CLIMATE CHANGE SPURS THE DEVELOPMENT OF WATER MARKETS AND NEW TECHNOLOGY

摘要

Ships carried water tanks into Barcelona, Spain, last month to provide drinking water to 5.5 million people. The ships were responding to decreases in water supplies during one of the country's worst droughts in decades. Shipping water is Spain's near term solution to a long term problem of water shortages resulting from climate change. The world's annual average temperatures could increase as much as 3.6-9°F from 2030 to 2060, according to studies reported in the United Kingdom Government's Stein Report on global climate change. The report, as well as other studies regarding climate change, has brought attention to the possible economic effects of climate change including effects on water-intensive industries. Climate change is expected to have negative effects on water supplies in lower latitude regions and result in a decrease in crop output. Meanwhile, water users in the northern hemisphere may fare better, depending on the level of temperature increase and effects on water quality. The discussion on global warming has led to an increase awareness of market strategies to manage water resources and incorporate technology to protect crops from drought conditions.