Thursday, November 13, 2008

UNESCO world groundwater survey map

The New Scientist reports:
What the UNESCO map reveals is just how many aquifers cross international borders. So far, the organisation has identified 273 trans-boundary aquifers: 68 in the Americas, 38 in Africa, 155 in Eastern and Western Europe and 12 in Asia. Each trans-boundary aquifer holds the potential for international conflict - if two countries share an aquifer, pumping in one country will affect its neighbour's water supply.
Especially, as the map here shows, growth of populations in the Middle East could make groundwater a source of future conflict in that volatile region.
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Hat-tip: Sullivan

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