Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Freshwater: Availability, Quality, and Allocation

Freshwater is a fundamental resource and a basic requirement for life on Earth: It is the unifying agent of natural ecosystems, water circulation (e.g. Baumgartner and Reichel 1975) plays a central role in the global cycles of elements (e.g. Degens et al. 1991) and is directly linked to climate. Water is a prerequisite for biomass production which is often limited by local water availability. To man, water not only secures food supply but its quality is also the basis for human health (e.g. Meybeck et al. 1989). Its availability also enables economic development, and thus constitutes a possible cause of political conflicts. Even within societies, water is subject to competing usages (e.g. for irrigation, transportation, energy production, recreation, drinking water and others).