earth’s water resources. las vegas, nevada, usa one of fastest growing major cities in the united...

EARTH’S WATER RESOURCES

EARTH’S WATER RESOURCES

EARTH’S WATER RESOURCES

EARTH’S WATER RESOURCES

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA• One of fastest growing major

cities in the United States (entire developed world)

• Las Vegas - located in center of Vegas Valley (desert region)

• Surrounded by Sierra Nevada and Spring Mountains

• Hot, windy & dry (38°C)• Mountains act as barrier from

moisture from Pacific• Dry (114 mm of precipitation in a

year - 216 clear days)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA• Vegas has enough natural water

(artesian spring) for 350,000 people

• Population is 1.95 million• 88% of Las Vegas water comes

from Lake Mead (at 43% capacity)

• Las Vegas will need to pump in water from other sources by 2010-11 water crisis US

• Lake Mead may be completed dry in 20 years Las Vegas grass

WORLD WATER RESOURCES

• Earth has 1376 million km3

• 97.4% in Oceans (1340.74 km3)

• 2.6% fresh water (36.26 km3)

• water

FRESH WATER RESOURCES• 1.8% glaciers & permanent

snow cover (24.87 km3)• 0.8% in ground water and

permafrost (10.85 km3)• 0.007% lakes, rivers & bogs

(1.10 km3)• 0.00072% H2O in

atmosphere (0.01 km3)

FRESH WATER RESOURCES• Under ideal circumstances there is

enough fresh water on the earth to support 20 billion

• Except 1) most F.W. exists in inaccessible

forms (polar glaciers & permafrost and vapour

2) Large reserves not available where demand for water is greatest (e.g. Canada - 60% of rivers drain north away from 90% of population

FRESH WATER RESOURCES3)Water pollution - 100s of

millions of people forced to rely on unsafe water

• 2.8 billion (40% of world) live with some shortage of fresh water

• 1.2 billion - severe water shortage

• 1.6 billion live in economic water shortage

• water

FRESH WATER RESOURCES• Some improvements since

1990 but still 1 billion people have no access to safe drinking water (1.6 billion have gained access)

Fresh Water Resources• Water use has more

than 2x the rate of pop for past century

• Water scarcity occurs when 75% of river flows are withdrawn

• 2.5 billion people living without proper sanitation (1 billion in Asia and 1/2 billion Sub-Saharan Africa

Fresh Water Resources• Water use has more than

2x the rate of pop for past century

• Water scarcity occurs when 75% of river flows are withdrawn

• 2.5 billion people living without proper sanitation (1 billion in Asia and 1/2 billion Sub-Saharan Africa)

Fresh Water Resources• 70% of pop without proper

sanitation live in rural areas

• In sub-Sahara Africa (21 countries) - 16% of poor and 79% of rich have access to sanitation

Fresh Water Resources• 70% of pop without proper

sanitation live in rural areas

• In sub-Sahara Africa (21 countries) - 16% of poor and 79% of rich have access to sanitation

Millennium Development Goals

Part of MDG’s to end poverty by 2015

• Goal #7 - Environmental Sustainability

• Target #3 - Halve the proportion of world population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

Millennium Development Goals

• Diarrhea - 4 billion cases per year - 1.5 million deaths (most children under age of 5) - 88% of cases due to unsafe water, poor sanitation

• Trachoma - 5 million people visually impaired - infection rate could by 27% with improve water

• MDG7

Millennium Development Goals

• Schistosomiasis - 200 million infected - could be by 77% improved water and sanitation

• Intestinal worms - infect 1/3 of world pop - undernutrition caused by infections can lead to cognitive impairment, anemia or massive dysentery

Top Ten Sources of Fresh Water - Percentage of World

Total

Brazil - 14.9% Russia - 8.1% Canada - 6%United States - 5.6% Indonesia - 5.1%China - 5.1%Colombia - 3.9%Peru - 3.5%India - 3.5%DRC - 2.3%

• Nile