[2008.09.19] 每日图表：日益缺水的世界

Water for farming
农业用水

Running dry
日益缺水的世界

Sep 19th 2008
From Economist.com

The world has a water shortage, not a food shortage
世界面临着水资源短缺，而非粮食短缺

MOST people drink about 2 litres of water a day, but consume 3,000 a day if the water that goes into their food is taken into account. Rich countries use more as their consumption of meat, which is far more water-intensive than grain, is higher. Around 1.2 billion people live in places that are short of water, and it is running out in others such as northern China and western America. Meanwhile, the world’s population is growing and more water will be needed to feed it. Farming, which accounts for some 70% of human water consumption, offers the best opportunity for thrift. Repairing leaks and better irrigation in poor countries could help reduce wastage by up to 70%, as could switching to less thirsty crops in arid regions.
大多数人一天饮用2升水，不过若算上吃的食物在生产、销售过程中的用水量，却会在一天内消耗3000升水。富裕国家的耗水量就更大了，因为他们消费更多的肉制品，而肉制品在生产、销售过程中的耗水量远高于谷物。世界上约有12亿人生活在缺水地区，而其它地区比如中国北部和美国西 部，则正面临着水资源日益枯竭的局面。与此同时，世界人口却在不断增长，水的需求量进一步增大。农业用水占了人类水资源消耗的70%，所以农业用水的节约 有着最为明朗的前景。修复水管泄漏以及在贫穷国家实行更好的灌溉措施可以减少70%的耗水量，而在干旱地区种植需水量小的农作物同样可以减少70%的耗水 量。

图例：
Physical scarcity: 自然性水资源匮乏；当一个地方的水需求超过其水供给能力时，该地就存在这种类型的水资源匮乏。一般来说，世界上的干旱地区都伴有这种类型的水资源匮乏。但现在有越来越多的地区由于人为原因而造成这种水资源短缺的局面，比如过度利用水资源，过于严格管理。

Near physical scarcity: 近于自然性水资源匮乏；

Economic scarcity: 经济性水资源匮乏；这是最困扰人类的水资源短缺，因为它完全由于缺少同情心和有效的管理造成的。当一个地方无法采取必须的财政政策来利用充足的水资源时，就是存在这种类型的水资源匮乏。比如撒哈拉以南非洲（黑非洲）地区就饱受其苦。

Little or no scarcity: 基本无水资源短缺；

Not estimated: 未做评估

参考资料：http://thewaterproject.org/water_scarcity.asp

译者：dgrkl    http://www.ecocn.org/forum/viewthread.php?tid=14166&page=1&extra=page%3D1#pid89154