1. C. Rodda: On The Problems Of Assessing The World's Water Resources
15
This situation presents problems to the bodies involved in their development and
management and to those organizations who wish to provide the Commission for
Sustainable Development and the United Nations General Assembly with an
assessment of global water resources for their sessions in 1997.
Sur les Problemes d'Evaluation des Ressources Mondiales en Eaux
RESUME
Il est surprenant qu'a une epoque OU la demande globale en eau est en train de
croltre plus rapidement que jamais, les connaissances sur les ressources mondiales
en eau sont en train de diminuer. On decrit comment ces connaissances ont he et
sont actuellement acquises. Les systemes qui produisent ces connaissances, sont
particulierement hudies y compris les erreurs d'acquisition. Les travaux sur la
reduction de ces erreurs, en particulier l'introduction de la qua lite au niveau de la
gestion, sont discutes. En conclusion, il est observe que l'estimation fiable des
ressources en eau au niveau mondial n'est pas possible a l'heure actuelle. Cette
situation pose probleme aux organismes impliques dans Ie developpement et la
gestion des ressources en eau, et aux organisations qui souhaitent fournir un bilan
global des ressources en eau a la Commission du Developpement Durable et a
l'Assemblee Generate des Nations Unies pour leurs sessions en 1997.
1
INTRODUCTION
The demand for water for drinking, Ifflgation, power and for a host of other
purposes continues to increase, bringing greater pressures on the world's
freshwater resources ([I)). Some regions are currently experiencing considerable
shortages principally because the margin between the finite resource and the
demand is very small or non-existent. Droughts, such as those that recur in parts
of Africa, reinforce these conditions, emphasizing the dangers of over-utilization
of a dwindling resource.
This situation must worsen as the world population accelerates, consumption per
head increases, pollution of surface water and groundwater worsens and climate
change threatens. There are predictions that, with the doubling of the global
population by the middle of the next century and the soaring demand, a world
water crisis will develop ([2], [3]). Figure 1 shows how this scenario may arise,
making the world's freshwater resources even more precious than today. Is the
current situation in the basin of the Aral Sea a foretaste of things to come? What is
worse, water resources could easily become a source of conflict in some of the
globe's 200 international river basins. Then, in contrast to this scarcity, from time
to time most parts of the world are subject to floods. Indeed, the toll of death and
destruction due to floods is the largest of any of the different natural disasters
([4]). With the increasing popUlation there will be an even bigger future target for
floods, avalanches and landslides.
Variability and scarcity of water resources can handicap the progress of a
developing country towards the sustainable development that the UN Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED) and Agenda 21 ([5]) aim to
promote.
15
This situation presents problems to the bodies involved in their development and
management and to those organizations who wish to provide the Commission for
Sustainable Development and the United Nations General Assembly with an
assessment of global water resources for their sessions in 1997.
Sur les Problemes d'Evaluation des Ressources Mondiales en Eaux
RESUME
Il est surprenant qu'a une epoque OU la demande globale en eau est en train de
croltre plus rapidement que jamais, les connaissances sur les ressources mondiales
en eau sont en train de diminuer. On decrit comment ces connaissances ont he et
sont actuellement acquises. Les systemes qui produisent ces connaissances, sont
particulierement hudies y compris les erreurs d'acquisition. Les travaux sur la
reduction de ces erreurs, en particulier l'introduction de la qua lite au niveau de la
gestion, sont discutes. En conclusion, il est observe que l'estimation fiable des
ressources en eau au niveau mondial n'est pas possible a l'heure actuelle. Cette
situation pose probleme aux organismes impliques dans Ie developpement et la
gestion des ressources en eau, et aux organisations qui souhaitent fournir un bilan
global des ressources en eau a la Commission du Developpement Durable et a
l'Assemblee Generate des Nations Unies pour leurs sessions en 1997.
1
INTRODUCTION
The demand for water for drinking, Ifflgation, power and for a host of other
purposes continues to increase, bringing greater pressures on the world's
freshwater resources ([I)). Some regions are currently experiencing considerable
shortages principally because the margin between the finite resource and the
demand is very small or non-existent. Droughts, such as those that recur in parts
of Africa, reinforce these conditions, emphasizing the dangers of over-utilization
of a dwindling resource.
This situation must worsen as the world population accelerates, consumption per
head increases, pollution of surface water and groundwater worsens and climate
change threatens. There are predictions that, with the doubling of the global
population by the middle of the next century and the soaring demand, a world
water crisis will develop ([2], [3]). Figure 1 shows how this scenario may arise,
making the world's freshwater resources even more precious than today. Is the
current situation in the basin of the Aral Sea a foretaste of things to come? What is
worse, water resources could easily become a source of conflict in some of the
globe's 200 international river basins. Then, in contrast to this scarcity, from time
to time most parts of the world are subject to floods. Indeed, the toll of death and
destruction due to floods is the largest of any of the different natural disasters
([4]). With the increasing popUlation there will be an even bigger future target for
floods, avalanches and landslides.
Variability and scarcity of water resources can handicap the progress of a
developing country towards the sustainable development that the UN Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED) and Agenda 21 ([5]) aim to
promote.