Sie sind auf Seite 1von 2

Drought Fact Sheet #9

The Effects of Population Growth on Drought


Population Growth Impacts Community Water
Dealing with the impacts of population growth presents several challenges that are common to most communities. One impact is that increasing population will commonly bring with it an increase in water demand. Current estimates show that the daily demand for each resident is 118 gallons per day for domestic household use (Stephens, 1998). A second impact is the amount of wastewater generated as a result of this increased water consumption. How this wastewater is managed becomes increasingly important as it becomes a larger and larger part of the total water budget. Although the majority of this water is returned to the rivers and streams, it can have impacts on riparian areas (see Fact Sheet #2). Population growth can be expected to result in an increased percentage of surface area being covered by houses, roads and roofs. This can mean increased stormwater runoff when it rains or snows because water is channeled directly to streams and rivers, and decreased groundwater recharge because less water can soak naturally into the soil. This reduced recharge rate, combined with groundwater withdrawals, leaves less water in the bank for dry conditions later on. A social aspect of increased population is the addition of new and diverse views within the community. Many new citizens may not recognize water limitations and may not have experienced drought in the short time they have been members of the community. For example, Arizonas population grew by 40% in a decade and doubled in two decades to 5.13 million people. In Phoenix, residents continue to use urban canals to water gardens at a rate of 250 gallons per person per day (Rosenblum, 2001). Yet water levels in central Arizona are declining by 6 - 9 feet per year (Sabadell, 1982).

Urban sprawl in Phoenix, Arizona.

Historical Trends in Per Capita Water Use Water use in the United States grew rapidly during the 1960s and the 1970s as houses grew in size and additional water-using appliances were added. Since the end of the 1970s, the domestic water use has stabilized at about 100 gallons per day. However, if all of the combined community uses of water are considered (excluding farm irrigation and industrial uses drawn directly from groundwater or surface water) the daily consumption increased 18% between 1980 and 1995 to 118 gallons per person per day (Stephens, 1998). Many water experts predict serious water supply problems for areas of the west that are overdrawing their water supply (Kasindorf, 2002). These events will not be limited to large cities; they will impact

everyone. Solving these problems may require significant changes in government policy. The preparation of a Drought Plan may be an instrumental step in helping a community recognize the need for better water policies.
Leading the Wests growth are rainless inland cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Albuquerque and Salt Lake City. They will run out of water to sustain new residents as soon as 2030 if they cant squeeze more water from the Colorado. (Kasindorf, 2002)

time that the water leaves the source and when it arrives at the field where the crop is growing. This is referred to as conveyance loss. Globally, it is estimated that a third of all diverted water is lost in this part of an irrigation system (Leopold, 1990). The second area where significant water conservation is possible is during application of water to the crop. There are many technologies for irrigating crops. The use of subsurface drip, low energy precision application, and micro-spray irrigation technologies allows farmers to reduce their water usage by 30-50%. For more information, see Fact Sheet # 5. Stormwater Capture and Increased Groundwater Storage Communities are beginning to design stormwater systems that provide for detention and infiltration rather than quickly discharging the runoff to nearby waterways. This improvement takes surface runoff that was once a potential pathway for transporting pollution into the rivers and streams and allows it to soak into the soil naturally. This strategy cleans the water at the same time it recharges the groundwater. An example project can be examined at http://www.pubs.asce.org/ WWWdisplay.cgi?0522181 Provisions for Population Growth in Drought Planning When planning for drought it is important to consider the potential impact an increase in population will have on water demands. A water resources inventory is essential and provides planners with information about how much water is coming into and leaving the planning area. Once that is known, the impact of existing uses can be evaluated and options for future growth can be assessed. The NARC&DC would like to thank the USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service for their assistance in the development of this fact sheet.

Lessening the Impact of Population Growth Declining water levels are a sure indicator that water resources are being consumed more quickly than they are being replaced. Water resources depend on consistent replacement of used water. Drought planning can include steps to better balance the recharge and withdrawal rate and accommodate growth in a community. Here are some good examples. Water Recycling Examples of water recycling are relatively common. In farming, irrigation runoff water is captured and reused for irrigation. In industry, wastewater from processing is captured and used as irrigation water. Municipalities have developed programs that reuse municipal wastewater for industrial process water. In other instances the treated wastewater is used for agricultural irrigation. In each case, the water is being used to meet an additional need prior to releasing it back into the hydrologic cycle. For additional information visit http://www.scitrav.com/wwater/waterlnk.htm Efficient Irrigation There are two areas of irrigation that can be addressed in water conservation. The first area for improvement involves reducing the loss from ditches between the

All programs and services of the NARC&DC are offered on a non-discriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital or family status, disability, or political beliefs.

March, 2006

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen