Friday, December 4, 2015

Human impact on freshwater loss is 20% higher than estimated – CDN (Press Release)

<- go to www.addthis.com />dashboard to generate a new set of sharing buttons ->  Facebook  Google+ options  Twitter  Addthis  Google +  options  Twitter  email ->  email

The human impact on the loss of fresh water, with activities such as irrigation or building dams, is 20% higher than estimated, according to a new study published in Thursday’s journal “Science”.

The research concludes that the increase in total water loss sweet to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration is 4,370 cubic kilometers, equivalent to two thirds of the annual flow of the world’s mightiest river Amazon.

“The little things we do on the surface Earth may have major global effects. Previously, the effects of human activities such as dams were dismissed, this study shows that so far the effects have been even greater than the atmospheric climate change, “said Fernando Jaramillo, postdoctoral Department of Physical Geography at the University of Stockholm.

The thesis of this study is that activities such as irrigation and dams have greatly increased the global human consumption of fresh water by increasing evapotranspiration, that is, the loss of moisture from a surface by direct evaporation along with the water loss through transpiration from vegetation.

The human impact increases the loss of fresh water into the atmosphere and, therefore, reduces the water available for human societies and ecosystems.

“The increase in the loss due to human causes is like a huge river of fresh water on Earth into the atmosphere. We changed both the fresh water system without knowing it “considers Gia Destouni, professor at Stockholm University.

” We have already exceeded the limits of the consumption of fresh water on the planet, this is serious, whether We crossed a real limit or the limit is underestimated, “adds Destouni.

To carry out this research, the scientists analyzed data on climate, hydrology and water use in hundreds of large watersheds in the world between . 1901 and 2008


<- comments :: [start] ->

RELATED NEWS

 545b9583377f15402e1886b3_lineatitulos.jpg

->

LikeTweet

No comments:

Post a Comment