GLOBAL FUTURE ANALYSIS


WATER | EXPORT


Agriculture is just exporting the for the production needed water in super concentrated shape. Is has be done since trade exists and it's only increased severe in the last century as world population starts severely has grown. There will be also other types of water exports. The time that people lives were the water was is history, the high level of domestic investments has changed mankind from water following nomads into water groundwater exploring/purchasing villagers/citizens. As groundwater levels starts to decline, importing of water will become important. The world is on the break of the building of a huge water pipeline investment wave, some of them will be done on the same route and constructed the same time as the natural gas and oil pipelines. Water exchanges will determine the actual water prices based on rainfall in source and destination areas. Transport costs of water will drive the water bills to much more higher levels. Agriculture (as biggest user of water) will be faced with huge water bills (something already is the case in several parts of the US). LNG carriers will bring on the return part of their round trip water to the Middle East. Water production in the tropics by condensation will explode, not only earth cold will be used every where, but also sea cold will be used in coastal area's. CSP (concentrated solar power) will produce loads of sweet water (by its build-in sea water desalination possibilities) in the deserts of the world and this also will be partial exported. Import demands are not always driven by just regular demand that outstrips local supply. Import demand also can explode temperately (or long term) when water basins of cities are polluted by acts of war/terror. Import demand also can explode for a long term period when leaking sewage systems pollutes groundwater reservoirs biologically. Import demand can also explode temperately when surface water is polluted biologically (see Iraq) of chemical (huge problem in China). Floods also can pollute surface water reservoirs severely and give a sudden water import demand.


Author: Gijs Graafland


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