How much fresh water is on Earth? Water reserves on earth and ways to reduce water "hunger"

Date: 2016-04-07

Life on our planet originated from water, the human body is 75% water, so the question of reserves fresh water on the planet is very important. After all, water is the source and stimulus of our life.

Fresh water is considered to be water that contains no more than 0.1% salt.

At what, no matter what state it is in: liquid, solid or gaseous.

World fresh water reserves

97.2% of the water that is on planet earth belongs to salty oceans and seas. And only 2.8% is fresh water. On the planet it is distributed as follows:

• 2.15% of the water reserves are frozen in the mountains, icebergs and ice sheets of Antarctica;
• 0.001% of water reserves are in the atmosphere;
• 0.65% of water reserves are in rivers and lakes.

  From here it is taken by a person for his consumption.

In general, it is believed that the sources of fresh water are endless. Since the process of self-healing is constantly taking place as a result of the water cycle in nature. Every year, as a result of the evaporation of moisture from the oceans, a huge supply of fresh water (about 525,000 km3) is formed in the form of clouds.

A small part of it still ends up in the ocean, but most of it falls on the continents in the form of snow and rain, and then ends up in lakes, rivers and groundwater.

Fresh water consumption in different parts of the world

Even such a small percentage of available fresh water could cover all the needs of mankind if its reserves were evenly distributed over the planet, but this is not so.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has identified several areas whose water consumption exceeds the volume of renewable water resources:

• Arabian Peninsula.

  For public needs, five times more fresh water is used here than is available natural sources. Water is exported here using tankers and pipelines, desalination procedures are carried out sea ​​water.

• Under stress are water resources in Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

  Almost 100% of renewable water resources are consumed here. More than 70% of renewable water resources are produced by Iran.

• Fresh water problems also exist in North Africa especially in Libya and Egypt. These countries use almost 50% of water resources.

The greatest need is experienced not by those countries where there are frequent droughts, but by those with a high population density.

World fresh water market

You can see this using the table below. For example, the most large area water resources has Asia, and the smallest Australia. But, at the same time, every resident of Australia is provided drinking water 14 times better than any Asian.

And all because the population of Asia is 3.7 billion, while only 30 million live in Australia.

Problems in the use of fresh water

Over the past 40 years, the amount of clean fresh water per person has decreased by 60%.

Agriculture is the biggest consumer of fresh water. Today, this sector of the economy consumes almost 85% of the total volume of fresh water used by humans. Products grown with artificial irrigation are much more expensive than those grown on soil and irrigated by rain.

More than 80 countries around the world are experiencing a shortage of fresh water.

And every day this problem is getting worse. Water scarcity even causes humanitarian and state conflicts. Improper use of groundwater leads to a decrease in their volume. These reserves are depleted annually from 0.1% to 0.3%. Moreover, in poor countries, 95% of water cannot be used for drinking or food at all due to high level pollution.

The need for clean drinking water is increasing every year, but its quantity, on the contrary, is only decreasing.

Nearly 2 billion people have limited water intake. According to experts, by 2025, almost 50 countries of the world, where the number of inhabitants will exceed 3 billion people, will feel the problem of water shortage.

In China, despite high rainfall, half of the population does not have regular access to sufficient drinking water.

Groundwater, like the soil itself, is renewed too slowly (about 1% per year).

The issue of the greenhouse effect remains relevant. The climate of the Earth is constantly deteriorating due to the constant release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This causes an anomalous redistribution precipitation, the occurrence of droughts in those countries where they should not be, snowfall in Africa, high frosts in Italy or Spain.

Such anomalous changes can cause a decrease in crop yields, an increase in plant diseases, and the reproduction of pest populations and various insects.

The planet's ecosystem is losing its stability and cannot adapt to such a rapid change in conditions.

Instead of totals

In the end, we can say that there are enough water resources on planet Earth. The main problem of water supply is that these reserves are unevenly distributed on the planet. Moreover, 3/4 of fresh water reserves are in the form of glaciers, which are very difficult to access.

Because of this, in some regions there is already a shortage of fresh water.

The second problem is the contamination of existing available water sources with human waste products (heavy metal salts, oil refinery products). clean water, which can be consumed without prior purification can only be found in remote environmentally friendly areas. But densely populated regions, on the contrary, suffer from the inability to drink water from their meager reserves.

Back to Water Resources

The countries of the world are provided with water resources extremely unevenly.

The most provided with water resources following countries: Brazil (8,233 km3), Russia (4,508 km3), USA (3,051 km3), Canada (2,902 km3), Indonesia (2,838 km3), China (2,830 km3), Colombia (2,132 km3), Peru (1,913 km3), India (1,880 km3), Congo (1,283 km3), Venezuela (1,233 km3), Bangladesh (1,211 km3), Burma (1,046 km3).

