The Change of Spatial Distribution of Production and Consumption of Freshwater - Essay Example

A very scientific and geographical definition of freshwater would include the traces and pockets of water with low saline content and other dissolved contents like minerals. Freshwater is the source of agriculture and potable water for human consumption and for the sustenance of wildlife. The spatial distribution of freshwater is an important indicator for a country’s welfare as once the overall pressure on the freshwater resources is known, it gives an indication of the vulnerability of a country to water shortages and also shows the need for adjustments in water management policies.

  The main sources of Freshwater are lakes, rivers, and underground water. As the diagram below shows the ultimate source of freshwater is the procedure of precipitation of the atmosphere in the form of rain and snow. The distribution and access to fresh water is a global problem today as the lack of it threatens the very survival of all species on planet earth. Today only 3% of the water on Earth is freshwater in nature, and 66% of this water is found in the glaciers and ice reserves like the polar ice caps.

Only 3% of the surface water is fresh and the second-largest reserve of freshwater comes from groundwater. From a geographical point of view, almost seven-eights of the entire earth's freshwater are contained in Lake Baikal ( Russia) and the Great Lakes in North America. During the period of 1990 and 2000 global freshwater consumption increased by nearly six-fold.  (Source, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)) and this was double the rate of the population growth of that time. From a geographical perspective, only 33% of the world’s population lives in areas where there is more saltwater and insufficient freshwater supply.

One of the factors affecting the distribution and consumption of water over time is the accelerating population growth. For example, according to UN statistics between 1970 and 1990, the water supply available per capita decreased by nearly one-third due to the population boom.