Water into the 1990's: the problems of the desert biome

Abstract

The projected increase in the world's population during the 1990s will bring increased pressure on the fragile desert environment, and desiccation will undoubtedly increase considerably. Some improvement in water supplies may come from untapped ground water and exotic rivers, but this will be strictly limited. The only viable option lies in making better use of existing reserves through economy, conservation and recycling waste. For this to be achieved, wide scale education—but not necessarily literacy—will be necessary. Ecological considerations dictate the adoption of multiple land use and the avoidance of large‐scale developmental projects. Water shortage need not be a greater problem of the arid lands in the 1990s than it is at present, although it almost certainly will be.