'A water cycle for the Anthropocene'
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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 (1). Additionally, 92% of diagrams depicted verdant, temperate ecosystems with abundant freshwater and 95% showed only a single river basin. It did not matter where or when the diagrams were published, most showed an undisturbed water cycle, free from human interference. These depictions contrast starkly with the state of the water cycle in the 21st century, when human water use, climate change, and land conversion affect nearly every water pool and flux.
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. In response to this crisis of understanding, we must teach where water comes from, where it goes, and how many individuals and ecosystems are in crisis because of water mismanagement, climate change, and land conversion. Because the drivers of Earth’s water crises are truly global, ensuring adequate water for humans and ecosystems will require coordinated efforts that extend beyond geopolitical borders and outlast the tenure of individual administrations. This level of coordination requires widespread understanding of the water cycle and the water crisis. Making the causes and consequences of the water crisis visible in our diagrams is a tractable and important step towards the goal of a sustainable relationship with water that includes ecosystems and society.
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