The Atlas of Water

This is a companion volume to the equally excellent Atlas of Food. The format of text, maps, charts and diagrams enables a great deal of information to be presented concisely and attractively. Water is arguably the world's most critical resource, and differs from oil in that there is a fixed amount that is processed and recycled in a variety of ways, 97.5% of the Earth's water is in the seas, leaving only 2.5% fresh water. Of this, more than two-thirds is used to water crops and animals, 21% for industrial use and 10% domestic. As with many other natural resources, we are extracting our vital groundwater at an unsustainable rate, leading to falling water tables and even ground subsidence. Water pollution is a problem in which industrial agriculture is playing an increasing role. It relies on the principle of dilution to get rid of noxious wastes from pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals, but one cubic metre of wastewater contaminates up to 10 cubic metres of pure water, effectively reducing the volume of water available for use. Irrigation practices can exacerbate this situation so that oxygen-rich effluents can cause ecological dead zones in the seas, of which the demise of the Aral Sea is the most devastating illustration. The book maps uses of water, health issues related to water, the diversion of water through dams (80 million people have been displaced in this way) and water conflicts. As for the way forward, there is a tension between the market-oriented commodity approach and the view that access to safe water is a human right to be guaranteed by water equity, conservation and democracy - this is an indispensable guide to a vital issue.