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: 天天干天天操天天| 日韩精品无码一本二本三本色| 可以免费观看的毛片| 麻豆乱码国产一区二区三区| 国产精品无码制服丝袜| av成人在线电影| 精品日韩在线视频| 国产大陆亚洲精品国产| 二区久久国产乱子伦免费精品| 在线a亚洲视频播放在线观看| 久久夜色精品国产亚洲| 欧美三级中文字幕在线观看 | 冬日恋歌国语版20集中文版| 伊人五月天综合| 成人h动漫精品一区二区无码| 久久久久久曰本av免费免费| 日韩欧国产精品一区综合无码| 亚洲va久久久噜噜噜久久狠狠 | 精品一区二区三区在线播放视频| 四月婷婷七月婷婷综合| 色黄网站aaaaaa级毛片| 国产尹人香蕉综合在线电影| 99久久免费中文字幕精品| 好大好湿好硬顶到了好爽视频| 两个小姨子完整版| 扒美女内裤摸她的机机| 久久99精品久久久久久hb无码| 日本爽爽爽爽爽爽在线观看免| 亚洲欧美日韩中文无线码| 精品综合久久久久久888蜜芽| 国产三级日产三级韩国三级| 韩国三级最新理论电影| 国产成人 亚洲欧洲| 成人免费大片免费观看网站| 国产日韩成人内射视频| 亚洲武侠欧美自拍校园| 国产精品jizz在线观看直播| 三级网站在线免费观看| 国产精品免费视频网站| 影音先锋男人看片资源| 国产精品吹潮香蕉在线观看|