Abstract
Currently fresh water scarcity is an issue with huge socio-economic and environmental impacts. Transboundary river and lake basins are among the sources of fresh water facing this challenge. Previous studies measured blue water scarcity at different spatial and temporal resolutions. But there is no global water availability and footprint assessment done at country-basin mesh based spatial and monthly temporal resolutions. In this study we assessed water scarcity at these spatial and temporal resolutions. Our results showed that around 1.6 billion people living within the 328 country-basin units out of the 560 we assessed in this study endures severe water scarcity at least for a month within the year. In addition, 175 country-basin units goes through severe water scarcity for 3–12 months in the year. These sub-basins include nearly a billion people. Generally, the results of this study provide insights regarding the number of people and country-basin units experiencing low, moderate, significant and severe water scarcity at a monthly temporal resolution. These insights might help these basins’ sharing countries to design and implement sustainable water management and sharing schemes.
Highlights
In its global risk report the World Economic Forum[8] listed water crisis as fourth & ninth in terms of impact and likelihood respectively
Assessment of water availability and footprint at a monthly time step provides insights into water scarcity which are not revealed by assessment at an annual temporal resolution
Taking this in to consideration Hoekstra et al.[7]; Alcamo & Henrichs[21]; Wada et al.[25]; Van Beek et al.[28]; Smakhtin et al.[29] and Mekonnen & Hoekstra[30] determined monthly water scarcity at 30 arc-minute and 60 arc-minute resolutions taking in to account the accumulated runoff and only the amount of water consumed not withdrawn as available water and water footprint
Summary
In its global risk report the World Economic Forum[8] listed water crisis as fourth & ninth in terms of impact and likelihood respectively. Understanding the temporal and spatial variation of water scarcity is important to identify areas where the volume available water and water footprint are unmatched at certain period of time. This information could be useful for designing sustainable fresh water management policies. Kummu et al.[16] conducted global assessment of population driven water scarcity at sub-basin spatial and annual temporal resolutions. Assessment of water availability and footprint at a monthly time step provides insights into water scarcity which are not revealed by assessment at an annual temporal resolution. Among the recent efforts to capture water scarcity at this spatial resolution within transboundary fresh water resources are studies by Wada & Heinrich[32] and Munia et al.[33]
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