World to face water shortage by 2025

More than 25,000 conservationists and international policy makers are preparing to meet in Istanbul this month to discuss world water challenges.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature says two-thirds of the world's population will face water shortages by 2025.

Policy makers at the World Water Forum must understand that investing in good water governance is critical for a sustainable water future, the group said.

"Climate change will be felt first and foremost through water, whether it be drought, floods, storms, ice melting or sea-level rise," Mark Smith, head of IUCN's Water Program, said Thursday in a release.

Smith said the world needs systems for governing water "based on a balance of policy, good water law and participatory institutions."

via World to face water shortage by 2025 - UPI.com.

More information about the image which comes from an article titled: The Human Water Pump Harvests Kinetic Energy by Daniel Flahiff

"Gunwook Nam’s Human Pump is a clever solution to the world’s water crisis that captures kinetic energy generated from human foot traffic and uses it to power a system of pumps that bring fresh drinking water to the surface in a playful, dramatic and life-saving waterfall. One of three winners in the Re:construct competition sponsored by San Fransisco’s Urban Re:Vision, the project is a brilliant example of socially responsible design targeted towards communities without easy access to water. ...

Nam’s Human Pump is essentially a 12-meter-wide boardwalk designed to be placed in areas of heavy foot traffic, such as the main route to a school or market. Though the details are few, presumably kinetic energy from walking and playing would be absorbed throughout the day and stored, either mechanically or electrically. At some point later in the day the structure would have enough stored energy to pump water to the surface and trigger the transformation from boardwalk to waterfall/play area.