Human-Induced Stresses on World’s Fresh Water Supply
Human practices threaten the security of fresh water systems that supply nearly 80 percent of the world's population, according to a study by Rivers in Crisis. The researchers claim the study is the first to quantify the impact of human-induced stresses on a global basis. The study, published in the Sept. 30, 2010, issue of Nature, assessed threats to human water security, which involves water purity, availability, and biodiversity. It created a database of 23 environmental stressors ranging from pesticide, nitrogen, phosphorus, mercury pollution, and soil salination to agriculture, aquaculture, and invasive species. It ranked the threats and modeled how they affect fresh water systems. Although 80 percent of the world's population faces high-level threats to water security, nations deal with these problems differently. Developed nations invest in water technology, including dams, reservoirs, aqueducts, and purification systems, to supply their populations. W...