NASA scientist visits, speaks on global water crisis.
The CWRU Think Forum concluded its 2016-2017 program with a talk given by Jay Famiglietti, a NASA hydrologist.
Famiglietti spoke on global water scarcity problem.
The talk, titled “Can We Solve the Global Water Crisis?” was the last speaking event of the year hosted by Think Forum at Case Western Reserve University.
Two satellites in particular, which were launched in 2002 as part of NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment mission, have been devoted by the agency to study terrestrial hydrological conditions and what they show does not look good.
Significant water scarcity now affects huge aquifers (areas with natural accumulations of groundwater) around the world, from California to the Middle East to Northwestern India.
“My definition of water security is very simple,” said Famiglietti.
Whether it’s irrigation, drinking water, energy production, whatever…does it have sufficient water to carry out those tasks?” According to Famiglietti, unfortunately, it seems like an increasing number of regions around the world are suffering from diminished water security, if not losing it altogether.
“People often think there’s some miracle technology [to solve hydrological problems],” he said.
And the planet, he pointed out, increasingly under stress, is gradually losing its ability to recuperate.