Global energy demand from developed nations has an adverse impact on freshwater resources in less developed nations according to a new study.
While current energy policy focuses on preventing greenhouse gas emissions, the results show that freshwater impacts also need to be considered when deciding future national and international energy policies.
Freshwater is used by the energy sector along the complete supply chain from extraction and conversion of raw material through to generation of power.
The collaborative study of freshwater consumption associated with energy usage, led by the University and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that petroleum demand within a nation typically drives consumption of freshwater resources internationally, whereas gas and electricity demand drives freshwater consumption within the nation itself.
The Principal Investigator of the study, Dr Felix Eigenbrod, Associate Professor (Spatial Ecology) at the University’s Centre for Biological Sciences, says:
“The growing geographic disconnect between energy demand, the extraction and processing of resources, and the environmental impacts associated with energy production activities makes it crucial to factor global trade into sustainability assessments.
“These energy-driven pressures on freshwater resources in areas distant from the origin of demand should be considered when designing policy to ensure the security of both fresh water and energy supplies. While much of the debate around energy is focussed on greenhouse gas emissions, our findings highlight the need to consider the full range of consequences of the world’s demand for energy when designing energy and environmental policies.”
You can read the full press release here.