Water Scarcity Index

This indicator is derived from national-level data from FAO’s AQUASTAT. The indicator represents the overuse of water derived by subtracting the recommended use fraction (0.4) from the ratio of total freshwater withdrawals (including surface and both renewable and fossil ground water) to total renewable water resources (not including desalinated or treated waste water). This proportion is then multiplied by a weight which is the ratio of freshwater withdrawal to total withdrawals (freshwater, desalinated water and treated wastewater). The target is <=0 overuse. The purpose of the weighting is to recognize that some arid countries require desalinated water owing to a lack of freshwater. Read more...

Popular posts from this blog

Goodbye _kt75 | mirror. Hello _progress | M
- a status note -

Image
  note (by W. Scharnhorst ) As of 1st July 2015 _progress | M will replace _kt75 | mirror, the latter will as of than to be further developed nor will any content be published via that platform. Already today, you can visit _progress | M via http://progress-m.blogspot.ch . There are many improvements compared with _kt75 | mirror, e.g.: full responsive design panel/mobile reader mode (recommended if you want to get the full content of an article redesigned download area ( http://progress-m.blogspot.ch/p/downloads.html ) redesigned fonts to facilitate readability There are some more features currently still in the development mode, therefore they are not yet available, e.g.: embedding related content (via the content bar in the panel£/mobile reader mode) opportunities to allow for 3rd party actions (user customisation) Overall the development of _progress | M is part an entire blog development package. Other parts of development include: u.pid
Read more

Renewables - Part I: Is Solar Energy Ready To Compete With Oil And Other Fossil Fuels?
- a status note -

Image
reprint The solar energy industry may prove to be a dark horse in the race to provide global energy security. The world has renewed its interest in solar energy investment as it searches for a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to conventional fossil fuels. Countries like China , Germany, the UK, the US, Japan and Canada have already made significant investments in solar power . Who are the other players who are investing big in solar energy? With its own set of limitations such as high installation costs and high plug-in time, are consumers across the world ready to choose solar energy to power their daily lives? Or, are the conventional energy sources still the best bet? The best part about solar energy is that it is abundant and freely available, at least in most parts of the world. However, the high upfront costs of a photo voltaic panel remain a concern for many. Things are changing fast, however, and according to data from SEIA, the cost of an average PV system i
Read more

Climate Change and its Effects on Water Resources/Supply

Image
Most recent publications document a distinct effect of the ongoing climate change on water systems such as lakes, oceans, rivers, etc. Accordingly, implications (increasingly stress effects) on any kind of system be it artificial or natural are expected. More detailed information can be obtained among others from: Climate Changes & Satellites AWRA Onearth Nature Reports   CMAJ
Read more