Most water resources per capita are in French Guiana (609,091 m3), Iceland (539,638 m3), Guyana (315,858 m3), Suriname (236,893 m3), Congo (230,125 m3), Papua New Guinea (121 788 m3), Gabon (113,260 m3), Bhutan (113,157 m3), Canada (87,255 m3), Norway (80,134 m3), New Zealand (77,305 m3), Peru (66,338 m3), Bolivia (64,215 m3), Liberia (61,165 m3), Chile (54,868 m3), Paraguay (53,863 m3), Laos (53,747 m3), Colombia (47,365 m3), Venezuela (43,8463), Panama (43,502 m3) , Brazil (42,866 m3), Uruguay (41,505 m3), Nicaragua (34,710 m3), Fiji (33,827 m3), Central African Republic(33,280 m3), Russia (31,833 m3).

The least amount of water resources per capita is in Kuwait (6.85 m3), United United Arab Emirates(33.44 m3), Qatar (45.28 m3), Bahamas (59.17 m3), Oman (91.63 m3), Saudi Arabia (95.23 m3), Libya (3,366.19 ft) .

On average on Earth, each person has 24,646 m3 (24,650,000 liters) of water per year.

Few countries in the world rich in water resources can boast of having "at their disposal" river basins that are not separated by territorial boundaries. Why is it so important? Let's take for example the largest tributary of the Ob - the Irtysh (part of the flow of which they wanted to transfer to the Aral Sea). The source of the Irtysh is located on the border of Mongolia and China, then the river flows for more than 500 km through the territory of China, crosses the state border and flows through the territory of Kazakhstan for about 1800 km, then the Irtysh flows for about 2000 km through the territory of Russia until it flows into the Ob.

Which country owns 20% of all fresh water on earth?

Let's see how things stand with the strategic "water independence" in the world.

The map presented to your attention above illustrates the percentage of the volume of renewable water resources entering the country from the territory of neighboring states, of the total volume of the country's water resources (A country with a value of 0% does not “receive” water resources at all from the territories neighboring countries; 100% - all water resources come from outside the state).

The map shows that the following states are the most dependent on the “supplies” of water from the territory of neighboring countries: Kuwait (100%), Turkmenistan (97.1%), Egypt (96.9%), Mauritania (96.5%) , Hungary (94.2%), Moldova (91.4%), Bangladesh (91.3%), Niger (89.6%), Netherlands (87.9%).

Now let's try to do some calculations, but first let's rank countries by water resources:

5.

10.

Congo (1,283 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 29.9%)
11. Venezuela (1,233 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 41.4%)

Now, based on these data, we will compile our rating of countries whose water resources are least dependent on the potential reduction in transboundary flow caused by water abstraction by countries located upstream:

Brazil (5,417 km3)
2. Russia (4,314 km3)
3. Canada (2,850 km3)
4. Indonesia (2,838 km3)
5. China (2,813 km3)
6. USA (2,801 km3)
7. Colombia (2,113 km3)
8.

Peru (1,617 km3)
9. India (1,252 km3)
10. Burma (881 km3)
11. Congo (834 km3)
12. Venezuela (723 km3)
13.

Bangladesh (105 km3)

Below is a map of the world's fresh groundwater resources. Blue areas on the map are areas rich in groundwater, brown areas are areas where there is a shortage of groundwater.

In arid countries, water is almost completely taken from underground sources (Morocco - 75%, Tunisia - 95%, Saudi Arabia and Malta - 100%).

in the equatorial and South Africa Groundwater is doing much better. Torrential tropical rains contribute to the rapid restoration of groundwater reserves.

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The countries of the world are provided with water resources extremely unevenly. The following countries are the most endowed with water resources: Brazil (8,233 km3), Russia (4,508 km3), USA (3,051 km3), Canada (2,902 km3), Indonesia (2,838 km3), China (2,830 km3), Colombia (2,132 km3), Peru (1,913 km3), India (1,880 km3), Congo (1,283 km3), Venezuela (1,233 km3), Bangladesh (1,211 km3), Burma (1,046 km3).

The volume of water resources per capita by country (m3 per year per capita)

Most water resources per capita are in French Guiana (), Iceland (), Guyana (), Suriname (), Congo (), Papua New Guinea (), Gabon (), Bhutan (), Canada (), Norway ( ), New Zealand (), Peru (), Bolivia (), Liberia (), Chile (), Paraguay (), Laos (), Colombia (), Venezuela (43 8463), Panama (), Brazil (), Uruguay (), Nicaragua (), Fiji (), Central African Republic (), Russia ().

Note!!!
The least water resources per capita are in Kuwait (), the United Arab Emirates (), Qatar (), the Bahamas (), Oman (), Saudi Arabia (), Libya ().

On average on Earth, each person has () water per year.

Share of transboundary runoff in the total annual runoff of the rivers of the countries of the world (in %)
Few countries in the world rich in water resources can boast of having "at their disposal" river basins that are not separated by territorial boundaries.

