Water security and competing uses

Water security depends on availability, quality, access and reliability. A place with substantial rainfall can still face shortages if timing, storage, pollution or institutions limit usable supply.

Consider users upstream and downstream and distinguish rainfall, withdrawals, consumption and storage. Each has a different denominator and role in the system.

Put the concept to work

Climate graphs · Percentage change · Source evaluation

• Singapore’s diversified water supply
• The shrinking Aral Sea
• Cape Town’s water-security crisis