Svjetske zalihe vode na početku XXI. stoljeća
Global Water Supply at the Beginning of the 21st Century

Author(s): Darko Mayer
Subject(s): Supranational / Global Economy, Energy and Environmental Studies, Economic policy, Environmental and Energy policy
Published by: Centar za politološka istraživanja
Keywords: Water supply; hydrological cycle; renewable resources; consumption; water availability; solutions;
Summary/Abstract: The amount of water on Earth is constant. The oceans and seas make up the majority of water. Freshwater is distributed across the continents as permafrost and snow, as surface water in lakes, rivers and swamps, and as groundwater. Some water is constantly in the atmosphere. In nature, water is constantly changing from one form to another. Through this movement, which is called the hydrological cycle, water on the continents is constantly renewed. Thus, unlike, for example, oil, coal and other mineral raw materials, which are practically non-renewable resources, water has significant annual renewable reserves. In addition, water in nature has the ability to self-purify. These two characteristics of water have ensured a sufficient quantity and satisfactory quality of natural waters throughout history. This was the basis for creating the illusion of the immutability and inexhaustibility of water supplies, which were considered a free gift of nature. In practice, this was the case because any negative impacts of humans on water for centuries were small and local.

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