Why is it so important? Let's take for example the largest tributary of the Ob - the Irtysh (part of the flow of which they wanted to transfer to the Aral Sea).

The source of the Irtysh is located on the border of Mongolia and China, then the river flows through the territory of China for more, crosses the state border and flows through the territory of Kazakhstan, then the Irtysh flows around through the territory of Russia until it flows into the Ob.

According to international agreements, China can take half of the annual flow of the Irtysh for its own needs, Kazakhstan - half of what remains after China. As a result, this can greatly affect the full flow of the Russian section of the Irtysh (including hydropower resources). At present, China annually deprives Russia of 2 billion km3 of water. Therefore, the water supply of each country in the future may depend on whether the sources of rivers or sections of their channels are outside the country.

Let's see how things stand with the strategic "water independence" in the world.

Share of transboundary runoff in the total annual runoff of rivers in the countries of the world

The map presented to your attention above illustrates the percentage of the volume of renewable water resources entering the country from the territory of neighboring states, of the total volume of the country's water resources (A country with a value of 0% does not "receive" water resources at all from the territories of neighboring countries; 100% - all water resources come from outside the state).

The map shows that the following states are the most dependent on "supplies" of water from the territory of neighboring countries: Kuwait (100%), Turkmenistan (97.1%), Egypt (96.9%), Mauritania (96.5%) , Hungary (94.2%), Moldova (91.4%), Bangladesh (91.3%), Niger (89.6%), Netherlands (87.9%).

In the post-Soviet space, the situation is as follows: Turkmenistan (97.1%), Moldova (91.4%), Uzbekistan (77.4%), Azerbaijan (76.6%), Ukraine (62%), Latvia (52. 8%), Belarus (35.9%), Lithuania (37.5%), Kazakhstan (31.2%), Tajikistan (16.7%) Armenia (11.7%), Georgia (8.2%) , Russia (4.3%), Estonia (0.8%), Kyrgyzstan (0%).

Now let's try to do some calculations, but first let's make rating of countries by water resources:

Brazil (8,233 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 34.2%)
2. Russia (4,508 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 4.3%)
3. USA (3,051 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 8.2%)
4. Canada (2,902 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 1.8%)
5.

Indonesia (2,838 km3) — (Share of transboundary flow: 0%)
6. China (2,830 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 0.6%)
7. Colombia (2,132 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 0.9%)
8. Peru (1,913 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 15.5%)
9. India (1,880 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 33.4%)
10. Congo (1,283 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 29.9%)
11.

Venezuela (1,233 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 41.4%)
12. Bangladesh (1,211 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 91.3%)
13. Burma (1,046 km3) - (Share of transboundary flow: 15.8%)

Now, based on these data, we will compile our rating of countries whose water resources are least dependent on the potential reduction in transboundary flow caused by water intake by countries located upstream.

Brazil (5,417 km3)
2. Russia (4,314 km3)
3. Canada (2,850 km3)
4. Indonesia (2,838 km3)
5. China (2,813 km3)
6.

USA (2,801 km3)
7. Colombia (2,113 km3)
8. Peru (1,617 km3)
9. India (1,252 km3)
10. Burma (881 km3)
11. Congo (834 km3)
12. Venezuela (723 km3)
13. Bangladesh (105 km3)

In conclusion, I would like to note that the use of river waters is not limited to water intake alone. We should also not forget about the transboundary transfer of pollutants, which can significantly worsen the quality of river waters in river sections located on the territory of other countries downstream.
Significant changes river flow volumes are caused by deforestation, agricultural activities, and global climate change.

Below is a map of the world's fresh groundwater resources.

Blue areas on the map are areas rich in groundwater, brown areas are areas where there is a shortage of groundwater.

Countries with large reserves of groundwater include Russia, Brazil, as well as a number of equatorial African countries.

Note!!!
The scarcity of clean, fresh surface water is forcing many countries to make greater use of groundwater.

In the European Union, already 70% of all water used by water users is taken from underground aquifers.
In arid countries, water is almost completely taken from underground sources (Morocco - 75%, Tunisia - 95%, Saudi Arabia and Malta - 100%)

Underground aquifers occur everywhere, but they are not renewable everywhere. So in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, they were filled with water about 10,000 years ago, when the climate here was more humid.
In Equatorial and South Africa, groundwater is doing much better.

Torrential tropical rains contribute to the rapid restoration of groundwater reserves.

19. World water resources

The concept of water resources can be interpreted in two senses - broad and narrow.

In a broad sense, this is the entire volume of hydrosphere water contained in rivers, lakes, glaciers, seas and oceans, as well as in underground horizons and in the atmosphere.

