Human domination of the global water cycle absent from depictions and perceptions

Abstract

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A water cycle for the Anthropocene

“…Types of human interference with the global water cycle and dimensions of the global water crisis. Human water use is separated into green (78%), blue (16%), and grey water use (6%) based on a meta‐analysis of global water pools and fluxes (Abbott et al, )…”

“…It is no longer possible to understand the space–time distribution of water quantity and quality on Earth without considering human activity (Falkenmark et al, ; Linton & Budds, ; Van Loon et al, ). Human alteration of water, land, and climate have so severely altered the water cycle that model simulations based solely on natural dynamics no longer reliably predict groundwater levels, droughts, floods, or precipitation (Abbott et al, ; Bradshaw, Sodhi, Peh, & Brook, ; Paul et al, ; van Dijk et al, ). Second, although researchers in hydrology may have the knowledge to interpret and challenge incorrect visualizations of the water cycle, most people assume scientific diagrams are correct.…”

“…Disregarding water transport from outside the watershed boundaries can lead to questionable interventions such as cloud seeding, removal of vegetation, and inter‐basin pipeline construction (Ellison et al, ; van Noordwijk & Ellison, ). These engineering “solutions” not only are costly and ineffective but also can exacerbate water scarcity and undermine sustainable development goals by diverting water from downstream or downwind communities, producing unintended or unknown side‐effects, and reducing resilience to natural and anthropogenic variability (Abbott et al, ; Falkenmark et al, ; Linton & Budds, ).…”

“…What about water pollution or climate change—two of the main drivers of the global water crisis? In a recent analysis of more than 450 water cycle diagrams, we found that 85% showed no human interaction with the water cycle and 98% omitted any sign of climate change or water pollution (Abbott et al, ). Additionally, 92% of diagrams depicted verdant, temperate ecosystems with abundant freshwater, and 95% showed only a single river basin.…”

“…We believe that incorrect water cycle diagrams are a symptom of a much deeper and widespread problem about how humanity relates to water on Earth. Society does not understand how the water cycle works nor how humans fit into it (Abbott et al, ; Attari, ; Linton, ). In response to this crisis of understanding, we call on researchers, educators, journalists, lawyers, and policy makers to change how we conceptualize and present the global water cycle.…”