![Water Requirement
[Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/whatisclimatechangeneedtoadoptsystemsapproach-120727052814-phpapp02/85/What-is-climate-change-need-to-adopt-systems-approach-15-320.jpg)
![This is a global average and aggregate number. Policy decisions should be taken on the basis of:
1. Actual water footprint of certain coffee at the precise production location.
2. Ratio green/blue/grey water footprint.
Water Requirement
3. Local impacts of the water footprint based on local vulnerability and scarcity.
[Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/whatisclimatechangeneedtoadoptsystemsapproach-120727052814-phpapp02/85/What-is-climate-change-need-to-adopt-systems-approach-16-320.jpg)
![Water Requirement
[Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/whatisclimatechangeneedtoadoptsystemsapproach-120727052814-phpapp02/85/What-is-climate-change-need-to-adopt-systems-approach-17-320.jpg)
What is climate change, need to adopt systems approach
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- 2. Outline • What Is Climate Change? • Simultaneous Water Scarcity • Need for Systems Theory Perspective 2
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- 4. What Is Climate Change? 4
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- 6. Why do we need to be concerned • Sea level rise inundates low level areas – Bangladesh – human migration • Disrupts migration of birds, fish and animals • That impacts our cropping cycles – pollination • Temperature variations too disrupt cropping cycles • Human food supply gets impacted 6
- 7. This has happened before hasn’t it? • Scale and speed of the warming is different • Doesn’t give a chance for species to adapt • There are no escape routes • Desertification for example in the past had escape routes 7
- 8. Unforeseen Feedback Loops • Ice reflects heat water doesn’t • Pine beetle - Rotting trees release methane • Permafrost melt releases methane • Ice in the arctic releases methane • Oceans release methane – Methane Hydrate • What amplifying forces lie ahead? 8
- 9. A Simple Causal Loop Diagram 9
- 10. A Local Example • Hyderabad until 1970 managed with water from Himayat Sagar, Osman Sagar and Manjira. • Today all the above plus from Krishna River 220 Km away. • Plans are on to get water from Godavari also about 200 + Km away. 10
- 11. The water footprint: making a link between consumption in one place and impacts on water systems elsewhere Shrinking Aral Sea
- 12. Virtual or Embedded Water • VIRTUAL WATER is a term that links water, food, and trade. It is the amount of water that is embedded in food and products needed for its production. 12
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- 14. Did you Know? • The volume of the Earth’s water resource is the same as it was 2,000 years ago. • 2,000 years ago, Earth’s population was 3% of the current population of 6 billion. • Earth’s population could approach 9 billion by the year 2050. • We all need to reduce our water footprint. 14
- 15. Water Requirement [Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]
- 16. This is a global average and aggregate number. Policy decisions should be taken on the basis of: 1. Actual water footprint of certain coffee at the precise production location. 2. Ratio green/blue/grey water footprint. Water Requirement 3. Local impacts of the water footprint based on local vulnerability and scarcity. [Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]
- 17. Water Requirement [Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]
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- 21. Food & Water for Thought 21
- 22. Climate Change & Water • Less stable climate – more extreme events • Increased frequency of droughts and floods • More evaporation losses from surface water bodies • Subtropics and mid-latitudes, where much of the world’s poorest populations live, expected to become substantially drier, leading to water scarcity. • Glacial melt variations and consequent river flow changes • Reduced precipitation in some arid regions could trigger exponentially larger drops in groundwater tables. 22
- 23. Climate change and Food • Implications for agricultural production - – Changes in crop yield – soil moisture levels – Variations in plant tolerance to pests – Prevalence of crop disease, weeds, and insect & pests. • Freshwater fisheries, many of which supply food to the world’s poorest populations 23
- 24. Other Related Hotspots 24
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- 26. Complexity, Reductionism and a Quest for Simplicity • “Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers." - Henry Louis Mencken 26
- 27. Now That We Know… Lets Save Ourselves! 27
- 28. Difference Between Past And Present • Problems of past societies were isolated – not global • Now we have a market that we worship – Obsessed with economic growth • We look to it for solutions • Finance rules our responses / reactions • Short attention spans • Specialization vs generalization • Focused vs big picture • Not my problem – there are other experts looking into it • In ‘Pursuit of (Material) Happiness’ – is THE way to live • Positive thinking • Whistle blowers are labeled pessimists • Media • Distractive symptoms – will make us fight the wrong war • We will focus on the battles and lose the war • We may just continue blaming each other rather than 28 recognizing that this is a species problem
- 29. How can we Act • Government can help by using the market to provide signals – eg. Making fossil fuels costlier • Public transportation • Provide ourselves continuous feedback – eg. Elec. meters • Institutional level steps – leads to group involvement • Become aware • Water is energy intensive – conserve water • Paper – removes green cover and is energy intensive • Eat local, not Chinese apples • Give time – Younger generation is more prone to the damage 29
- 30. We are in Denial • “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it”. - Upton Sinclair 30