The planet as a whole is not going to run out of water. However, certain locations may face water scarcity—when their built water supplies are unable to meet their water demands intermittently or for long durations. Household water uses (e.g. for drinking, cooking, bathing) are not in jeopardy in most places. However, agricultural water use will need to adapt to increasing demands from other water users and shifting climate patterns. Agriculture is by far the largest user (in both withdrawal and consumptive terms) around the world. Currently, much agricultural production around the world relies on the unsustainable use of groundwater aquifers. These crops will likely need to be grown somewhere else when these groundwater reserves are no longer economically accessible. This means that supply chains of all kinds—but particularly of water-intensive goods—will need to reorganize to account for water risk. Water risk encompasses long term depletion of local water resources and water hazards (e.g. drought, flood) that impact production throughout the supply chain. Water risk may also impact the ability to transport goods in a supply chain, such as flooding or drought that disrupts river navigation. To view the full article visit Gizmodo.
