The Future of Water Supply
What does it mean for the drinking water supply that the glaciers are shrinking?
Glaciers store around 70 per cent of the Earth's fresh water – but climate change is causing them to melt rapidly. Up to 80 per cent of the Alpine glaciers could disappear by 2100. How can water supply be secured if one of the most important natural sources dries up?
One of the most visible signs that the Earth's climate is changing is the retreat of mountain glaciers. Glaciers are much more than just impressive ice formations: they are long-term water reservoirs that supply millions of people with fresh water. However, climate change is causing them to shrink at an increasing rate, threatening the water supply in many regions of the world. Innovative and sustainable solutions are needed to ensure a stable water supply in the future.
Intelligent Use of Resources
Glaciers are the result of snow that has accumulated over thousands of years, compacted under pressure to form ice. During the last ice ages, they shaped the landscape and continue to shape many water systems to this day. The Alpine glaciers, for example, originated around 10,000 years ago and have since functioned as natural water reservoirs. In winter, they grow and store precipitation in the form of snow and ice, and in summer they slowly release the water again. This continuous supply plays a crucial role in the formation of groundwater and the drinking water supply in many regions. However, with rising temperatures, the glaciers are shrinking faster than they can regenerate. In summer, they melt faster and more intensely, and in winter, precipitation falls increasingly as rain, preventing the ice masses from growing again. According to a study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), up to 80 per cent of the Alpine glaciers could disappear by 2100. This would also have serious consequences for the water supply in neighbouring countries.
In view of this threat, this year's World Water Day on 22 March has ‘Glacier Preservation’ as its motto. On this annual day of action, the initiators want to emphasize the importance of glaciers for a functioning ecosystem, because they store about 70 percent of the earth's fresh water. World Water Day is also intended to raise awareness among the general public of the challenges and to motivate people to work to protect the glaciers. However, glacier protection alone is no longer enough these days.
When traditional sources of fresh water such as rivers, lakes and groundwater become scarce in the future, alternative strategies will be needed to ensure a long-term water supply.
Solutions for the Future
But what are the options when the preservation of glaciers no longer seems likely? The central goal is to secure water for the future. The most important building block for this is the intelligent use of water resources.
Particularly in urban areas, where water consumption is especially high, modern rainwater utilisation systems provide an efficient way to prevent water shortages. Retention and seepage systems, as well as rainwater collection, play a central role here.
Everyone can contribute. Saving water starts in the garden: instead of using fresh water, plants can also be watered with rainwater. This is easy to do with a rain barrel. If you want to collect more rainwater, you can use a larger underground tank.
Water can also be saved in the household: by using and recycling greywater, water consumption in private households can be significantly reduced.
In agricultural regions, sustainable water management is also crucial. The use of efficient irrigation systems, such as drip irrigation and the use of large underground reservoirs, can significantly reduce water consumption. At the same time, adapted land management, for example through crop rotation and humus-rich soils, helps to store water better and minimise evaporation.
On a global level, the protection of the remaining glaciers plays an important role. International climate protection agreements aim to limit global warming and thus slow down the melting. Measures such as reducing CO2 emissions, expanding renewable energies and reforestation are crucial. Scientific projects for artificial snowmaking or covering glaciers with reflective materials could also help to slow the decline in the future.
Climate change makes it essential to explore new ways of using water. That is why the solution is multifaceted: glacier protection is just as important as rainwater harvesting and water conservation – for a sustainable water supply tomorrow.
