世界面临“水破产”时代

World faces era of ‘water bankruptcy’ Countries have spent beyond their sustainable water budgets, which could have huge economic, social and environmental costs, finds Alec Luhn OVER-CONSUMPTION of water and the effects of global warming mean 3 in 4 people are living in countries that face water shortages, water contamination or drought. That’s the conclusion of a United Nations report that has found most regions are overdrawing their annual income of rainwater and snowmelt and dipping into their savings of groundwater, which can take thousands of years to replenish (Water Resources Management, doi.org/qnmq). Seventy per cent of major aquifers are declining and many of these changes are irreversible. …