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{{About|all types of waters that are of potential use to humans|a naturally occurring type of water resource that humans use a lot|fresh water}}
'''Water resources
[[File:Global Values of Water Resources and Water Use.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Global values of water resources and human water use (excluding [[Antarctica]]). Water resources 1961-90, water use around 2000. Computed by the global freshwater model [[WaterGAP]].]]▼
▲'''Water resources '''are [[natural resource]]s of [[water]] that are potentially useful for humans,<ref>{{Cite web |title=water resource {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/water-resource |access-date=2022-05-17 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> for example as a source of drinking [[water supply]] or [[irrigation]] water. 97% of the water on Earth is [[saline water|salt water]] and only three percent is [[fresh water]]; slightly over two-thirds of this is frozen in [[glacier]]s and [[polar climate|polar]] [[ice cap]]s.<ref name="USGS dist">{{cite web|url=http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterdistribution.html|title=Earth's water distribution|publisher=United States Geological Survey|access-date=2009-05-13}}</ref> The remaining unfrozen freshwater is found mainly as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air.<ref>{{cite web | title=Scientific Facts on Water: State of the Resource| publisher=GreenFacts Website | access-date=2008-01-31 | url= http://www.greenfacts.org/en/water-resources/index.htm#2}}</ref> Natural sources of [[fresh water]] include [[surface water]], under river flow, [[groundwater]] and [[ice|frozen water]]. Artificial sources of fresh water can include treated wastewater ([[reclaimed water|wastewater reuse]]) and [[desalination|desalinated seawater]]. Human uses of water resources include [[agriculture|agricultural]], [[Industry (economics)|industrial]], [[household]], [[recreation]]al and [[natural environment|environmental]] activities.
Water resources are under threat from multiple issues. There is [[water scarcity]], [[water pollution]], [[water conflict]] and [[climate change]]. Fresh water is in principle a [[renewable resource|renewable resource.]]
{{TOC limit|3}}
== Natural sources of fresh water ==
{{Further|Water distribution on Earth}}{{Pie chart|thumb=right|caption='''Distribution of Freshwater Resources by Type'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Strains on freshwater resources |url=https://datatopics.worldbank.org/sdgatlas/goal-6-clean-water-and-sanitation?lang=en#c4s1 |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals 2023 |language=en}}</ref>|other=|label1=[[Glaciers]]|value1=69|color1=#AFEEEE|label2=[[Groundwater]]|value2=30|color2=#1E90FF|label3=Other Freshwater (e.g., Soil Moisture)|value3=0.7|color3=#ef8e39|label4=Directly Accessible Water|value4=0.3|color4=#000080}}Natural sources of [[fresh water]] include [[surface water]], under river flow, [[groundwater]] and [[frozen water]].
=== Surface water ===
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== Artificial sources of usable water ==
=== Wastewater reuse ===
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==== Air-capture over oceans ====
[[File:Schematic_illustration_of_a_proposed_approach_for_capturing_moisture_above_the_ocean_surface_and_transporting_it_to_proximal_land_for_improving_water_security.webp|thumb|Schematic illustration of a proposed approach for capturing moisture above the ocean surface and transporting it to proximal land for improving [[water security]]<ref name="10.1038/s41598-022-24314-2">{{cite journal |last1=Rahman |first1=Afeefa |last2=Kumar |first2=Praveen |last3=Dominguez |first3=Francina |date=6 December 2022 |title=Increasing freshwater supply to sustainably address global water security at scale |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=20262 |bibcode=2022NatSR..1220262R |doi=10.1038/s41598-022-24314-2 |issn=2045-2322 |pmc=9726751 |pmid=36473864 |doi-access=free}}
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[[File:Spatial variability of water yield along the delineated near-offshore region of 200 km across the world.webp|thumb|Map of water stress and spatial variability of water yield along the delineated near-offshore region of 200 km across the world<ref name="10.1038/s41598-022-24314-2" />]]
Researchers proposed "significantly increasing freshwater through the [[Atmospheric water generator|capture of humid air]] over oceans" to address present and, especially, future water scarcity/insecurity.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Bob |title=Water, water, everywhere — and maybe here's how to make it drinkable |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/water-water-everywhere-and-maybe-here-s-how-to-make-it-drinkable-1.6703854 |access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref><ref name="10.1038/s41598-022-24314-2" />
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== Water uses ==
[[File:Total Renewable Freshwater Resources in mm per year By WaterGAP Average 1961-1990.jpg|thumb|Total renewable freshwater resources of the world, in mm/year (1 mm is equivalent to 1 L of water per m<sup>2</sup>) (long-term average for the years
===Agriculture and other irrigation===
{{excerpt|Irrigation|paragraphs=1-4}}▼
{{Further|Sustainable Water and Innovative Irrigation Management}}
=== Industries ===