The definitions of huge, inexhaustible are quite applicable to it, and this is not surprising. After all, the World Ocean occupies 361 million km2 (about 71% of the total area of ​​the planet), and glaciers, lakes, reservoirs, swamps, rivers account for another 20 million km2 (15%). As a result, the total volume of the hydrosphere is estimated at 1390 million km3. It is easy to calculate that with such a total volume, there is now approximately 210 million m3 of water per inhabitant of the Earth. This amount would be enough to supply big city throughout the whole year!

However, it is necessary to take into account the possibilities of using these huge resources.

Indeed, of the total volume of water contained in the hydrosphere, 96.4% falls on the share of the World Ocean, and of the water bodies on land the largest number waters contain glaciers (1.86%) and groundwater (1.68%), the use of which is possible, but mostly very difficult.

That is why, when they talk about water resources in the narrow sense of the word, they mean fresh water suitable for consumption, which makes up only 2.5% of the total volume of all waters in the hydrosphere.

However, significant adjustments have to be made to this indicator. It is impossible not to take into account the fact that almost all fresh water resources are “mothballed” either in the glaciers of Antarctica, Greenland, mountainous regions, in the ice of the Arctic, or in groundwater and ice, the use of which is still very limited.

Lakes and reservoirs are used much more widely, but their geographical distribution is by no means ubiquitous. It follows from this that the main source of meeting the needs of mankind in fresh water has been and remains river (channel) water, the share of which is extremely small, and the total volume is only 2100 km3.

Such an amount of fresh water would already be lacking for people to live.

However, due to the fact that the duration of the conditional moisture cycle for rivers is 16 days, during the year the volume of water in them is renewed on average 23 times and, therefore, the resources of river runoff can be estimated purely arithmetically at 48 thousand m3.

km3/year. However, the figure of 41 thousand km3/year prevails in the literature. It characterizes the “water ration” of the planet, but reservations are also needed here. It should be taken into account that more than half of the channel waters flow into the sea, so that the resources of such waters actually available for use, according to some estimates, do not exceed 15 thousand m3.

If we consider how the total river flow is distributed among large regions of the world, it turns out that on overseas Asia accounts for 11 thousand.

km3, to South America - 10.5, to North America - 7, to the CIS countries - 5.3, to Africa - 4.2, to Australia and Oceania - 1.6 and to foreign Europe - 1.4 thousand km3 . It is clear that behind these indicators are primarily the largest river systems in terms of runoff: in Asia - the Yangtze, the Ganges and the Brahmaputras, in South America - the Amazon, Orinoco, Parana, in North America - the Mississippi, in the CIS - the Yenisei, Lena, in Africa Kongo, Zambezi.

This fully applies not only to regions, but also to individual countries (Table 23).

Table 23

TOP TEN COUNTRIES BY FRESHWATER RESOURCES

The figures characterizing water resources cannot yet give a complete picture of water availability, since the provision with total runoff is usually expressed in specific indicators - either per 1 km2 of the territory, or per inhabitant.

Such a water supply of the world and its regions is shown in Figure 19. An analysis of this figure suggests that with an average world indicator of 8000 m3 / year, Australia and Oceania have indicators above this level, South America, CIS and North America, and below - Africa, foreign Europe and foreign Asia.

This situation with the water supply of the regions is explained as overall dimensions their water resources and their population. No less interesting is the analysis of differences in the water availability of individual countries (Table 24). Of the ten countries with the highest water availability, seven lie within the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical belts and only Canada, Norway and New Zealand- within the temperate and subarctic.

19. Availability of river runoff resources in major regions of the world, thousand m3/year

Table 24

COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST SUPPLY OF FRESHWATER RESOURCES

Although, according to the above per capita indicators of the water supply of the whole world, its individual regions and countries, it is quite possible to imagine its general picture, it would still be more correct to call such provision potential.

To imagine the real water supply, it is necessary to take into account the size of water intake, water consumption.

World water consumption in the twentieth century. increased as follows (in km3): 1900 - 580, 1940 - 820, 1950

- 1100, 1960 - 1900, 1970 - 2520, 1980 - 3200, 1990 - 3580, 2005 - 6000.

TOP-20 countries by fresh water reserves!

These general indicators of water consumption are very important: they indicate that during the 20th century. world water consumption increased by 6.8 times.

Already, almost 1.2 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. According to the UN forecast, universal access to such water can be achieved: in Asia - by 2025, in Africa - by 2050. The structure, i.e. the nature of water consumption, is no less important. Today, 70% of fresh water is consumed by Agriculture, 20% - industry, 10% goes to meet domestic needs. This ratio is quite understandable and natural, but from the point of view of saving water resources, it is rather unprofitable, primarily because it is in agriculture (especially in irrigated agriculture) that irretrievable water consumption is very high.

