Oct
Defending Natural Resources, Online Resources
ECLAC – water availability in El Salvador
(Lea el original en español aquí)
In the most pessimistic scenario, El Salvador could lose up to 93% of its available water due to climate change: it would move from 1,752 cubic meters a year per person to 122 in the year 2100, a 93% reduction. This, according to a study of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL, in Spanish). In the most optimistic scenario, it would change to 374 cubic meters, a fifth of the current number.
In the research “Climate change in Central America”, CEPAL uses the scenarios of the Economic Initiative of Climate Change in Central America (ECC CA). An “A2” future would be one in which gas emissions keep growing and the world does not take action to face the problem. A more optimistic future would be a “B2” scenario, in which emissions are reduced significantly, as intended with international negotiations.
According to CEPAL, it is required to take a “Closed cicle” approach when it comes to water management, which means protecting the sources, colect water and distribute it without leaks, responsible consumption, promoting its reuse and reintegrating it to the environment – looking beyond supply.
For farming, they recommend “water-saving options such as local dams, ground levelling, evaporation reduction with stubble, monitoring humidity of the soil and rain and efficient use of irrigation water”.
Translated by Mario Guevara
