Above: The status of US aquifers overtime from the US Geological Survey
As reported in Water Resources Research, sources of groundwater are being consumed at unsustainable rates in twenty-one of the world’s 37 largest aquifers. According to an analysis of NASA data published last week, more water was removed than replaced during a decade-long study period. Underground aquifers supply 35 percent of the water used by humans worldwide.
In the Sunday New York Times it was projected that Arizona's demand for water will exceed supply in less than ten years. The current California drought is not unprecedented. The current level of demand for water is unprecedented.
According to the 2015 World Water Development Report:
Global water demand is largely influenced by population growth, urbanization, food and energy security policies, and macro-economic processes such as trade globalization, changing diets and increasing consumption. By 2050, global water demand is projected to increase by 55%, mainly due to growing demands from manufacturing, thermal electricity generation and domestic use.
In my supply chain work I always include water. Most others treat it as "Critical Infrastructure". Water systems are typically below (infra) ground. Water is certainly critical. But there is a tendency to perceive infrastructure as a "facility" that can be engineered, managed, protected and, if necessary, recovered.
Supply chain analysis -- especially as the ecosystem concept is adopted more widely -- is attentive to reliable sources and demand patterns. An infrastructure can be efficient and resilient, but if supply is insufficient and/or demand is excessive, no facility will be sufficient.
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