The Water Cycle
Marco Bruni, seecon international gmbh
The Water Cycle
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The Water Cycle
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Contents
1. Water – Essential for Life
2. The global Water Cycle
3. Freshwater Resources
4. Freshwater Distribution
5. Human Influence on the Water Cycle
6. Water Uses
7. Consequences of Water Use
8. Outlook
9. References
The Water Cycle
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1. Water – Essential for Life
The blue Planet – How come we lack of sufficient Water Supply?
???
Source: http://true101story.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/eath-hands.jpg [Accessed:
30.01.2012]
The Water Cycle
Source:
http://omiusajpic.org/files/2011/05/2935018067_cec6254493.jpg
[Accessed: 30.01.2012]
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1. Water – Essential for Life
•
•
•
•
•
•
Drinking water
Food preparation
Sanitation
Personal hygiene
Cultural asset
Gardening, Car
wash
Industrial
•Production of goods
and energy
•Transportation of
goods
•Process water
Agricultural
•Irrigation
•Livestock farming
Plants
Animals
Aquatic Systems
The Water Cycle
Photosynthesis
Soils
ECOSYSTEM
Domestic
HUMAN USE
What is Water Used For?
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2. The Global Water Cycle
Think in Cycles rather than in linear Processes
Source: OWENS (2006)
The Water Cycle
• The energy of the sun
constantly transforms the
water from solid (ice) to
liquid (water) to gaseous
(vapour)
• Constant transformation
puts the water into motion
and hence activates the
global water cycle
• Characteristics of the
cycle:
 Permanent circulation
 Renewable resource
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3. Freshwater Resources
The blue Planet?
• 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. (PIDWIRNY 2006)
• 2.5% is freshwater whereas a fifth is easily accessible for human
use. (INFORESOURCES FOCUS 2006)
Source: WBCSD (2009)
 only 0.5% of global water resources are usable
The Water Cycle
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4. Freshwater Distribution
Disparities
Distribution of freshwater resources is characterized by
• strong regional differences
• annual and seasonal variation (WWAP 2003)
Water Scarcity Index
Source: REKACEWICZ (2009)
The Water Cycle
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5. Human Influence on the Water Cycle
We do influence the hydrological Cycle substantially
Main drivers for the increasing pressure on water resources:
• Population growth
• Increasing living standards
• Urbanisation
Influences On the Water Cycle in Cities
Source: AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL (2010)
The Water Cycle
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6. Water Uses
Where the Water ends up being used
The consumption pattern of water use is influenced by:
• Living standards
• Climate conditions
Composition of water use in different countries
Source: WBCSD (2009)
The Water Cycle
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7. Consequences of Water Use
Increasing Water Scarcity
Drivers:
• Population growth
• Change in living standards
• Uncontrolled pollution
• Climate change
Growing
water scarcity
in various regions of the
world
(INFORESOURCES FOCUS 2006)
As of today, 1.2 billion of the
world’s population are
affected by water scarcity
(WBCSD 2009)
The Water Cycle
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8. Outlook
Integrated Thinking makes all the Difference
Water scarcity due to:
•
•
•
•
Unsustainable use
Sectoral thinking
Mismanagement
Absence of water
governance
Results in:
• Water scarcity
• Water related diseases
• Food crisis
• Degraded
environments
• Natural hazards
Particularly, poor people
are most affected.
The Water Cycle
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8. Outlook
Integrated Thinking makes all the Difference
Water scarcity due to:
•
•
•
•
Unsustainable use
Sectoral thinking
Mismanagement
Absence of water
governance
Results in:
• Water scarcity
• Water related diseases
• Food crisis
• Degraded
environments
• Natural hazards
Particularly, poor people
are most affected.
Need for an integrated, holistic approach.
 Link sustainable water management to sanitation and
to agriculture.
The Water Cycle
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8. Outlook
Integrated, holistic Approach
Source:
sswm.info
The Water Cycle
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9. References
AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL (Editor) (2010): Stormwater. Auckland (New Zealand): Auckland City Council. URL [Accessed:
25.01.2012].
INFORESOURCES FOCUS (Editor) (2006): Water for Food – a Matter of Survival. Inforesources Focus.
http://www.inforesources.ch/pdf/focus06_3_e.pdf [Accessed: 25.01.2012].
OWENS, M. (2006): The Global Water Cycle has Intensified. Reston: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). URL [Accessed:
25.01.2012].
PIDWIRNY, M. (2006): Fundamentals of Physical Geography (2nd Edition). Okanagan: University of British Columbia.
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7h.html [Accessed: 25.01.2012].
REKACEWICZ, P. (2009): Water Scarcity Index. In: UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library.
http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/water-scarcity-index [Accessed: 25.01.2012].
WBCSD (Editor) (2009): Facts and Trends. Water (Version 2). Geneva: World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBDSC). http://www.wbcsd.org/home.aspx [Accessed: 25.01.2012].
WORLD WATER ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME WWAP (Editor) (2003): Water for people – water for life. Executive Summary of
the United Nations World Water Development Report 1: Water for people – water for life. Paris and Oxford: UNESCO and
Berghahn Books. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001295/129556e.pdf [Accessed: 25.01.2012].
The Water Cycle
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“Linking up Sustainable Sanitation,
Water Management & Agriculture”
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initiative
supported by:
Created
by:
The Water Cycle
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