Water Shortage: Increased Demand Due to Population Growth, Frequent Extreme Weather Threaten Supply [Study]

Water is a basic necessity in every household. However, according to a new study, our potable water supply is at risk due to several factors.

Water Supply At Risk?

Are we running out of water? Only little is known about the connection between water use by different sectors and the occurrence of drought-heatwave episodes, particularly at the macro scale.

Researchers from the Department of Physical Geography at Utrecht University examined sectoral water use responses during global droughts, heatwaves, and compound (combined) events to shed light on this problem. According to a recent study, the effects of heatwaves on sectoral water use are greater than those of droughts.

Sectoral water use includes using water in various sectors like domestic, irrigation, thermoelectric energy, manufacturing, and livestock. The consumption is influenced by droughts, heatwaves, and compound events, which could cause them to either increase or decrease their water use or show no particular reaction to these hydroclimatic extremes.

Data on sectoral water usage at the global, national, and local levels for the past 30 years were analyzed in great quantity. The analysis demonstrates that extreme events have significantly impacted water consumption patterns over the past thirty years, but these consequences have varied greatly by sector and region worldwide. In addition, compared to droughts alone, heatwaves and combined drought-heatwave occurrences have a more significant overall impact on water demand.

The study's findings highlight the need to gather additional water usage data to understand better the effects of extreme events and climate change on various water use sectors and make more accurate projections of future water scarcity.

The study offers a starting point for assessing multi-sectoral water usage behavior in extreme conditions. However, the researchers noted that more local-scale data from data-deficient regions, such as Africa and some regions of Asia and South America, is required to understand sectoral water use behavior better and enhance water management techniques.

Mississippi River Is Disappearing

NASA Earth Observatory released photos of the Mississippi River from Sept. 10, 2021, and Sept. 16, 2023. The shots were taken on the same section of the river in Memphis, Tennessee. The satellite photos revealed that the country's largest drainage basin is disappearing.

In the image from 2023, the river is substantially smaller and has a lower water flow. It has been much thinned, allowing part of the river bottom to be seen. The river's bottom is much more visible than it was in the image from 2021.

Due to the intense heat and prolonged drought during the summer and fall of 2023, the Mississippi River has been drying up. The summer and early fall of 2023 saw months of high heat and drought that caused it to dry up. September's low water levels hampered barge deliveries downriver and put the safety of drinking water supplies in some parts of Louisiana at risk.

The water levels in Lake Mead have also decreased. As of Oct. 6, the reservoir's water level was 1,065.71 feet. The water level was at 1,066.46 feet in mid-September.

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