Bishop, Kevin
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Research article2019Peer reviewedOpen access
Human domination of the global water cycle absent from depictions and perceptions
Abbott, Benjamin W.; Bishop, Kevin; Zarnetske, Jay P.; Minaudo, Camille; Chapin, F. S., III; Krause, Stefan; Hannah, David M.; Conner, Lafe; Ellison, David; Godsey, Sarah E.; Plont, Stephen; Marcais, Jean; Kolbe, Tamara; Huebner, Amanda; Frei, Rebecca J.; Hampton, Tyler; Gu, Sen; Buhman, Madeline; Sayedi, Sayedeh Sara; Ursache, Ovidiu;
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Abstract
Human water use, climate change and land conversion have created a water crisis for billions of individuals and many ecosystems worldwide. Global water stocks and fluxes are estimated empirically and with computer models, but this information is conveyed to policymakers and researchers through water cycle diagrams. Here we compiled a synthesis of the global water cycle, which we compared with 464 water cycle diagrams from around the world. Although human freshwater appropriation now equals half of global river discharge, only 15% of the water cycle diagrams depicted human interaction with water. Only 2% of the diagrams showed climate change or water pollution-two of the central causes of the global water crisis-which effectively conveys a false sense of water security. A single catchment was depicted in 95% of the diagrams, which precludes the representation of teleconnections such as ocean-land interactions and continental moisture recycling. These inaccuracies correspond with specific dimensions of water mismanagement, which suggest that flaws in water diagrams reflect and reinforce the misunderstanding of global hydrology by policymakers, researchers and the public. Correct depictions of the water cycle will not solve the global water crisis, but reconceiving this symbol is an important step towards equitable water governance, sustainable development and planetary thinking in the Anthropocene.
Published in
Nature Geoscience
2019, volume: 12, number: 7, pages: 533-540
Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
SLU Authors
Ellison, David
- Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Ellison Consulting
- Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Kolbe, Tamara
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Freiberg University of Mining and Technology
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Global goals (SDG)
SDG3 Good health and well-being
SDG6 Clean water and sanitation
SDG12 Responsible consumption and production
SDG13 Climate action
UKÄ Subject classification
Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0374-y
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/100939