Water Supply and Scarcity
According to the United Nations, water scarcity is defined as the point at which the aggregate impact of all users impinges on the supply or quality of water. Water scarcity is a relative concept and can occur at any level of supply or demand. Scarcity may be socially-constructed or the consequence of altered supply patterns stemming from climate change. Resources available in this sub-theme include U.S. drought monitoring data, workshops for rural water supply systems, among other resources that support water supply and scarcity.
Browse by resource type
- (-) Remove Website/Blog filter Website/Blog
Water Supply and Scarcity Resources
Majority of China's Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plants Located in Water-Stressed Regions
World Resources Institute
This document analyzes the future of coal-power in China, focusing on the impacts the construction of these plants will have in already water-stressed regions. Such impacts include further straining already-scare resources and threatening water security for China's farms, other industries, and...Read more
Regional focus:
China, East Asia and PacificImproving China's Yellow River: Why Business and Government Need to Work Together
World Resources Institute
Today, the Yellow River and the people who depend on it face severe challenges. Stress of limited water resources, pollution, and flooding pose significant risks to communities and business that rely on the river. In September 2012, water experts from government, research institutes, the private...Read more
Regional focus:
China, East Asia and PacificCircle of Blue - Choke Point India (Wilson Center)
Skoll Global Threats Fund, U.S. Agency for International Development
Global Choke Point is a collaboration between Circle of Blue and the Wilson Center, and explores the peril and promise of water, food, and energy, through frontline reporting, data, and policy expertise.Read more
Regional focus:
India, South East AsiaWater Conservation, Yesterday and Today: a Story of History, Culture and Politics
The National Institutes for Water Resources
Recently very much center stage and in the spotlight, water conservation seems to be an idea whose time has come. If, however, we define water conservation as the careful use of water to better maintain current supplies, then water conservation is not a recent development. What is relatively new is...Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaHolding Back the Waters: Dams as Water Resource Monuments
The National Institutes for Water Resources
This is a guiding premise in understanding dams. What they have in common their shared purposes of greater significance than their many differences. The following discussion is mainly about the smaller, little publicized dams.Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaWater Security
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This website provides tools, technical assistance, reports and news which assess and reduce consequences, threats, and vulnerabilities to potential terrorist attacks; to plan for and practice response to natural disasters, emergencies, and incidents; and to develop new security technologies to...Read more
One-Quarter of World's Agriculture Grows in Highly Water-Stressed Areas
World Resources Institute
This document provides analytical insight into WRI's Agricultural Commodities Map that reveals the tension between water availability and agricultural production...Read more
Conflicting Reporting Systems May Hinder Companies' Water Risk Strategies
World Resources Institute
This blog analyzes how a lack of consistent definitions of water stress and scarcity can impede companies ability to properly measure water risks.Read more
The Role of the Public and Private Sectors in Water Provision in Arizona, USA
The National Institutes for Water Resources
Sustainable water management is a critical concern in the semi-arid portions of the American Southwest. This paper explains the decentralized approach to water supply management in this region, including the traditional roles of the public and private sectors. With Arizona as a focus, it explores...Read more
Regional focus:
Latin America and the CaribbeanEvaluating Economic Impacts of Semiconductor Manufacturing in Water-Limited Regions
The National Institutes for Water Resources
High-volume semiconductor manufacturing (HVSM) with high demands for freshwater is often located in regions with limited water resources. This nexus of water demand and water scarcity has raised concerns among municipal governments, prompting several to consider water supply restrictions as they...Read more
Don't see what you're looking for? You can search USWP member sites, request a resource, or contact the USWP.