I remember a while back someone was asking how the world could be running out of water, here's an article which talks about the problems and the solutions!
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18925401.500
Water
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Muddypause
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Pragmatically, I'm not sure that draining aquifers is altogether a bad thing. It has consequenses for people who, in the short term, have become dependent upon them, but it seems to me the real issue is about changing rainfall patterns.
In the example in that article, they are talking about 'fossil water', which presumably means an aquifer that does not have some sort of outlet, and the water just sits there, innert forever, unable to be part of the water cycle. I can't see a disadvantage of pumping that water out and adding it to the gereral environment. The water is not being lost; it is once again becoming part of that cycle of evaporation and rainfall which enables collection and irrigation.
I contend that it is wrong to say we are 'running out of water' - it's just that the water has moved elswhere, so we have a problem of water management, rather than water depletion.
In the example in that article, they are talking about 'fossil water', which presumably means an aquifer that does not have some sort of outlet, and the water just sits there, innert forever, unable to be part of the water cycle. I can't see a disadvantage of pumping that water out and adding it to the gereral environment. The water is not being lost; it is once again becoming part of that cycle of evaporation and rainfall which enables collection and irrigation.
I contend that it is wrong to say we are 'running out of water' - it's just that the water has moved elswhere, so we have a problem of water management, rather than water depletion.
Stew
Ignorance is essential
Ignorance is essential
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pskipper
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As far as I understand (and I could be wrong) the problem is that by draining the fossil water the normal water flow ends up replenishing it, or rather not because they are draining it faster than it can refill.
It is definitely a question of water management as the last part of the article showed, when the villagers moved back to traditional water management suddenly they have no problems! It seems that people are ignoring tried and tested methods in favour of faster mechanical extraction which is unsustainable.
It is definitely a question of water management as the last part of the article showed, when the villagers moved back to traditional water management suddenly they have no problems! It seems that people are ignoring tried and tested methods in favour of faster mechanical extraction which is unsustainable.