Financial Times: Water scarcity affects one in three

[DeepModem Mom]

Water scarcity affects one in three
By Fiona Harvey in London
Published: August 21 2006

A third of the world’s population is suffering from a shortage of water, raising the prospect of “water crises” in countries such as China, India and the US.

Scientists had forecast in 2000 that one in three would face water shortages by 2025, but water experts have been shocked to find that this threshold has already been crossed.

Frank Rijsberman, director-general of the International Water Management Institute, said: “We will have to change business as usual in order to deal with the growing water scarcity crisis.”

About a quarter of the world’s population lives in areas of “physical water shortage”, where natural forces, over-use and poor agricultural practices have led to falling groundwater levels and rivers drying up. But a further 1bn people face “economic water shortages”, because lack the necessary infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers.

The findings come from a report compiled by 700 experts over five years, the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture from the International Water Management Institute, presented on Monday at World Water Week in Stockholm, an international meeting of water experts.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3e3eeab2-3137-11db-b953-0000779e2340.html

[rodeodance]

1. over 5 years ago and our media has yet to make an issue of it.

......The findings come from a report compiled by 700 experts over five years, the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture from the International Water Management Institute, presented on Monday at World Water Week in Stockholm, an international meeting of water experts.

[blm]

3. Media won't make an issue of it till the corp masters finish ACQUIRING all

the major and minor sources of fresh water.

RevMoon already bought all the land above the world's largest aquifer - Guarani.

[panader0]

2. So weird that while some suffer from water shortage, others

suffer from too much water. We're all in this together, one planet, and we have the brains and the ability to address these basic issues. If people could stop worshipping money, humanity could thrive.

[blm]

5. What a simple yet eloquent statement.

.

[SlipperySlope]

4. Solution is easy

A few decades of world-wide negative population growth would insure that the people:water ration is balanced.

[Barrett808]

6. Just around the corner, with world oil production peaking at this moment

Get ready for a long, long roller coaster plunge.

[4dsc]

7. Peak oil, peak water, peak resources

Didn't AWOlbush make a statement about hitting the trifecta??

[eccles12]

8. And this is really what the Israelis are waring about right now.

It's why the swiss-cheese proposal for Palestine was rejuected by Arafat and why Israel continues to invade Lebanon. It's the water, stupid. All those wells. Just look where most of the settlements are located and understand why the Palestinians usually reject all peace proposals because they give to Israel most of the access or control of access to water supplies.

[annabanana]

9. the NEXT big push for privatization....

No water for YOU.

[Thor_MN]

10. Makes one wonder what the Southwest would be like

if Death Valley were flooded with ocean water. Obviously it shouldn't be done, but I wonder what injecting all the water from evaporation into the atmosphere would play out across the Midwest.

Maybe if we told Georgie that this would be called Terra-forming, he would stop invading other countries and start digging a 200 mile tunnel.

[The Sower]

11. This week I'm doing a show about water and struggles over it.

This article will be helpful.

Thanks!

[Tellurian]

12. bump