtual water

  • water management
  • billion people
  • wastewater treatment
  • world water
  • inadequate water

  • water purification
  • water shortages
  • water worldwide
  • environmental purposes
  • environmental stability

  • people lack
  • importing virtual
  • population grows
  • consumptive user
  • waterborne diseases

  • cereal exports
  • capita annually
  • agricultural purposes
  • sanitation services
  • largest consumptive


    • This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
    More information on Chapter Skim is available.