Water in the Anthropocene - Challenges for Science and Governance, Indicators, Thresholds and Uncertainties of the Global Water System

Background

Until the industrial revolution, human beings and their activities played an insignificant role influencing the dynamics of the Earth system, the sum of our planet's interacting physical, chemical, and biological processes. Today, humankind even exceeds nature in terms of changing the biosphere and affecting all other facets of Earth system functioning. A growing number of scientists argue that humanity has entered a new geological epoch that needs a corresponding name: the Anthropocene. (More on the origin of the concept is to be found here).

Human activities impact the global water system as part of the Earth system, and change the way water moves around the globe like never before. Thus, managing freshwater use wisely in the planetary water cycle has become a key challenge to reach global environmental sustainability.