Southern and northern tiers of Africa, much of the Middle East, a broad band in
Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, southern and eastern Australia, as well as
northern Mexico and the southwestern United States will be affected by presistant
drought and water scarcity in the coming years.
(AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
With yesterday’s celebration of the World Water Day, water use is once again in the spotlight. So also the correlation between energy- and water demand. Population growth and mobility, rising living standards, changes in food consumption, and production of biofuels are increasingly intensifying the competition for water, making it as political as is already the fight for the world’s remaining oil- and gas reserves.
A UN report released at the World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey last week, for example, finds that the southern and northern tiers of Africa, much of the Middle East, a broad band in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, southern and eastern Australia, as well as northern Mexico and the southwestern United States will be affected by persistent drought and water scarcity in the coming years.
“We are living beyond our means when it comes to water”, said Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (EEA). “We have to cut demand, minimize the amount of water that we are extracting and increase the efficiency of its use”.
Agriculture is the greatest consumer of water and accounts for 70% of all water consumption. A consumption that may increase to 90% by 2050 if water use is not optimized the UN says.
Changes in lifestyle and eating habits are one source. Chinese consumers who ate 20 kilos of meat in 1985 are expected to eat over 50 kilos in 2009. This requires increased water production. The production of 1 kilo beef calls for 2,000 – 16,000 litres of water, while wheat, as a comparison, needs 800 – 4,000 liters.
The production of biofuels has also increased. Ethanol, that produced 77 billion litres in 2008, should reach 127 billion litres by 2017, putting significant pressure on water as the production of 1 litre of biofuel involves the use of 1,000 – 4,000 litres of water.
“Water conservation is the most cost-efficient and environmentally sound way to reduce our demand for water”, said Miguel Flores, EPA Water Quality Protection Division Director in Dallas. “By making a few small changes to our daily routines, we save a significant amount of water and help conserve water supplies for future generations”.
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