According to the available calculations, in 2000 irretrievable water consumption in the world's agriculture amounted to 2.5 thousand km3, while in industry and public utilities, where recycling water supply is more widely used, only 65 and 12 km3, respectively. From all that has been said, it follows, firstly, that today humanity already uses a fairly significant part of the “water ration” of the planet (about 1/10 of the total and more than 1/4 of the actually available) and, secondly, that the irretrievable loss of water is more than 1/2 of its total consumption.

It is no coincidence that the highest rates of per capita water consumption are characteristic of countries with irrigated agriculture.

The record holder here is Turkmenistan (7000 m3 per person per year). It is followed by Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan and others. All these countries are already experiencing a significant shortage of water resources.

In Russia, the total river flow reaches 4.2 thousand km3/year, and, consequently, the provision of resources for this flow per capita is 29 thousand.

m3/year; This is not a record, but quite a high figure. Total fresh water intake in the second half of the 1990s due to the economic crisis had a tendency to some decrease.

In 2000, it was 80–85 km3.

The structure of water consumption in Russia is as follows: 56% goes to production, 21% to household and drinking needs, 17% to irrigation and agricultural water supply, and 6% to other needs.

The same applies to individual economic regions countries. Thus, in the Central, Central Black Earth and Volga regions, water supply per inhabitant is only 3000–4000 m3/year, and Far East- 300 thousand m3.

The general trend for the whole world and its individual regions is a gradual decrease in water supply, therefore, various ways of saving water resources and new ways of water supply are being sought.

Water reserves in the world. List of countries by water resources

A list of 173 countries of the world is presented, ordered by the volume of total renewable water resources according to [ . Data include long-term average renewable water resources (in cubic kilometers of rainfall, renewable groundwater, and surface inflows from neighboring countries.

Brazil has the largest renewable water resources - 8,233.00 cubic kilometers. Russia has the largest reserves in Europe and the second in the world - 4,508.00. Further USA - 3 069.00, Canada - 2 902.00 and China - 2 840.00. Full table- see below.

Fresh water. Stocks[Source - 2].

Fresh water- the opposite of sea water, covers that part of the available water of the Earth, in which salts are contained in minimal quantities. Water, the salinity of which does not exceed 0.1%, even in the form of steam or ice, is called fresh. Ice masses in the polar regions and glaciers contain most of fresh water of the earth. In addition, fresh water exists in rivers, streams, underground waters, fresh lakes, and also in clouds. According to various estimates, the share of fresh water in the total amount of water on Earth is 2.5-3%.

About 85-90% of fresh water is contained in the form of ice. The distribution of fresh water across the globe is extremely uneven. In Europe and Asia, where 70% of the world's population lives, only 39% of river waters are concentrated.

In terms of surface water resources, Russia occupies a leading position in the world. Only in the unique Lake Baikal are concentrated about 20% of the world's fresh lake water reserves and more than 80% of Russia's reserves. With a total volume of 23.6 thousand km³, about 60 km³ of rare natural water is reproduced in the lake annually.

According to the UN at the beginning of the 2000s, more than 1.2 billion people live in conditions of constant shortage of fresh water, about 2 billion suffer from it regularly. By the middle of the 21st century, the number of people living with a constant lack of water will exceed 4 billion people. In such a situation, some experts say that Russia's main advantage in the long term is water resources.

Fresh water reserves: atmospheric vapor - 14,000 or 0.06%, river fresh water - 200 or 0.005%, total Total 28,253,200 or 100%. Sources - Wikipedia:,.

List of countries by water resources[Source - 1]

Water is life. And if a person can survive for a while without food, it is almost impossible to do this without water. Since the heyday of mechanical engineering, the manufacturing industry, water has become polluted too quickly and without much attention from man. Then the first calls about the importance of the preservation of water resources appeared. And if, in general, there is enough water, then the fresh water reserves on Earth make up a negligible fraction of this volume. Let's deal with this issue together.

Water: how much is it, and in what form does it exist

Water is an important part of our life. And it is she who makes up most of our planet. Mankind uses this extremely important resource on a daily basis: household needs, production needs, agricultural work and much more.

We used to think that water has one state, but in fact it has three forms:

• liquid;
• gas/steam;
• solid state (ice);

In a liquid state, it is found in all water basins on the surface of the Earth (rivers, lakes, seas, oceans) and in the bowels of the soil (groundwater). In the solid state, we see it in snow and ice. In gaseous form, it appears in the form of clouds of steam, clouds.

For these reasons, it is problematic to calculate what is the supply of fresh water on Earth. But according to preliminary data, the total volume of water is about 1.386 billion cubic kilometers. Moreover, 97.5% is salty water(undrinkable) and only 2.5% is fresh.

Fresh water resources on earth

largest cluster fresh water is concentrated in the glaciers and snows of the Arctic and Antarctica (68.7%). Next come groundwater (29.9%) and only an incredibly small part (0.26%) is concentrated in rivers and lakes. It is from there that mankind draws the water resources necessary for life.

