Chapter 1
WATER IN ECOSYSTEMS
A non Renewable Resource
ON THE PROBLEMS OF ASSESSING THE
WORLD'S WATER RESOURCES
John C. RODDA
President of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences, Institute of
Hydrology, Wallingford, UK
Hon. Professor, Institute of Earth Studies, The University of Wales,
Aberystwyth, UK
Formerly Director, Hydrology and Water Resources Department, World
Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Institut of Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OXIO 8BB, u.K.
ABSTRACT
It is very strange that at the time when global demand for water is growing faster
than ever, knowledge of the world's water resources is declining. How this
knowledge has been and is being acquired is described. The systems that provide
this knowledge are considered along with the errors involved. Work on reducing
these errors, particularly the introduction of total quality management, is
discussed. It is concluded that reliable assessment of the world's water resources is
not possible currently.
C. Bardinet et al. (eds.), Geosciences and Water Resources: Environmental Data Modeling
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1997