A recent study has uncovered an alarming trend: over half of the Earth's lakes are experiencing a significant decrease in water levels.
A global team of researchers has uncovered an astounding revelation. Their discoveries point to global warming and human activity as the primary drivers responsible for our planet's threatening state. Furthermore, they shed light on a notable fact: an overwhelming 86% of the Earth's freshwater is carried within natural lakes and reservoirs. Astonishingly, this great statistic discloses the lack of freshwater on Earth, accounting for a mere 3% of the entire water present. The report has conveyed an important message emphasizing the urgency of implementing effective water management.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, almost 25% of the global population lives in a basin where a once-thriving lake is now drying up. Such evidence powerfully highlights the urgency and relevancy of executing effective managing resolutions.
In a significant study under the direction of the University of Colorado, it was discovered that the largest lakes and water bodies in the world, have experienced a consistent shrinkage since the nineties. A group of professionals discovered that for almost thirty years, the world's main supplies of freshwater had been losing water at a continuous rate of about 22 metric tones per year.
Fangfang Yao, the hydrologist leading the research, emphasized that over 50% of the decline in lakes and water bodies can be primarily due to our consumption or other indicators brought on by climate change. Significantly, Yao highlighted that climate warming played a more substantial role in this decline.
Additionally, the investigators uncovered that the levels of lakes are falling globally due to shifts in weather patterns, drainage, the formation of sediments, and rising temperatures.
Through the data gathered from satellites between the 90s and 2000s, the research team conducted measurements of water level changes in approximately two thousand lakes and reservoirs worldwide. Within the United States, their findings revealed a staggering decline in Lake Mead, with a three-quarters loss of water during twenty-eight years.
Furthermore, the study brought to light the detrimental consequences of insufficient human actions, which resulted in the desiccation of prominent lakes such as the Aral Sea and the Dead Sea. Moreover, increasing temperatures wreaked havoc on lakes in some Asia counties, worsening top layer evaporation rates.
According to scientists, limiting the increase in temperature to two degrees Celsius (2.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is an essential step toward preventing the effects of climatic shifts. Alarming data indicates that the earth is presently undergoing a warming pace of approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Read next: 8 in 10 consumers believe small, meaningful changes can have a positive global impact
A global team of researchers has uncovered an astounding revelation. Their discoveries point to global warming and human activity as the primary drivers responsible for our planet's threatening state. Furthermore, they shed light on a notable fact: an overwhelming 86% of the Earth's freshwater is carried within natural lakes and reservoirs. Astonishingly, this great statistic discloses the lack of freshwater on Earth, accounting for a mere 3% of the entire water present. The report has conveyed an important message emphasizing the urgency of implementing effective water management.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, almost 25% of the global population lives in a basin where a once-thriving lake is now drying up. Such evidence powerfully highlights the urgency and relevancy of executing effective managing resolutions.
More than half of the world’s largest lakes have declined over the past three decades.
— Science Magazine (@ScienceMagazine) May 18, 2023
Nearly one-quarter of the world’s population resides in a basin with a drying lake, which underscores the importance of management solutions. Learn more in Science: https://t.co/Z3Nb6rFqDu pic.twitter.com/T3scUHC4KJ
In a significant study under the direction of the University of Colorado, it was discovered that the largest lakes and water bodies in the world, have experienced a consistent shrinkage since the nineties. A group of professionals discovered that for almost thirty years, the world's main supplies of freshwater had been losing water at a continuous rate of about 22 metric tones per year.
Fangfang Yao, the hydrologist leading the research, emphasized that over 50% of the decline in lakes and water bodies can be primarily due to our consumption or other indicators brought on by climate change. Significantly, Yao highlighted that climate warming played a more substantial role in this decline.
Additionally, the investigators uncovered that the levels of lakes are falling globally due to shifts in weather patterns, drainage, the formation of sediments, and rising temperatures.
Through the data gathered from satellites between the 90s and 2000s, the research team conducted measurements of water level changes in approximately two thousand lakes and reservoirs worldwide. Within the United States, their findings revealed a staggering decline in Lake Mead, with a three-quarters loss of water during twenty-eight years.
Furthermore, the study brought to light the detrimental consequences of insufficient human actions, which resulted in the desiccation of prominent lakes such as the Aral Sea and the Dead Sea. Moreover, increasing temperatures wreaked havoc on lakes in some Asia counties, worsening top layer evaporation rates.
According to scientists, limiting the increase in temperature to two degrees Celsius (2.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is an essential step toward preventing the effects of climatic shifts. Alarming data indicates that the earth is presently undergoing a warming pace of approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Read next: 8 in 10 consumers believe small, meaningful changes can have a positive global impact
