Wassermangel und dessen Gesundheitskonsequenzen: Eine Folge des Klimawandels?

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Zusammenfassung

Die Bedeutsamkeit von sauberem Trinkwasser für die Menschen konzentriert sich in der Aussage Wasser ist Leben (WHO 1997). Die Weltgesundheitsorganisation schätzte, dass jährlich allein durch wasser- und hygieneassoziierte Erkrankungen mehr als 2,4 Mio. Menschen sterben (Prüss-Üstün et al. 2008). Die wesentlichen Dimensionen, die Wasser und Gesundheitseffekte betreffen, sind die quantitative Verfügbarkeit und die Qualität des verfügbaren Wassers (WHO 2000). Beide Dimensionen hängen u. a. von klimasensitiven Faktoren wie Niederschlagsmustern, -intensität und -extremen sowie von Schnee- und Eisschmelze ab. Dieses Kapitel beschäftigt sich mit der Fragestellung, ob Wassermangel eine Folge des voranschreitenden Klimawandels ist. Die Fragestellung wird zunächst anhand eines Literaturüberblicks diskutiert. Im Anschluss daran wird eine Untersuchung des Lehrstuhls für Ingenieurgeologie und Hydrogeologie der RWTH University aus dem Jahr 2008 zu Grundwasserkontamination durch Salzwasserintrusion im Großraum Beirut vorgestellt. Als Ergebnis dieses Beitrags kann festgehalten werden, dass der Klimawandel negative Auswirkungen auf die Wasserqualität und Wasserquantität haben kann. Allerdings sind in erster Linie anthropogene Effekte für Veränderungen von Wasserqualität und Wasserquantität verantwortlich, so dass Klimawandel eher verstärkend wirkt.

Schlüsselwörter

Klimawandel Salzwasserintrusion Wasserverschmutzung Wassermangel Gesundheitskonsequenzen Beirut 

Abstract

The importance of safe drinking water is reflected in the statement water is life (WHO 1997). The World Health Organization estimated that about 2.4 million people annually die due to waterborne diseases and lack of sanitation and hygiene (Prüss-Üstün et al. 2008). The main dimensions related to water and health effects are the quantitative availability and the quality of available water (WHO 2000). Both dimensions are related – among other things – to climate-sensitive factors like precipitation patterns, -intensity and -extremes as well as snow and ice melt. This chapter addresses the issue of whether water shortage is a consequence of the advancing climate change. The issue is first discussed based on a literature review. This is followed by an investigation of groundwater contamination by salt-water intrusion in the Greater Beirut area, which was realized in 2008 by the Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology (RWTH Aachen University). The principle results of the paper show that climate change may have negative impacts on water quality and quantity. However, anthropogenic effects are primarily responsible for changing water quality and quantity. Therefore, climate change can rather be seen as a reinforcing factor.

Keywords

Climate change Salt-water intrusion Water pollution Water scarcity Health effects Beirut 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Lehrstuhl für Ingenieurgeologie und HydrogeologieRWTH AachenAachenDeutschland
  2. 2.AG 2 Bevölkerungsmedizin und biomedizinische Grundlagen, Fakultät für GesundheitswissenschaftenUniversität BielefeldBielefeldDeutschland

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