1. WATER AND THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY
Luis Veiga da Cunha
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Side event on
“The influence of recent technological advances in spanish and global water policy”
2015 UN-Water International Zaragoza Conference
15-17 January 2015
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3. Water Scarcity (2005)
Source: WBCSD (2005)
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4. Index of World Population and GDP
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Source: Gulbenkian Think Tank (2014)

5. Distribution of Population Change
(2010 to 2050)
Source: IFPRI (2010)

6. Distribution of GDP Change
(2010 to 2050)
Source: IFPRI (2010)

7. Evolution of the Urban and
Rural Population
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Source: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2012)

8. Water Withdrawal by Sector
and by Region (2005)
Source: FAO Aquastat (2011)
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9. Annual Precipitation Change (%)
for 2090-2099. Scenario A1B
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Source: IPCC AR4 (2012)

10. Annual Runoff Change (%)
for 2090-2099. Scenario A1B
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Source: IPCC AR4 (2007)

11. Global Changes
in Human Activities
Source: W. Steffen et al. (2011)
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12. Global Changes in
the Earth System
Source: W. Steffen et al. (2011)
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13. Net Virtual Water Import
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Source: Hoekstra and Mekonnem (2012)

14. Water Governance
Water related Sectors, Drivers and Actions
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Water Governance
Water related Sectors, Drivers and Actions

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Water Governance
Water related Sectors, Drivers and Actions

17. Closing quotations
• “Nature is at our disposition and we are called to exercise a
responsible stewardship over it. Yet so often we are driven by
greed and by arrogance of dominion, possession, manipulation
and exploitation; we do not perserve nature or consider it a
gratious gift which we must care for and set at the service of our
brothers and sisters, including the future generations”.
• “Human rights are not only violated by terrorism, repression or
assassination, but also by unfair economic structures that
creates huge inequalities”.
• “The monopolising of lands, deforestation, the appropriation of
water, inadequate agro-toxics, are some of the evils that tear
man from the land of his birth. Climate Change, the loss of
biodiversity and deforestation are already showing their
devastating effects in the great cataclisms we wittness”.
Pope Francis, 2013-2014
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18. Closing Quotations
“I think god in creating Man,
somewhat overestimated his ability”.
Oscar Wilde
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19. Earth View from Space
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Source: Apollo 17 Image of Earth from space (1972)

20. Volume of Water on Earth
Source: USGS (2014)

21. Thank You!
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