The global water cycle changes regularly, and from this numerical values change also. But in general, the picture looks exactly like this. The main reserves of fresh water on Earth are in glaciers, snow and groundwater, and its extraction from these sources is very problematic. Perhaps, in the not distant future, mankind will have to turn their eyes to these sources of fresh water.

Where is the most fresh water?

Let us consider in more detail the sources of fresh water, and find out which part of the planet has the most of it:

• Snow and ice at the North Pole is 1/10 of the total fresh water reserve.
• The groundwater today also serve as one of the main sources for the extraction of water.
• Lakes and rivers with fresh water, as a rule, are located at high elevations. This water basin contains the main reserves of fresh water on Earth. Canada's lakes contain 50% of the world's total freshwater lakes.
• River systems cover about 45% of the land of our planet. Their number is 263 units water basin suitable for drinking.

From the above, it becomes obvious that the distribution of fresh water reserves is uneven. Somewhere there is more of it, and somewhere it is negligible. There is one more corner of the planet (except Canada), where the largest reserves of fresh water on Earth. These are the countries Latin America, 1/3 of the total world volume is located here.

The largest freshwater lake is Baikal. It is located in our country and is protected by the state, listed in the Red Book.

Scarcity of usable water

If we go from the opposite, then the mainland that most of all needs life-giving moisture is Africa. Many countries are concentrated here, and all have the same problem with the water resource. In some areas it is extremely scarce, and in others it simply does not exist. Where the rivers flow, the quality of the water leaves much to be desired, it is at a very low level.

For these reasons, more than half a million people do not receive water of the required quality, and, as a result, suffer from many infectious diseases. According to statistics, 80% of cases of diseases are associated with the quality of the fluid consumed.

Sources of water pollution

Water conservation measures are a strategically important part of our lives. The supply of fresh water is not an inexhaustible resource. And, moreover, its value is small relative to the total volume of all waters. Consider the sources of pollution to know how you can reduce or minimize these factors:

• Wastewater. Numerous rivers and lakes were destroyed by sewage from various industrial productions, from houses and apartments (household slag), from agro-industrial complexes and much more.
• Burials household waste and technical items in the seas and oceans. Very often practiced similar view disposal of rockets and other space instruments that have served their time. It is worth considering that living organisms live in reservoirs, and this greatly affects their health and water quality.
• Industry ranks first among the causes of water pollution and the entire ecosystem as a whole.
• Radioactive substances, spreading through water bodies, infect flora and fauna, make water unsuitable for drinking, as well as the life of organisms.
• Leakage of oily products. Over time, metal containers in which oil is stored or transported are subject to corrosion, respectively, water pollution is the result of this. Precipitation containing acids can affect the state of the reservoir.

There are many more sources, the most common of them are described here. In order to keep fresh water supplies on Earth as long as possible suitable for consumption, they must be taken care of now.

Water reserve in the bowels of the planet

We have already found out that the largest reserve of drinking water is in glaciers, snows and in the soil of our planet. In the bowels of fresh water reserves on Earth are 1.3 billion cubic kilometers. But, in addition to the difficulties in obtaining it, we are faced with problems that are associated with its chemical properties. Water is not always fresh, sometimes its salinity reaches 250 grams per 1 liter. Most often there are waters with a predominance of chlorine and sodium in their composition, less often - with sodium and calcium or sodium and magnesium. Fresh groundwater is located closer to the surface, and at a depth of up to 2 kilometers, salt water is most often found.

What are we using this valuable resource for?

We use almost 70% of our water to support the agricultural industry. In each region, this value fluctuates in different ranges. About 22% we spend on all world production. And only 8% of the rest goes to the needs of domestic consumption.

A decrease in the water reserve of drinking water threatens more than 80 countries. It has a significant impact not only on social, but also economic well-being. It is necessary to look for a solution to this issue now. Thus, reduced consumption of drinking water is not a solution, but only exacerbates the problem. Every year, the fresh water supply decreases to a value of 0.3%, while not all sources of fresh water are available to us.

Fresh water is water that contains no more than 0.1% salt. It can be in the form of liquid, vapor or ice. Of the total amount of water resources is 2.5-3%. But of these 3%, only 1% is available to a person.

Its distribution to the globe characterized by unevenness. Europe and Asia, inhabited by 70% of the population, has only 39% at its disposal.

The main sources are:

• surface (rivers, streams, fresh lakes, glaciers);
• groundwater (springs and artesian springs);
• precipitation (snow and rain).

The largest reserve is stored in glaciers (85-90%), especially in the Antarctic. Russia ranks second in the world in terms of fresh water reserves (the first place belongs to Brazil). The main amount of water is concentrated in Lake Baikal: 80% of Russian reserves and 20% of world reserves.

The total volume of the lake is 23.6 thousand cubic kilometers. Every year it produces about 60 m 3 of water, characterized by extraordinary purity and transparency.

