Global Threats to Human Water Security and River Biodiversity

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1 Global Threats to Human Water Security and River Biodiversity..implications for the SDGs? Charles J. Vörösmarty..and numerous colleagues!! Briefing to:! The Friends of Water Hungarian Mission New York NY 3 May 2013!

2 Sanitation and access to clean water Engineered water The Traditional Scale of Perception and Management Water for development Food security Pollution Weather extremes Maintaining aquatic ecosystem services

3 Yet.we can now detect the collective impact of this local management at the global scale. Good? Bad? Sustainable? Withdrawals N Pollution Large Dams Invasives Inland Fishing Human Uses and Pressures on H 2 O Global & Growing From: Strayer and Dudgeon (2010), J-NABS

4 The research community can today capture the global state of water affairs that reflects the collective impact of local-scale management Visit: Nature: September 30, 2010 issue

5 Threat to Biodiversity: A byproduct of development and (mis)management BD Threat score Pandemic Generally correlated to population, agriculture, development Transboundary: Atmospheric transport & river network legacies

6 Corroboration of Freshwater Biodiversity Loss? Unusually high concentration of biodiversity: ~125,000 freshwater species described (~10% of known Chordates animal species) despite inland waters <1% of Described the Earth s area; high endemism high risk Globally 10,000-20,000 freshwater species are extinct or imperiled Have FW systems moved from the Holocene into the Anthropocene? Described species/10 6 km 2 Imperiled species/10 6 km 2 From: Strayer and Dudgeon (2010), J-NABS

7 $0.7 State of the Resource 5 ea y / r T r Water at Point of Delivery Uncovering a Global Strategy for Human Water Security: Develop, Impair then Repair

8 Management Responses Are Costly, Provide Often Immediate & Tangible Human Benefits, but Perhaps Counterproductive in Terms of Sustainability McKinsey (2010) ~0.75Tr USD/yr versus..

9 HOWEVER! THE STATE OF THESE FREE PUBLIC GOODS AND SERVICES IS IN GLOBAL DECLINE: A Lost Opportunity for Human Well-Being Trends in Drivers Source: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)

10 DESIGNATED U.N.-SYSTEM REPOSITORY FOR CRITICAL WATER DATA Global Runoff Data Center (Koblenz, GERMANY) Chronic loss of in situ monitoring capacity due to closure of monitoring networks, commercialization for cost-recovery, intellectual property rights Loss of political will to create a global information commons

11 Contributions from Earth System Science" In situ networks" Operational satellite-based monitoring of the hydrosphere" Simulation models and data analysis tools (NWP-4DDA, GCMs, RCMs, ESMs)" Geo-referenced social science data" are creating new ways to view the " global water crisis " " " to inform policy and " improve management"

12 U.S. Investments in Earth System Observation ( ) Erosion of earlier capacity to monitor the Earth (and its water resources) at precisely the moment we need these capabilities the most Similar flattening of commitments by the European Space Agency U.S. Na0onal Research Council (2012)

13 Conclusions from Global- Scale Study Clear decline in the state of the main fresh water resource for humankind: Rivers Local- scale (mis)management yields impacts detectable now at the global scale (despite well- known Integrated Water Management approaches) Water security for humans affects biodiversity directly, but cri0cally impairs the free public goods and services that nature provides Costly management systems of today also create haves and have- nots among the world s na0on states

14 So what to do in the SDG context? Base specific SDGs on improved approaches to a more complete assessment and management of water resources. How? Secure the best, most up- to- date knowledge Fund development of and test cases for new ways of thinking for sustainable development in the water sector Co- design w/ nature for human water security Yell loudly for and make essen0al investments in SDG tracking.e.g., GEO process, Global Terrestrial Network for Hydrology Network of Networks of UN agencies Support SDG- focused capacity building.e.g., professional training/cermficamon as at UNESCO IHE- DelS

15 A special session is dedicated to deltas at the GWSP Open Science Conference see

16 Additional information: asrc.cuny.edu/crossroads/about.html Contact: Charles Vörösmarty Environmental CrossRoads Initiative

17 Some References Vörösmarty, C.J., P. B. McIntyre, et al. (2010). Global threats to human water security and river biodiversity. Nature 467: Vörösmarty, C., L. Bravo, W. Wollheim et al Extreme rainfall, vulnerability and risk: A continental-scale assessment for South America. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A (in press). Vörösmarty, C.J., P. Green, J. Salisbury, and R. Lammers (2000). Global water resources: Vulnerability from climate change and population growth. Science 289: Miara, A., C.J. Vorosmarty, Stewart, R.J., W.M. Wollheim (2013). Ecosystem services and the thermoelectric sector: Strategic issues facing the Northeast. Environmental Research Letters (in press). Ericson, J.P., C.J. Vörösmarty, S.L. Dingman, L.G. Ward, and M. Meybeck (2006). Effective sea-level rise in deltas: sources of change and human-dimension implications. Global & Planetary Change 50: Vörösmarty, C.J. (2002). Global water assessment and potential contributions from earth systems science. Aquatic Sciences 64: Vörösmarty, C.J., D. Lettenmaier, C. Leveque, M. Meybeck, C. Pahl-Wostl, J. Alcamo, W. Cosgrove, H. Grassl, H. Hoff, P. Kabat, F. Lansigan, R. Lawford, R. Naiman (2004). Humans transforming the global water system. Eos AGU Transactions 85: 509, Meybeck, M. and C.J. Vörösmarty, editors (2004). The integrity of river and drainage basin systems: Challenges from environmental change. Section D in: P. Kabat, M. Claussen, P.A. Dirmeyer, J.H.C. Gash, L. Bravo de Guenni, M. Meybeck, R.A. Pielke Sr., C.J. Vörösmarty, R.W.A. Hutjes, and S. Lutkemeier (eds.), Vegetation, Water, Humans and the Climate. Springer, Heidelberg. 566 pp. Vörösmarty, C.J., C. Leveque, C. Revenga (Convening Lead Authors) (2005). Chapter 7: Fresh Water. In: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, Volume 1: Conditions and Trends Working Group Report, pp Island Press. 966 pp. Vörösmarty, C.J., E.M. Douglas, P.A. Green, and C. Revenga (2005). Geospatial indicators of emerging water stress: An application to Africa. Ambio. 34: Vörösmarty, C.J Water for a crowded planet: An emerging global challenge for Earth system science and technology. Water for A Changing World Enhancing Local Knowledge and Capacity. Taylor and Francis, London.