The Ecology Book

289

use. The Ganges in India and the

Citarum in Indonesia are two of the

most polluted rivers in the world.

At the current rate of consumption

this situation will deteriorate further.

By 2030, two-thirds of the world’s

population may face shortages.

Ecosystems will also suffer.

Increased demand

Human use of freshwater has tripled

since about 1970, and demand is

increasing by 2,260 billion cubic feet

(64 billion cubic meters)—due in

part to the population growing by

80 million people each year. The rise

in demand has also been driven by

changing lifestyles and eating

habits that require more water

per person. The production of

biofuels has also risen sharply, with

significant impact on water

demand. Between 260 and 1,060

gallons (1,000– 4,000 liters) of water

are needed to make about

¼ gallon (1 liter) of biofuel.

See also: The ecosystem 134–137 ■ Pollution 230–235 ■ Acid rain 248–249 ■ Overpopulation 250–251

■ Depletion of natural resources 262–265

THE HUMAN FACTOR

Maude Barlow Born in Toronto, Canada, in 1947,

Maude Barlow is an activist and

water policy critic. She is the

author or coauthor of 18 books,

including the bestseller Blue Gold:

The Fight to Stop the Corporate

Theft of the World’s Water. Barlow

formerly served as an adviser

on water to the United Nations,

and led moves to have water

recognized as a basic human

right. In 2012, she helped found

the Blue Planet Project, which

campaigns for the right to water.

Barlow chairs the Council of

Canadians social action group, and

was one of the “1000 Women for

Peace” nominated for the 2005

Nobel Peace Prize. In 2008, she

received the Citation of Lifetime

Achievement, Canada’s highest

honor for environmentalism.

Key works

2002 Blue Gold: The Fight to

Stop the Corporate Theft of the

World’s Water

2007 Blue Covenant: The Global

Water Crisis and the Coming

Battle for the Right to Water

2014 Blue Future: Protecting

Water for People and the

Planet Forever

In the last century, half of Earth’s

wetlands have disappeared to make

way for farmland or development,

or because groundwater has been

removed from aquifers faster than

it has been replaced. A reduction in

wetlands means plants and animals

dependent on them are also gone.

Nearly half of all drinking water

comes from aquifers. About 240

cubic miles (1,000 cubic km) is

taken every year. Two-thirds is used

for irrigation, 22 percent for ❯❯

Distribution of the world’s water

Easily accessible

freshwater is a very

fragile resource. Only

a tiny fraction of the

total amount of water

available on our planet

is immediately fit for

human consumption.

All water Freshwater Easily accessible

surface water

97.5%

Oceans

2.5% Freshwater

79%

Ice caps and

glaciers

1% Easily accessible

20% surface water

Groundwater

1% Rivers

1% Water within

8% Atmospheric living organisms

water vapor

38% Soil

moisture

52% Lakes

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