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Assessment of Modern Water Consumption in the World and on Continents and Its Impact on the Annual River Runoff

  • Environmental Problems
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Abstract

Based on two forecast scenarios (“conditional” and “sustainable development”) of water consumption for 2010 and 2025, prepared by the staff of the State Hydrological Institute at the beginning of this century, and data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the current total (water withdrawal) and irretrievable water consumption for individual continents (parts of the world) and the world as a whole has been calculated. Water consumption in agriculture, industry, and the utilities sector is considered. Additional evaporation from reservoir water areas is taken into account. The average annual change in total and irretrievable water consumption for 2000−2017 has been determined, and with account for it, the expected water consumption in 2021 and the change in annual river runoff as a result of irretrievable water withdrawal have been assessed. The volume of waste and return waters and their dilution with river runoff resources are determined. The predominant role of Asia in world water consumption is revealed, mainly due to the use of water in agriculture, primarily in irrigated agriculture. It is also shown that in the world as a whole, especially in Asia, Europe, and North America, the multiplicity of dilution of waste and return waters with river runoff is low, which indirectly confirms the fact that rivers and water bodies are being polluted.

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Funding

This study was supported within the framework of a State Assignment, RAS Institute of Geography АААА-А19-119021990093-8 (FMGE-2019-0007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    N. I. Koronkevich, E. A. Barabanova & I. S. Zaitseva

Authors
  1. N. I. Koronkevich
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  2. E. A. Barabanova
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  3. I. S. Zaitseva
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to N. I. Koronkevich, E. A. Barabanova or I. S. Zaitseva.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Translated by B. Alekseev

Nikolai Ivanovich Koronkevich, Dr. Sci. (Geogr.), is Chief Researcher at the RAS Institute of Geography. Elena Alekseevna Barabanova, Cand. Sci. (Geogr.), is a Senior Researcher in the Laboratory of Hydrology at the same institute. Irina Sergeevna Zaitseva, Cand. Sci. (Geogr.), is a Leading Researcher in the above laboratory at the same institute.

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Koronkevich, N.I., Barabanova, E.A. & Zaitseva, I.S. Assessment of Modern Water Consumption in the World and on Continents and Its Impact on the Annual River Runoff. Her. Russ. Acad. Sci. 92, 199–206 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1019331622020034

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1019331622020034

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