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Mail address: P O Box 245 6906 North Perth, WA, Australia
E-mail: http://www.informaction.org/index.php?main=helpus_contactus Information for Action is a non profit environmental organization committed to environmental change in our global community. Work on the website began in 1999 by President Rowland Benjamin and is maintained by a group of talented volunteers.

Water

History

Lake and water supply. Image by Information for Action, a website for conservation and environmental issues offering solutions

Throughout history, societies have sought to alter the behaviour and availability of hydrological systems. Early water supply systems involved the building of dams to provide a constant water supply over changing seasons, and aqueducts to facilitate the movement of water to areas with limited supply. Early irrigation systems involved the building of hillside terraces, which used gravity to feed water to crops growing on different levels. The invention of machinery during the Industrial Revolution and the availability of fossil fuels enabled water to be moved more effectively. Machinery can now pump water from deep underground aquifers, transport it over long distances and over high elevations.

Table 1: Water Availability per Capita per Continent

The table shows that there has been a decrease in water availability over the last 50 years for all continents. It also shows that continents with the highest population densities have the lowest water availability per capita.

 Actual water availability (10³ m³/year per capita)
Continent195019802000
Europe5.94.64.1
North America37.221.317.5
South america10548.828.3
Africa20.69.45.1
Asia9.65.13.3
Australia/Oceania1126450

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