Clean water: a fading resource

Abstract

Fresh waters of the world are collectively experiencing markedly accelerating rates of qualitative and quantitative degradation. The primary types of degradation are reviewed in a historical manner to illustrate the technological and social responses, and the rates at which they can be applied, under different societal structures. Effective utilization of extant freshwater resources is complicated by distributions of humans and their exploitation in regions low in water availability, and by accelerating changes in hydrological patterns associated with on-going and impending climatic changes. Certain societies can cope with pollution and availability constraints, and even reduce freshwater degradation. In most of the world, however, human population growth continues to accelerate without any significant reduction of rates. Until human growth is stabilized, either by intelligence or catastrophes, further losses and degradation of fresh waters can be controlled only partially on a global basis. Control and reversal of degradation requires a proper economic valuation of fresh waters. With proper valuation, methods for effective utilization of existing supplies can be applied to agricultural, industrial, and residential uses.