CLS 120 Humans & Environment: Analyzing Global Water Use Trends

This assignment provides an analysis of water consumption trends across three main sectors: agriculture, industry, and domestic (municipal) use, spanning from 1970 to 2020. It examines the increasing water usage in agriculture due to factors like population growth, technological advancements in irrigation, and the cultivation of water-intensive crop varieties. The industrial sector shows a steeper percentage increase in water consumption, primarily driven by thermal power generation and overall economic development. Domestic water consumption has also risen sharply, particularly in developing countries, due to improved sanitation and drinking water services. The analysis further speculates on future water use trends, anticipating a slower growth rate in agriculture due to water scarcity and the adoption of efficient irrigation techniques, while industrial water use is expected to continue increasing with economic development. Domestic water consumption is projected to rise further, but with potential for significant water recycling by 2050, especially in developing countries. The assignment references several sources to support its findings and projections.

HUMANS & THEIR ENVIRONMENT
STUDENT ID:
[Pick the date]

The water consumption trends for different uses are discussed below.
Agriculture
The requisite graphical illustration of water use in agriculture over the last five decades is
shown below.
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
1180 1400
1730
2050
2500
3000
Agriculture - Water Consumption
YEAR
Water Consumption (km^3/year)
It is apparent from the above graph that there has been an increase in the usage of water in
agriculture. This is attributed to the increasing production of various crops in order to satiate
the growing population especially in the developing world. Another contributory factor has
been the technological improvements which have led to increased availability of dams, canals
and tubewells, thereby allowing ample water availability for agriculture. Also, some of the
higher yields variants of food crops have higher water requirements than the conventional
counterparts. However, going forward it would be expected that growth of water
consumption in agriculture would increase at a lower rate owing to existing scarcity of water
(Environment Reports, nd). As a result, there would be significant investments in efficient
irrigation techniques such as drip and micro irrigation. Further, through technological
innovations, those variants of crops would become more popular which consumer lower
water (Borkhataria, 2018). However, the water consumption would still increase owing to
increasing population especially in the developing world. Also, in the developed world, there
might be focus on reducing the food wastage so as to ensure that overall water consumption
can be limited thereby limiting the stress on water resources.
Industry

The requisite graphical illustration of water use in industry over the last five decades is
shown below.
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
25 38
62
89
117
147
Industry - Water Consumption
Year
Water Consumption (kg^3/year)
Compared to agriculture, the increase in water consumption in industry has been steeper in
percentage terms. However, the consumption of water in industry is less than 5% of the
corresponding usage in agriculture. The main use of water in industrial use is for the
production of thermal power where it is used for coolant. Owing to the rapid economic
development witnessed in the last five decades, the production and consumption of electricity
has increased in a significant manner. Further, most of this production is still thermal
considering that it is cheaper and allows companies to use their coal and other fossil fuel
deposits. In every decade, the absolute increase in water consumption is increasing (Martin,
2015). As the underdeveloped and developing countries aim for higher growth, it is unlikely
that the rate of growth of water use would show any respite. The per capita use of electricity
remains quite low in the developing and under-developed world and going forward this is
expected to use. Also, there are other industrial applications, where water is a convenient
ingredient owing to it being readily available and suitable chemical properties.
Domestic (Municipal)
The requisite graphical illustration of water use in domestic (municipal) over the last five
decades is shown below.

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
20.3 29.2
41.1 52.4
65
105
Domestic (Municipal) - Water
Consumption
YEAR
Water Consumption (Kg^3/year)
It is apparent that there has been rapid increase in the domestic consumption of water which
is especially true between 2010-2020 when it is expected that water consumption would grow
by more than 60%. One key reason contributing to the same is the increased incidence of
sanitation and drinking water services to citizens in the developing and under-developed
countries (Nauges & Whittington, 2009). In the future, it is expected that the water
consumption would further increase but by 2050 owing to difficulty in availability of
freshwater, it might be expected that water recycling could be significant even in the
developing countries. Considering that the majority of the population currently resides in the
developing world, hence any progress in this regards would go a long way in reducing the
overall water consumption.

References
Borkhataria, C. (2018) Scientists engineer drought-resistant crops that require 25% less
water and could help feed the world, Retrieved from
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5464625/Scientists-engineer-drought-
resistant-crops-requiring-25-water.html
Environment Report (nd), Can we eat less water? Retrieved from
http://www.environmentreports.com/can-eat-less-water/#section2
Martin, A.D. (2015) Water for thermal power plants: Understanding a piece of the water
energy nexus, Retrieved from http://www.globalwaterforum.org/2015/06/22/water-
for-thermal-power-plants-understanding-a-piece-of-the-water-energy-nexus/
Nauges, C. & Whittington, D. (2009) Estimation of Water Demand in Developing Countries:
An Overview, Retrieved from
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/4441/wbro_25_2_263.
pdf?sequence=1