Atlas of hidden water may avert future conflict

I found this short yet comprehensive article regarding the world's hidden fresh water sources. Included is a newly released world map identifying the location of these sources.

They are one of the world's greatest and most precious natural resources, yet are entirely hidden. Now, for the first time, a high-resolution map shows where underground aquifers store vast amounts of water.

The map of "blue gold" (pdf format, 4 MB) is the result of nearly a decade of sometimes difficult talks between neighbouring governments, mediated by UNESCO. The hope is that it will help pave the way to an international law to govern how water is shared around the world.

New Scientist





The full world map as a 4mb pdf is available here: Blue Gold

thats awesome s-dog, i know of a few springs around my area that not too many people know about. it is the best tasting water ever, i bottle some every year and bring it home with me.

anyways. good find.

Wow...

I'm surprised by how much fresh water apparently exists deep beneath the Sahara Desert!

reply to post by Magnus47


Yes, I was also very surprised by that.
Especially in comparison to the UK and Ireland.

I found the corresponding map for the United states.



There's also this great environmental mapping website: nationalatlas.gov

The global map is supposed to be an aid for international agreements.

"I do not think that [by pinpointing where aquifers lie] the map in itself has the potential to provoke water conflicts," says Richard Taylor, a hydrogeologist at the University College of London in the UK.

"It would be very difficult for even a very skilled person to say from this map that 40% of a particular aquifer 'belongs' to one country and 60% to its neighbour," he says.

This is because there are a number of variable that could define a nation's "right" to groundwater.

Where an aquifer lies relative to an international border is one variable, but others that could be considered include: which nation's geography contributes most to the aquifer's recharge, the size of the respective populations, and the amount of water removed to irrigate crops.

new scientist

I'm not sure this is going to work the way it is intended. Any country/government with scarce fresh water resources that sees this newly released map is going to start plans to extract this hidden water. Invariably that will provoke their neighbors.

This is going to be a big issue, especially in nations which for the moment depend on glacial melt water for their fresh water supply.

I wonder if the future is one where nations will drill for fresh water the way we now drill for oil.

its not surprising that water is under the Sahara, really.
the Russians found water in an aquifer 10km deep whilst drilling a big hole for no real reason other than to see what would happen. (the drill-bit melted at 14km)

if there is porous and permiable rock to be had there is an aquifer somewhere.

Originally posted by funny_pom
its not surprising that water is under the Sahara, really.

The annual rainfall is below 25 mm, and in the eastern part of the desert it is less than 5 mm per annum. The scarcity of rainfall in this ecoregion is aggravated by its irregularity, as no rain may fall for many years in some areas, followed by a single intense thunderstorm

worldwildlife

I don't think that is enough rain to fill those aquifers.
I have to believe that this water is a remnant from when the sahara had a different climate.

The extreme aridity of this area is a relatively recent feature. Much larger areas of the Sahara had adequate water only 5000 to 6000 years ago (e.g. Climap 1976). It is not clear how much of this ecoregion was covered with vegetation, but in other parts of the Sahara the vegetation was closer to the savanna woodlands of eastern and southern Africa.

(same source)





[edit on 11/9/2008 by schrodingers dog]

i understand this, the Perth Basin, that was formed 400 mya (millions of years ago) has its aquifers aging to the mid Jurassic.
also, it doesnt matter the amount of annual rainfall, over geological time they will fill up, it just takes a whole lot longer, a couple 'thousand years say.

and yes they probably did fill up to their current state during a different climate, most aquifers did.

Very interesting...

Kinda makes you wonder about articles like this one

The U.S. and Mexico have been fighting for more than a century over water along their border.

source

Guess nations will have to learn how to share and conserve water.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


Funny really. People have been fighting over some sort of well since the beginning.

Cool post.

Peace

Originally posted by Magnus47
Wow...

I'm surprised by how much fresh water apparently exists deep beneath the Sahara Desert!

they should tap dat a$$.

terraform that wasteland into a thriving agricultural mecca.
(though some duneseas are purdy I must admit)

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