Geog. 143 -- Global Environmental ChangeExercise 8: Global water-resource issuesThe aim of this exercise is to explore some global-scale water-resources issues, such as water availability and scarcity, the distribution of protected areas, and so on, through some simple map-comparison tasks. This exercise makes use of an electronic atlas of information for the globe on a watershed-by-watershed basis assembled by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and other NGOs as part of their "Water and Nature" initiative (also known as the "Watersheds of the World CD collection"): This exercise will also use some of the water-related maps in the Atlas of the Biosphere provided by the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment at the University of Wisconsin -- Madison (http://www.sage.wisc.edu/atlas/). Here are links to local .pdf copies of the Watersheds of the World and SAGE Atlas of the Biosphere maps:
It will be handy in comparing the maps to a) download each .pdf to the desktop or a folder, b) open each .pdf file in Acrobat Reader, and c) click on Window > Tile > Vertically menu to allow viewing of the two files side-by-side. Before beginning, browse through the maps in the Watersheds of the World collection. (Note: The .pdfs contain many, but not all of the global maps in the collection. There are also a large number of maps for individual watersheds available on the IUCN web page listed above.) On many of the global watershed maps there will be some regions that do not have data, and these usually appear in gray. On some of the maps, however, a distinction is made between areas where no data exits and areas where data may exist, but no assessment was made. It's always a good idea to look at the legend first thing while interpreting the map 1. Flow regulation There are two maps in the watershed collection that provide information on flow regulation by dams--Map 14 (Degree of river fragmentation and flow regulation), and Map 17 (Large dams under construction by basin). Compare these two maps with the SAGE atlas, in particular the population and runoff maps.
2. Distribution of protected areas Protected areas (parks, reserves) (Map 12), and "Ramsar" sites (significant wetlands that warrant protection under the international Convention on Wetlands (held in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran--hence the name), Map 18) have a key role to play in both protecting water resources and conserving biodiversity.
3. Water availability and scarcity Maps 15 (Annual renewable water supply...) and 16 (Environmental water scarcity index...) provide a picture of where water availability is (or will be) an issue.
4. Global water-resource policy Suppose that you're part of team working for an international-governance or non-governmental organization, charged with assessing the state of global water resources and identifying potential problems.
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