Balancing Water for Humans and Nature

by Falkenmark, Malin

• ISBN13: 9781853839276
• ISBN10: 1853839272
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book exposes how water flow links nature and society through water's many parallel functions as the 'blood stream' of both the biosphere and the imbedded anthroposphere, and the resulting conflicts that arise. The authors argue that a sustainable future depends fundamentally on our ability to manage these trade-offs. They advocate an ecological approach to land/water/environmental problems and argue for viewing precipitation as the gross water resource. Distinguishing between terrestrial aquatic ecosystems they show how an ecological approach can be expressed in water-related trade-offs, incorporating criteria for long-term resilience. Based on per capita needs for an acceptable nutritional diet, the authors analyze the amounts of water needed for global food production by 2050 and identify potential sources. Drawing on small-scale experiences in Africa and Asia, they also cover the vulnerability of the semi-arid tropics, disentangling it into green and blue water scarcity components.

Author Biography

Johan Rockstrom is Associate Professor in Natural Resources Management at UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, The Netherlands.

Table of Contents

List of Plates, Figures and Tables	vii
Foreword	xi
Preface	xiii
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations	xv
Introduction	xvii
Part 1 Water Functions in the Life-support System
Water -- The Bloodstream of the Biosphere	3	(22)
Water as the liquid of life	3	(5)
Focusing on invisible water	8	(4)
Different scales of water--plant interaction	12	(5)
Human landscape interventions	17	(5)
Summary	22	(3)
Water Availability -- Expanding the Perspective	25	(20)
A conceptual shift to incorporate water for ecosystems	25	(2)
Introducing soil water into the water balance equation	27	(8)
Water resource estimates	35	(8)
Summary	43	(2)
Human Water Requirements	45	(19)
Household and industrial water needs	45	(2)
Distinguishing between water use and consumptive water use	47	(2)
Current green water requirements for food production	49	(5)
Generic human water requirements	54	(6)
Additional water requirements to feed humanity by 2050	60	(3)
Summary	63	(1)
Incorporating Water for Ecosystem `Services'	64	(16)
Expanding the paradigm	64	(3)
Water flows to sustain food production	67	(5)
Green water flows are sustaining major biomes	72	(2)
Committed and uncommitted water flows	74	(1)
The blue water bias is unwarranted	75	(3)
Summary	78	(2)
Regional Differences	80	(21)
The green water perspective	80	(6)
The blue water perspective	86	(5)
The combined perspective	91	(5)
Summary	96	(5)
Part 2 Closing Upon the Vulnerable Savanna Zone
Vulnerability of the Savanna Zone	101	(28)
Drylands -- the cradle of mankind	101	(2)
Savanna agro-ecosystems - a most difficult challenge	103	(6)
Hydroclimatic challenges and opportunities	109	(11)
The need to distinguish droughts and dry spells	120	(7)
Summary	127	(2)
Water Perspectives on Feeding Humanity	129	(27)
More crop per drop	129	(3)
Can irrigation expansion solve the food challenge?	132	(3)
Potential to increase rainfed production	135	(7)
More crop per drop by reducing non-productive green water losses	142	(7)
Global assessment of the water that can be gained	149	(2)
Remaining water requirements to feed humanity	151	(3)
Summary	154	(2)
Closing the Yield Gap on the Savannna -- The Real World Perspective	156	(25)
Changing the farmers' risk perception	156	(7)
Broadening the narrow approaches of the past	163	(5)
Water sources for dry spell mitigation	168	(3)
The upstream--downstream perspective	171	(5)
Summary	176	(5)
Part 3 Socio-ecohydrological Balancing
Finding the Balance between Water for Humans and for Nature	181	(20)
Humans and ecosystems depend on the same water	181	(6)
Learning to live with change	187	(3)
The challenge of feeding humanity	190	(3)
Implications for management of catchments	193	(6)
Summary	199	(2)
Towards Hydrosolidarity through Integrated Land/Water/Ecosystem Management	201	(21)
Human life support and the Millennium Declaration	201	(6)
Present shifts in thinking and challenges to the `sanctioned discourse'	207	(3)
Combining social, ecological and economic approaches	210	(4)
The road towards hydrosolidarity	214	(4)
Conclusions	218	(4)
Notes	222	(6)
References	228	(11)
Index	239