Energy - A thirsty resource

Abstract

Much is being said about the ‘water-energy-nexus’ these days. But what does the term mean and what does the one have to do with the other? And why should we care? Basically what ‘nexus’ means is that water and energy are closely connected to one another. On the one hand, our power plants need water to generate electricity, and on the other hand, energy is required to treat, transport and distribute our water. Consuming too much of either can lead to resource depletion, pollution and an overall price increase for each. For example, drought diminishes energy production, while lack of access to electricity limits irrigation possibilities. We are already use six times as much energy as we did in 1950, and this is only going to increase as the population increases and more people get access to electricity services, putting more pressure on our water resources. About 75% of all industrial water withdrawals are used for energy production.

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