water conservation

climate change

• Warming temperatures

• Melting glaciers

• Increased evaporation

• Vegetation death

• Increased erosion

http://www.ipcc.ch/graphics/syr/fig1-1.jpg

The Pasterze, Austria, 1875 & 2004

Athabasca Glacier, Canada 1907 & 1998

water use

• “Water use has been growing far faster than the number of people. During the 20th century the world population increased fourfold, but the amount of freshwater that it used increased nine times over. Already 2.8 billion people live in areas of high water stress, the report calculates, and this will rise to 3.9 billion – more than half the expected population of the world – by 2030.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/water-scarcity-now-bigger-threat-than-financial-crisis-1645358.html

average national water footprint

Average national water footprint per capita (m3/cap/yr). Green means that the nation's water footprint is equal to or smaller than the global average. Countries with red have a water footprint beyond the global average. Period: 1997-2001.

http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/WaterFootprints

water consumption• Canada: 9% of world’s renewable fresh water & only 0.5% of global

population. • In the past few years, 25% of Canadian municipalities experienced water

shortages.• One-third of Canadians depend on groundwater• Water use increased 6-fold during the 20th Century, more than twice the

rate of population growth.• Canada ranks second highest in terms of per capita water consumption, at

353 litres per day• The average 7-member family in developing nations uses approximately 58

litres of water in one day. In North America, the average 4-member family uses more than 850 litres of water per day. (Environment Canada).

http://www.rbc.com/responsibility/pdf/Fact-Sheet-The-World-and-Water.pdf • The ‘water footprint’ of a country is defined as the volume of water needed

for the production of goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the country. Global average water footprint:1240 m3/yr/cap. Canada: 2049 m3/cap/yr, USA: 2500 m3/cap/yr, China: 700 m3/cap/yr (http://www.waterfootprint.org)

what can we do?

• Conserve water in the home

• Conserve water outside the home– Garden & lawn

• Xeriscape• Rain barrel

Toronto Green Community

www.modfarm.com/prodinfo.asp?number=9119