31 - Zoetwaterbronnen
✏️ This explanation does not yet exist in your language. Please fill this Google Form if you want to help us!
Het belangrijkste probleem hier is de verdwijning van de gletsjers. Gletsjers functioneren als reservoirs van zoet water in vaste vorm. Als ze smelten kan dit water stroomafwaarts als irrigatie voor gewassen gebruikt worden.
3Causes
Melting glaciers threaten water supplies. Indeed, the relative importance of glacier melt water in summer can be considerable, contributing for example to 25% of August flows in the basins draining the European Alps, with an area of about 105 km2 and only 1% glacial cover. Their disappearance could be catastrophic for cities located in valleys watered by rivers flowing down from the surrounding mountains and for freshwater fauna. Glacier meltwater also increases in importance during droughts and heat waves.
Flooding can lead in some cases to contamination of freshwater resources and affect drinking water systems.
2Consequences
1Other possible cause
If seawater rises, it can penetrate the water tables, which are freshwater reserves.
1Other possible consequence
If we consider that hunger and famines are not only a lack of food but also a lack of water.