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Infographic of water footprints around the world. A water footprint shows the extent of water use in relation to consumption by people. [1] The water footprint of an individual, community, or business is defined as the total volume of fresh water used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business.
Sustainable consumption shares a number of common features and is closely linked to sustainable production and sustainable development. Sustainable consumption, as part of sustainable development, is part of the worldwide struggle against sustainability challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, famines, and environmental pollution.
Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. These resources can be either freshwater from natural sources, or water produced artificially from other sources, such as from reclaimed water or desalinated water (). 97% of the water on Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh ...
An additional strategy to water conservation is practicing sustainable methods of utilizing groundwater resources. [8] Groundwater flows due to gravity and eventually discharges into streams. [ 9 ] Excess pumping of groundwater leads to a decrease in groundwater levels and if continued it can exhaust the resource. [ 8 ]
Water being a finite resource, but also the most abundant resource of the three sectors is the most exploited. Water is primarily used in forestry and fishery, agricultural production (in its entire agri-food supply chain) and is used to create and/or transfer energy in varying forms.
Water resource policy varies by region and is dependent on water availability or scarcity, the condition of aquatic systems, and regional needs for water. [5] Since water basins do not align with national borders, water resource policy is also determined by international agreements, also known as hydropolitics. [6]
Availability of water considers whether the supply of water is available in adequate amounts, reliable and sustainable. [12] Quality of water considers whether water is safe for consumption, including for drinking or other activities. [12] For acceptability of water, it must not have any odor and should not consist of any color. [1]
The price of water is increasing, so less water must be wasted and actions must be taken to prevent pipeline leakage. Shutting down the supply service to fix leaks is less and less tolerated by consumers. A sustainable water supply network must monitor the freshwater consumption rate and the waste-water generation rate.