In its development, humanity has gone through many stages inwater use. Initially, the direct use of water predominated - for drinking, for cooking, infor household economic purposes. The value gradually increasesthe development of rivers and seas for the development of water transport. Arosenewthe existence of many centers of civilization is associated with the presence of waterways. People used water spaces as routes of communication, for fishing, salt extraction and other types of economic activities.military activity. During the heyday of shipping, the mostThe sea powers were economically developed and rich. ANDToday the use of waterways is significantaffects the development of the world economy. Yes, seatransport transports 3-4 billion tons of cargo per year, or 4-5% of the totalvolume of cargo transportation, performing over 30 trillion. t/km,or 70% of the total world cargo turnover.

Distinctive feature XXArt. there was a rapid increase in water consumptionfucking at the most various directions. First placeby volume of water consumption came out agricultural production. In order to provide food for everyoneThe growing population of the Earth requires the expenditure of huge amounts of water in agriculture. Moisture and heat resources and their relationshipswearing determine the natural biological productivityity in various natural and climatic zones of the world. Forproduction 1 kg plant mass different plants consumptionblow for transpiration from 150-200 to 800-1000 m 3 of water; athow 1 ha area occupied by corn evaporates during the growing seasonny period 2-3 million liters of water; for growing 1 ton of wheat,rice or cotton requires 1500, 4000 and 10,000 tons of water, respectivelyactually.

The area of ​​irrigated land on the globe currently reaches 220 million hectares. They provide approximately half of the world's agricultural production; up to 2/3 of the world's cotton crops are located on such lands. At the same time for irrigation 1 ha crops consume 12-14 thousand m 3 of water during the year. Annual water flow reaches 2500 km 3 or more than 6% of the total annual river flow globe. In terms of the volume of water used, irrigated agriculture ranks first among other water consumers.

The need for water is extremely high for modernlivestock farming, keeping livestock on farms and livestock breedingski complexes. For production 1 kg milk is wasted4 t, a 1 kg meat - 25 tons of water. Specific water use peragricultural and other purposes in various countries world (according to the 80-90sXXArt.) is given in table. 7.2.

Water consumption is growing inindustrial, production. It is impossible to indicate another substance that would finduses as varied and wide as water. She isis a chemical reagent involved in the production of acidoxygen, hydrogen, alkalis, nitric acid, alcohols and manyOther essential chemical products. Water is a necessary component in production building materials: tsement, gypsum, lime, etc. The bulk of water in industriality is used for energy production and cooling.Significant amounts of water in the manufacturing industryity is used for dissolving, mixing, purifying andother technological processes. For smelting 1 ton of cast iron andconverting it into steel and rolled steel consumes 50-150m 3water,1 t copper - 500 m 3 , 1 t syntheticsome rubber and chemical fibers - from 2 to 5 thousand, m 3 of water.

Table 7.2

Use of water for various economic purposesin individual countries of the world (as a percentage of total water consumption)

* Including water use in fisheries.

The overwhelming number of industries are adapted to use only fresh water; the latest industries (production of semiconductors, nuclear technology, etc.) are notwater of special purity is used. Modern industrialenterprises, thermal power plants spend hugewater resources comparable to the annual flow of large rivers.

As populations and cities grow, the racewater flow for municipal and household needs. Physiological human need for water, which is introduced into the body with drink and food, depending on climatic conditions, compositionflows 9-10 l/day. Much large quantity water is neededdimo for sanitary and household needs. Only whensufficient level of water consumption, which is ensuredcentralized water supply systems, it turns outit is possible to remove waste and sewage using a floating sewer. Level of domestic and drinking water consumptionvaries significantly: from 30-50 l/day. in buildings with water use from standpipes (without sewerage tion) up to 275-400 l/day. per inhabitant in buildings with water supplywater, sewerage and centralized hot water systemwater supply Naturally, the improvement of communal living conditions in cities and rural areas entailsfight rising water consumption.

Theoretically, water resources are inexhaustible, since whenrational use they are continuously renewedin the process of the water cycle in nature. Still in the near futureshlom it was believed that there is so much water on Earth that, with the exception ofSince some dry areas exist, people do not have to worry about running out of food. However, water consumption is growing at such a rate that humanity is increasingly faced withwith the problem of how to provide for future needs for it. INCountries and regions of the world are already experiencing a shortage of water resources, which is increasing every year.

Growth of industrial and agricultural productionIndeed, high rates of urbanization have contributed to the expansion of the use of water resources in Belarus. Fence of river and underearth's waters constantly increased, reaching its maximumnominal value equal to 2.9 km 3 in 1990 . As a result of the decline inproduction starting from 1992 . there is a decrease in water consumptionleniya in various industries economy. IN 1999 . it amounted to1 7 km 3 . The main consumer of water turned out to be housing and communal services - 46.0% of total consumption; industrial (industrial) water supply - 31.5%; agriculturaldomestic water supply and irrigation -9,7 %; fish pondvoye economy - 12.8% (use of water resourceswife in table 7.3). In the regional aspect, the central part of Belarus stands out, where almost a third of the total volume is consumedwaters used, which basically coincides with the economicpotential of this region.

Table 7.3

Use of water resources in the Republic of Belarus

Waterfarming is being formed as an industryeconomy, engaged in the study, accounting, planninge and forecasting the integrated use of waterresources, protection of surface and groundwater from pollutiondepletion and depletion, transporting them to the place of consumption.The main task of the water sector is to provide all sectors and types of economic activity water as neededquantity and appropriate quality.