The problem of lack of fresh water

IN Lately humanity faces the problem of scarcity. Now more than 1.2 billion people are experiencing a permanent deficit. According to forecasts, in a few decades more than 4 billion people will find themselves in such conditions, since its number will decrease by half. Reasons for this situation include:

• pollution of water sources;
• population growth;
• melting glaciers due to the greenhouse effect.

This deficit is trying to be restored in the following ways:

• export;
• creation of artificial reservoirs;
• cost savings;
• artificial production of fresh water.

Methods for obtaining fresh water:

• desalination of sea waters;
• condensation of water vapor from the air in natural cold stores, most often in coastal caves.

With the help of condensation, huge reserves of water are formed, which fall under the seabed, where they often make their way through fresh springs.

Significance and application

First of all, water is essential for the Earth's ecosystems to function properly. Water creates and maintains life on Earth, plays the role of a universal solvent, takes part in all chemical reactions occurring in the human body, shapes the climate and weather.

The human body contains 70% water. Therefore, it must be constantly replenished: without it, a person cannot live more than 3 days.

The main part of water resources is used by agriculture and industry, and only a small part (about 10%) is used for consumer needs.

Recently, consumption for household needs has increased dramatically due to the introduction of automatic dishwashers and washing machines.

Compound

The water of rivers and lakes is not the same in composition. Since it is a universal solvent, its composition depends on the composition of the surrounding soil and the minerals found in it. It contains dissolved gases (mainly oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide), various cations and anions, organic substances, suspended particles, microorganisms.

Characteristics

An important characteristic is its purity. The quality of water depends on the acidity pH, hardness and organoleptics.

The acidity of water is affected by the content of hydrogen ions, and the hardness is affected by the presence of calcium and magnesium ions.

Rigidity can be general, carbonate and non-carbonate, removable and irremovable.

The organoleptic quality of water depends on its smell, taste, color and turbidity.

The smell can be earthy, chlorine, oily, etc. It is evaluated on a 5-point scale:

1. complete absence of smell;
2. the smell is almost not felt;
3. the smell can be noticed only if you specifically pay attention to it;
4. the smell can be easily noticed and you don’t really want to drink it;
5. the smell is distinctly audible, which refrains from wanting to drink it;
6. the smell is particularly strong, making it undrinkable.

The taste of fresh water is salty, sour, sweet and bitter. It is also evaluated on a 5-point scale. It can be absent, very weak, weak, noticeable, distinct and very strong.

Color and turbidity are evaluated on a 14-point scale by comparison with the standard.

Water is characterized by inexhaustibility and self-purification. Inexhaustibility is determined by its self-replenishment, which leads to the natural cycle of water.

What determines the quality of water?

Qualitative and quantitative analysis is used to study its properties. Based on it, the maximum allowable concentration is determined for each substance included in its composition. But for some substances, viruses and bacteria, the maximum allowable concentration should be zero: they should be completely absent.

Quality is affected by:

• climate (especially the frequency and amount of precipitation);
• geological feature of the area (mainly the structure of the riverbed);
• environmental conditions of the region.

Special devices are used for cleaning. But even with the use of the most recent treatment systems, some pollutants (about 10%) remain in the water.

Fresh water classification

Subdivided into:

• ordinary;
• mineral.

Depending on the mineral content mineral water classified into:

In addition, there are also artificial fresh waters, which are divided into:

• mineral and distilled;
• desalinated and thawed;
• shungite and silver;
• "live" and "dead".

Melt water has a number of useful properties. But it is not recommended to cook it by melting snow or ice from the street: it will contain benzapyrene, which belongs to organic carcinogenic compounds, which are characterized by the first hazard class. Its source is car exhaust gases.

Shungite water is formed when water passes through deposits of shungite (rock), acquiring medicinal properties. They also make artificial shungite water, but its effectiveness has not been proven.

Silver water is formed as a result of saturation with silver. It has bactericidal properties and is able to kill pathogenic microorganisms.

"Living" and "dead" water exists not only in fairy tales. It is obtained by electrolysis of ordinary water and is used to treat various diseases.

• A leaking faucet, from which tap water flows in a thin stream, will carry away 840 liters per day.
• most clean water Finland boasts.
• The most expensive water is sold in Finland: 1 liter costs $90.
• If you put hot and cold water hot will freeze faster.
• Hot water will extinguish a fire faster than cold water.
• At school, we taught that water can be in 3 states. Scientists distinguish 14 states of frozen water and 5 - liquid.
• Modern people need 80-100 liters of water per day. During the Middle Ages, a person needed 5 liters.
• A person drinks 2-2.5 liters per day, and 35 tons in a lifetime.

Water scarcity is making itself known to humanity more and more. Something needs to be done to change the situation, otherwise the inhabitants of the blue planet, most of which is occupied by water, will be left without drinking. In this case, all living things will have only 3 days of life.

The lake contains 1/5 of all fresh water in the world and 3/4 of all fresh water in Russia. It is noteworthy that most of our citizens live in places where fresh water is not enough. In total, about 8-10% of all water reserves in Russia.

Man is 70% water. Can live 3 days without drinking fresh water. Our life activity leads to the gradual destruction of fresh water reserves. There is a lot of fresh water in Russia in lakes. Here are the largest of them: 911.0 cubic kilometers; 292.0 cubic kilometers; Lake Baikal 23,000.0 cubic kilometers; Lake Khanka 18.3 cubic kilometers. Reservoirs: Rybinsk - 26.3 cubic kilometers; Samara - 58.0 cubic kilometers; Volgograd - 31.4 cubic kilometers; Tsimlyanskoye - 23.7 cubic kilometers; Sayano-Shushenskoye - 31.3 cubic kilometers, Krasnoyarsk - 73.3 cubic kilometers and, accordingly, Bratsk - 170.0. There is fresh water in. In stored, too, its stocks. This is our reserve in case of a shortage of valuable liquid.

Despite such vast reserves of water, it is used ineptly. In our country, fresh water is used as follows: 59% of all available fresh water is used for industrial needs, 21% is spent on homemade people. Including for the needs of the household, as well as for drinking. 13% is allocated for irrigation of fields. And 7% remains in reserve for needs that may arise.

The above figures for water consumption could be less. To do this, it is necessary to conserve fresh water. Such high costs are explained by water losses due to the deterioration of water supply networks. Every year, 9 cubic kilometers of fresh water are lost. And the total amount of water lost in public utilities is 16% of 100% of the water used annually. Water is lost and does not reach consumers. In the fields, fresh water is uneconomically consumed. This is due to morally and physically obsolete equipment. It has long needed to be replaced with new, more advanced equipment. The amount of clean fresh water is significantly reduced due to the discharge of waste into it. So in 2002 total sewage, unsuitable for food water, amounted to 54.7 cubic kilometers. These disappointing figures arise mainly for two reasons: water pollution by enterprises and wastewater discharges from housing and communal services. Although utilities and businesses are required to treat wastewater, they do not. In Europe, waste water is treated to the maximum. In Russia, the total amount of treated wastewater in 2002 was 2.5 cubic kilometers. In other words, only 10% of all wastewater needs to be treated. Such small numbers arose as a result of overloading of treatment facilities or their complete absence.

Waste water can be divided into several types according to its composition. These are, firstly, pollution (clay, particles of ores, acid and alkaline solutions), secondly, organic pollution (particles of wood, paper), thirdly, sewage formed by the vital activity of humans and other animals (fecal matter, animal parts and other waste).

Now in Russia there is no shortage of fresh water. In many world countries, the problem of water shortage is very acute. Actually this serious problem. Due to growth major cities Housing and communal services have to spend more and more more water. A lot of water is spent on agriculture. Most of the fresh water is taken by industry. These three industries compete with each other. For fresh water in the near future, a war may begin. Industry, as you know, always receives more income than agriculture. Therefore, the latter industry is less competitive and loses in this fight. As a result, agriculture suffers. Growing different crops becomes unprofitable. Such a country would be better off buying ready-made agricultural products. Scientists give an interesting example. If the trend towards water shortages in the next half century does not change for the better, then in 2050 it will be necessary to irrigate the fields for a full-fledged crop with an amount of water equal to 24 per annum.

Potential supply of water resources in Russia

Greenpeace monitors clean drinking water on the planet. Water shortages in Russia and in the world are expected in the near future. The researchers cite the following figures. By 2050, fresh water will be provided to people four times less compared to the 20th century. Scientists have found that by the 20 years of the 21st century, one billion people will experience an acute shortage of water. Interaction and the entire land lasted for millions of years. At present, due to the barbaric use natural resource- water, the ocean receives less moisture, which evaporates from the land. This is what caused the decrease in the water level in the rivers. Until a few centuries ago, the interaction of water between the ocean and land was 50/50. Our civilization may soon be in danger of extinction precisely because of the lack of water. Humanity can die out because of dirty water. About 20,000 people die in Russia every year. People were poisoned by poisoned chemicals and water discharges. Many people get sick dangerous diseases due to bad water.

Today, according to scientists, there are no completely clean people in our country. Thus, a poison, nitrite nitrogen, was recently discovered in the Moscow River. At the same time, municipal authorities argued with federal authorities on the permissible concentration of toxic substances in the river. Although together we could rather clean up. Many water polluting enterprises have done a good job on this. Researchers distinguish three types of dirty water: Moderately polluted, polluted and dirty water. IN last years Russian reservoirs are divided precisely according to these three criteria. The dirtiest are, and. These are rivers with poor ecology, which will get worse over the years.

The problem of water shortage is in the first place among others. If the situation does not change, then the person will have nothing to drink. Well, then only three days to survive.