This chapter focused on understanding water scarcity: what is it, where is it a problem, and how does it affect rivers, lakes, and groundwater? This sets us up for talking about solutions to scarcity later in the book. We address questions such as these:
Are we using too much water?
Which parts of the world are reaching the limits of their water supply?
How is human water use affecting the amount of water in rivers, lakes, and aquifers?
What are river “flow regimes,” and how have people changed them?
What are the impacts of using groundwater more rapidly than it is replenished?
Below you can download resources from the book and access new resources relevant to this chapter.