Don't miss water for climate change

By Peter Brabeck-Letmathe and Asit K. Biswas
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China Daily, February 9, 2015
Adjust font size:


Over the past two decades climate change has steadily climbed the international political agenda, but sadly water issues have not received such attention. Climate change is indeed important. But mitigating climate change alone will not solve the water scarcity problem. Unlike the efforts needed to mitigate climate change, which is characterized by uncertainties, we know how to solve the water problem, for we have the knowledge, technologies and funds necessary for the purpose. Yet poor water management continues across the world with no signs of improvement.

Agriculture accounts for nearly 70 percent of all global water use. But there is not a single country where farmers pay the full operation and maintenance costs, let alone investment costs, for the water they use. Even for household water, people in very few cities pay the real cost of water services. With sensible water pricing, utilities can become financially viable and people can be made to use water efficiently.

For example, in Qatar, a desert country, Qatari nationals don't pay any water tariff, and expatriates pay about one-third of the cost. Qatar has one of the highest per capita water consumption in the world - about 430 liters. Add to this nearly 35-50 percent loss from the system, which means Qatar has to produce 580-645 liters of water per person per day. But on average Qatari nationals, who receive water free, use about 1,200 liters of water a day. This means on average they receive 1,620-1,800 liters water (factoring in the waste) every day. This contrasts sharply with a Hamburg resident who uses about 110 liters a day.

Poor water management over decades has created numerous structural problems. The Aral Sea used to be the world's fourth largest freshwater lake. The diversion of two rivers, Amu Darya and Syr Darya, which provided it with a steady flow of freshwater, for cotton production, has reduced it to only a small shadow of its glorious self.

Take China as another example. In the 1950s, it had 50,000 rivers that had a catchment area of 100 square kilometer or more each. By 2013, the number of such rivers had reduced to 27,000. Many rivers have simply disappeared because of overuse by agriculture and industry.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
1   2   Next  


Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter
主站蜘蛛池模板: 男人j进入女人p狂躁免费观看| 久久免费区一区二区三波多野| 精品人妻伦一二三区久久| 国产精品美女久久久网站| yy111111影院理论大片| 无码专区国产精品视频| 久久精品人人槡人妻人人玩| 欧美一区二区三区在观看| 午夜精品久久久久久久久| 第一福利官方导航大全| 成人免费看www网址入口| 亚洲女初尝黑人巨高清| 美女露出乳胸扒开尿口无遮挡| 国产精品青青青高清在线| a级午夜毛片免费一区二区| 日本高清免费不卡视频| 亚洲精品理论电影在线观看| 韩国三级hd中文字幕| 国产欧美一区二区精品久久久| a级毛片毛片免费观看久潮| 日韩人妻高清精品专区| 亚洲人成免费电影| 男人激烈吮乳吃奶视频免费| 午夜人性色福利无码视频在线观看| 色吊丝最新网站| 国产欧美日韩在线| 香蕉狠狠再啪线视频| 好男人社区www在线视频| 久久青青草原亚洲av无码| 欧美三级手机在线| 亚洲国产精品美女| 欧美日韩亚洲高清不卡一区二区三区 | 久久99精品国产自在现线小黄鸭| 欧美日韩国产高清| 亚洲精品国产精品乱码视色| 爱情岛论坛亚洲永久入口口| 国亚洲欧美日韩精品| 蝌蚪网站免费观看| 国产乱在线观看视频| 萌白酱福利视频| 国产va精品免费观看|