Water Needs

Water needs are defined for the purposes of this entry as the requirements of Earth systems for water, and the entry specifically explores the interactions between humans and the environment in the use of water and the impacts of those uses on the functioning of Earth's ecosystems. The needs of Earth's ecosystems (including humans as a part of these ecosystems) for water are relevant both because water is an important aspect of human-environment interactions and also because water features, water availability, and water use are defining elements of place. Geography has a rich tradition of research on water and wetland ecosystems and human use of water resources. This entry addresses several aspects of water needs: the need of Earth's ecosystems for water, human uses of ...