A goal of water management to harness water-related opportunities and manage risks
Water security has many different aspects, in clockwise order from top left: a communal tap for water supply in Soweto, South Africa; residents standing in flood water in Kampala, Uganda; the town of Farina in South Australia abandoned due to years of drought and dust storms; water pollution can lead to eutrophication, harmful algal blooms and fish kills
The aim of water security is to make the most of water's benefits for humans and ecosystems. The second aim is to limit the risks of destructive impacts of water to an acceptable level.[1][2] These risks include for example too much water (flood), too little water (drought and water scarcity) or poor quality (polluted) water.[1] People who live with a high level of water security always have access to "an acceptable quantity and quality of water for health, livelihoods and production".[2] For example, access to water, sanitation and hygiene services is one part of water security.[3] Some organizations use the term water security more narrowly for water supply aspects only.
Decision makers and water managers aim to reach water security goals that address multiple concerns. These outcomes can include increasing economic and social well-being while reducing risks tied to water.[4] There are linkages and trade-offs between the different outcomes.[3]: 13 Planners often consider water security effects for varied groups when they design climate change reduction strategies.[5]: 19–21
Three main factors determine how difficult or easy it is for a society to sustain its water security. These include the hydrologic environment, the socio-economic environment and changes in the future environment. This last is mainly due to climate change.[1] Decision makers may assess water security risks at varied levels. These range from the household to community, city, basin, country and region.[3]: 11
The absence of water security is water insecurity.[6]: 5 Water insecurity is a growing threat to societies.[7]: 4 The main factors contributing to water insecurity are water scarcity, water pollution and low water quality due to climate change impacts. Others include poverty, destructive forces of water, and disasters that stem from natural hazards. Climate change affects water security in many ways. Changing rainfall patterns, including droughts, can have a big impact on water availability. Flooding can worsen water quality. Stronger storms can damage infrastructure, especially in the Global South.[8]: 660
There are different ways to deal with water insecurity. Science and engineering approaches can increase the water supply or make water use more efficient. Financial and economic tools can include a safety net to ensure access for poorer people. Management tools such as demand caps can improve water security.[7]: 16 They work on strengthening institutions and information flows. They may also improve water quality management, reduce inequalities and investment in water infrastructure. Improving the climate resilience of water and hygiene services is important. These efforts help to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development.[2]
There is no single method to measure water security.[8]: 562 Metrics of water security roughly fall into two groups. This includes those that are based on experiences versus metrics that are based on resources. The former mainly focus on measuring the water experiences of households and human well-being. The latter tend to focus on freshwater stores or water resources security.[9]
The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report found that increasing weather and climate extreme events have exposed millions of people to acute food insecurity and reduced water security. Scientists have observed the largest impacts in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Small Islands and the Arctic.[10]: 9 The report predicted that global warming of 2 °C would expose roughly 1-4 billion people to water stress. It finds 1.5-2.5 billion people live in areas exposed to water scarcity.[10]: 660
^ abcSadoff, Claudia; Grey, David; Borgomeo, Edoardo (2020). "Water Security". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.609. ISBN 978-0-19-938941-4.
^ abcGrey, David; Sadoff, Claudia W. (2007-12-01). "Sink or Swim? Water security for growth and development". Water Policy. 9 (6): 545–571. doi:10.2166/wp.2007.021. hdl:11059/14247. ISSN 1366-7017.
^ abcREACH (2020) REACH Global Strategy 2020-2024, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (REACH program).
^Cite error: The named reference Hoekstra was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Murgatroyd-2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^UNICEF (2021) Reimagining WASH - Water Security for All
^ abPeter Gleick, Charles Iceland, and Ayushi Trivedi (2020) Ending Conflicts over Water: Solutions to Water and Security Challenges, World Resources Institute
^ abCite error: The named reference Caretta-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Octavianti-2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference IPCC-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
The aim of watersecurity is to make the most of water's benefits for humans and ecosystems. The second aim is to limit the risks of destructive impacts...
government worried about watersecurity in the future. Due to industrialization and population growth, the demand for water has rapidly increased. Current...
Watersecurity in Australia became a major concern in Australia in the late 20th and early 21st century as a result of population growth, recurring severe...
of fresh water include surface water, under river flow, groundwater and frozen water. Surface water is water in a river, lake or fresh water wetland....
Water scarcity (closely related to water stress or water crisis) is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two...
water requirements of all rivers. Food security in India is possible by achieving watersecurity first which in turn is possible with energy security...
Water crisis could refer to: Watersecurity, a goal of water management and policy. Water scarcity a shortage of water in a specific geography, such as...
food and watersecurity (Sustainable Development Goal 6). The technology is available, however, it needs to be remodeled in order to use water more efficiently...
the water cycle. Between 1.5 and 2.5 billion people live in areas with regular watersecurity issues. If global warming reaches 4 °C (7.2 °F), water insecurity...
Pradesh and Nalgonda district in Telangana. The dam provides irrigation water to the districts of Palnadu, Guntur, Nalgonda, Prakasam, Khammam, Krishna...
new security technologies to detect and monitor contaminants and prevent security breaches." One of the most important elements of watersecurity is early...
precipitation events Water resources – Sources of water that are potentially useful Watersecurity – A goal of water management to harness water-related opportunities...
work to address terrorism, clash of civilizations, cost of conflict, watersecurity and global governance issues. In 2004, SFG convened a roundtable to...
resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn up...
levels of watersecurity. Over one billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to clean water. The main barriers to addressing water problems...
investment decisions. They will affect water availability (water resources), water supply, water demand, watersecurity and water allocation at regional, basin...
Saskatchewan WaterSecurity Agency (before 2013, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority) is an arm's length organization responsible for the management of water resources...
in the development of Africa's potential water resources. This would improve food security and watersecurity, and protect economic gains by effectively...
Trophic state index (water quality indicator for lakes) VOC contamination of groundwater Water resources management Watersecurity Von Sperling, Marcos...
December 2019. "Watersecurity and food security in India | EverythingAboutWater". 21 March 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023. "India to become water scarce by...
health facilities, and reducing water pollution. Access to WASH services is also an important component of watersecurity. Universal, affordable and sustainable...
attending. Water scarcity Watersecurity Common-pool resource Tragedy of the commons Millennium drought 2019 Chennai water crisis – similar water crisis occurring...
water supply and sanitation by country Water filter Water fluoridation Water intoxication Watersecurity "Water Fact sheet N°391". July 2014. Archived...
Water conflict typically refers to violence or disputes associated with access to, or control of, water resources, or the use of water or water systems...
in frequency and severity, putting a further strain on Las Vegas's watersecurity. The area was named Las Vegas, which is Spanish for "the meadows", as...
the Kathmandu Workshop of Strategic Foresight Group in August 2009 on WaterSecurity in the Himalayan Region, which brought together in a rare development...
Food security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. The availability of food for people of any...
public and private sectors on water-positive agendas that promote the water sustainability, health, and watersecurity goals of the United Nations SDG-6...
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