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844 million people still lacked even a basic drinking water service in 2017.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|last1=WHO|first1=UNICEF|url=https://www.susana.org/en/knowledge-hub/resources-and-publications/library/details/2805|title=Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene : 2017 update and SDG baselines.|year=2017|isbn=978-9241512893|location=Geneva|oclc=1010983346}}</ref>{{rp|3}} Of those, 159 million people worldwide drink water directly from surface water sources, such as lakes and streams.<ref name=":7" />{{rp|3}} One in eight people in the world do not have access to safe water.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-11-09|title=Global WASH Fast Facts {{!}} Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene {{!}} Healthy Water {{!}} CDC|url=https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html|access-date=2019-04-09|website=www.cdc.gov|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Water Aid|title=Water|url=http://www.wateraid.org/uk/what_we_do/the_need/5899.asp?gclid=CMvwnO7B164CFUcRfAodFkdffg|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416024534/http://www.wateraid.org/uk/what_we_do/the_need/5899.asp?gclid=CMvwnO7B164CFUcRfAodFkdffg|archive-date=16 April 2013|access-date=17 March 2012}}</ref>
== Challenges and threats ==
=== Water scarcity ===
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{{Further|Effects of climate change on the water cycle}}
{{excerpt|Water security#Climate change|paragraphs=1|file=no}}<!-- this takes the first two paragraphs of the lead of the sub-article -->
=== Groundwater overdrafting ===
The world's supply of [[groundwater]] is steadily decreasing. Groundwater depletion (or [[overdrafting]]) is occurring for example in Asia, South America and North America. It is still unclear how much natural renewal [[water balance|balances]] this usage, and whether [[ecosystem]]s are threatened.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gleeson |first1=Tom |last2=Wada |first2=Yoshihide |last3=Bierkens |first3=Marc F. P. |last4=van Beek |first4=Ludovicus P. H. |date=9 August 2012 |title=Water balance of global aquifers revealed by groundwater footprint |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=488 |issue=7410 |pages=197–200 |bibcode=2012Natur.488..197G |doi=10.1038/nature11295 |pmid=22874965 |s2cid=4393813}}</ref>
{{excerpt|overdrafting|paragraphs=1}}
== Water resource management ==
{{Further|Water resources law|}}
▲[[File:Global Values of Water Resources and Water Use.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Global values of water resources and human water use (excluding [[Antarctica]]). Water resources 1961-90, water use around 2000. Computed by the global freshwater model [[WaterGAP]].]]
Water resource management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and managing the optimum use of water resources. It is an aspect of [[water cycle management]]. The field of water resources management will have to continue to adapt to the current and future issues facing the allocation of water. With the growing uncertainties of global [[climate change]] and the long-term impacts of past management actions, this decision-making will be even more difficult. It is likely that ongoing climate change will lead to situations that have not been encountered. As a result, alternative management strategies, including participatory approaches and [[adaptive capacity]] are increasingly being used to strengthen water decision-making.
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Some scholars say that IWRM is complementary to [[water security]] because water security is a goal or destination, whilst IWRM is the process necessary to achieve that goal.<ref name=":1">{{cite book |last1=Sadoff |first1=Claudia |title=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science |last2=Grey |first2=David |last3=Borgomeo |first3=Edoardo |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-19-938941-4 |chapter=Water Security |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.609}}</ref>
IWRM is a paradigm that emerged at international conferences in the late 1900s and early 2000s, although participatory water management institutions have existed for centuries.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Rahaman |first1=Muhammad Mizanur |last2=Varis |first2=Olli |date=April 2005 |title=Integrated water resources management: evolution, prospects and future challenges |journal=Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy |language=en |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=15–21 |doi=10.1080/15487733.2005.11907961 |s2cid=10057051 |issn=1548-7733|doi-access=free |bibcode=2005SSPP....1...15R }}</ref> Discussions on a holistic way of managing water resources began already in the 1950s leading up to the 1977 United Nations Water Conference.<ref>Asit K.B. (2004). Integrated Water Resources Management: A Reassessment, Water International, 29(2), 251</ref> The development of IWRM was particularly recommended in the final statement of the ministers at the International Conference on Water and the Environment in 1992, known as the [[Dublin Statement]]. This concept aims to promote changes in practices which are considered fundamental to improved [[water resource management]]. IWRM was a topic of [[World Water Forum#2nd World Water Forum: Netherlands|the second World Water Forum]], which was attended by a more varied group of stakeholders than the preceding conferences and contributed to the creation of the GWP.<ref name=":0" />
In the [[International Water Association]] definition, IWRM rests upon three principles that together act as the overall framework:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Integrated Water Resources Management: Basic Concepts {{!}} IWA Publishing|url=https://www.iwapublishing.com/news/integrated-water-resources-management-basic-concepts|access-date=2020-11-18|website=www.iwapublishing.com}}</ref>
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=== Managing water in urban settings ===
[[File:Urban Water Cycle - EPA 2004.png|thumb|Typical urban water cycle depicting drinking [[water purification]] and municipal [[sewage treatment]] systems]]▼
{{Excerpt|Integrated urban water management|paragraphs=1-2|file=no}}
▲[[File:Urban Water Cycle - EPA 2004.png|thumb|Typical urban water cycle depicting drinking [[water purification]] and municipal [[sewage treatment]] systems]]
==By country==
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