I think the implication is that with increasing drought and loss of renewable groundwater supplies, fossil water will be drawn more intensely for use in irrigation. If drought conditions worsen globally, or groundwater suffers contamination (saltwater or pollutants) then we are headed for a crash.
The use of fossil water depends on where the water is being drawn and how renewable groundwater is replenished. Reuters has graphics on India’s specific water issues.
The included graphic there shows per capita water availability for India reaching close to 1000m3 (water scarcity) by 2050, with a changing slope reflecting water conservation, I presume. Since the population centers across the country face different conditions, these are averages, and some places in India will run out of water much sooner.
John Roome at World Bank Blogs has a post about India’s programs to arrest water losses. He offers that if trends continue, at least 25% of India’s agriculture will be at risk. He also suggests that Indian farmers rely on water intensive crops and growing practices, and that shifting those is part of the Indian government’s approach to reducing water consumption.
I’m curious about water conservation here in my native California. Drought here, ground subsidence, water rationing, and legacy rights to water from outside the state, all point to ongoing problems going into the future.
I think the implication is that with increasing drought and loss of renewable groundwater supplies, fossil water will be drawn more intensely for use in irrigation. If drought conditions worsen globally, or groundwater suffers contamination (saltwater or pollutants) then we are headed for a crash.
The use of fossil water depends on where the water is being drawn and how renewable groundwater is replenished. Reuters has graphics on India’s specific water issues. The included graphic there shows per capita water availability for India reaching close to 1000m3 (water scarcity) by 2050, with a changing slope reflecting water conservation, I presume. Since the population centers across the country face different conditions, these are averages, and some places in India will run out of water much sooner.
John Roome at World Bank Blogs has a post about India’s programs to arrest water losses. He offers that if trends continue, at least 25% of India’s agriculture will be at risk. He also suggests that Indian farmers rely on water intensive crops and growing practices, and that shifting those is part of the Indian government’s approach to reducing water consumption.
I’m curious about water conservation here in my native California. Drought here, ground subsidence, water rationing, and legacy rights to water from outside the state, all point to ongoing problems going into the future.