According to the nature of the industry’s use of water resources,households are divided into water consumers and water userstel. AtwaterO -consumption water is withdrawn from its usesources (rivers, reservoirs, aquifers) and is usedin industry, agriculture, for municipal and domestic needs; it is included in the manufactured products,exposed to contamination and evaporation. Water consumption fromwater resource use points of view are divided intoon returnable(returned to source) andirrevocable ( losses).

Water use It is usually associated with processes where it is not water as such that is used, but its energy or the aquatic environment.Hydropower and water transport are developing on this basis.port, fisheries, recreation and sports system, etc.

Sectors of the national economy make demands on water resourcesitself has different requirements, so the water management builderIt is most advisable to solve this problem comprehensively, taking into account the characteristics of each industry and those changes in the regime of underground andsurface waters that arise during construction guiderotechnical structures and their operation and violate the ecological systems. Integrated use of water resourcesresources allows you to most rationally satisfy needs ..

Water. Anthropogenic impact on the hydrosphere.

The growth of cities, the rapid development of industry, the intensification of agriculture, a significant expansion of irrigated areas, improvement of cultural and living conditions and a number of other factors are increasingly complicating the problems of water supply.

The demand for water is enormous and is increasing every year. The annual water consumption on the globe for all types of water supply is 3300-3500 km3. Moreover, 70% of all water consumption is used in agriculture.

The chemical and pulp and paper industries, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy consume a lot of water. Energy development is also leading to a sharp increase in water demand. A significant amount of water is spent for the needs of the livestock industry, as well as for the household needs of the population. Most of the water, after being used for domestic needs, is returned to rivers in the form of wastewater.

Fresh water shortage is already becoming a global problem. The ever-increasing needs of industry and agriculture for water are forcing all countries and scientists around the world to look for various means to solve this problem.

On modern stage the following directions for the rational use of water resources are determined: more complete use and expanded reproduction of fresh water resources; development of new technological processes to prevent pollution of water bodies and minimize the consumption of fresh water. My work is dedicated to the topic of rational water use. It will discuss the main problems of rational use of water resources, pollution problems and methods of purifying water resources.

1. Water resources and their use.

The basis of Russia's water resources is river runoff, which averages 4262 km3 in annual water content, of which about 90% falls in the basins of the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. To the basins of the Caspian and Azov seas Where over 80% of Russia's population lives and its main industrial and agricultural potential is concentrated, it accounts for less than 8% of the total river flow.

Currently, the availability of water per person per day varies in different countries of the world. In a number of countries with developed economies, the threat of water shortages is imminent. The shortage of fresh water on earth is growing exponentially. However, there are promising sources of fresh water - icebergs born from the glaciers of Antarctica and Greenland.

A person cannot live without water. Water is one of the most important factors determining the location of productive forces, and very often a means of production. The increase in water consumption by industry is associated not only with its rapid development, but also with an increase in water consumption per unit of production. For example, factories spend 250 m3 of water to produce 1 ton of cotton fabric. The chemical industry requires a lot of water. Thus, the production of 1 ton of ammonia requires about 1000 m3 of water.

Modern large thermal power plants consume huge amounts of water. Only one station with a capacity of 300 thousand kW consumes up to 120 m3/s, or more than 300 million m3 per year. Gross water consumption for these stations will increase approximately 9-10 times in the future. Avakyan A.B., Shirokov V.M.: Rational use of water resources: Textbook for geogr., biol. and builds. specialist. universities - Ekaterinburg, Victor publishing house, 1994. - 320 p.

One of the most significant water consumers is agriculture. It is the largest water consumer in the water management system. Growing 1 ton of wheat requires 1,500 m3 of water during the growing season, 1 ton of rice requires more than 7,000 m3. The high productivity of irrigated lands has stimulated a sharp increase in the area worldwide - it is now equal to 200 million hectares. Constituting about 1/6 of the total crop area, irrigated lands provide approximately half of agricultural products.

A special place in the use of water resources is occupied by water consumption for the needs of the population. Household and drinking purposes in our country account for about 10% of water consumption. At the same time, uninterrupted water supply, as well as strict adherence to scientifically based sanitary and hygienic standards, are mandatory.

The use of water for economic purposes is one of the links in the water cycle in nature. But the anthropogenic link of the cycle differs from the natural one in that during the process of evaporation, part of the water used by humans returns to the atmosphere desalinated. The other part (which, for example, makes up 90% for water supply to cities and most industrial enterprises) is discharged into water bodies in the form of wastewater contaminated with industrial waste.

According to the State Water Cadastre, the total water intake from natural water bodies in 1995 it was 96.9 km3. More than 70 km3 was used for the needs of the national economy, including for:

industrial water supply - 46 km3;

irrigation - 13.1 km3;

agricultural water supply - 3.9 km3;

other needs - 7.5 km3.

Industry needs were met by 23% by drawing water from natural water bodies and by 77% by a system of recycling and re-sequential water supply.

It is of great importance to meet the needs of the population for drinking water in their places of residence through centralized or non-centralized drinking water supply systems.

In the Russian Federation, centralized water supply systems operate in 1,052 cities (99% of the total number of cities) and 1,785 urban-type settlements (81%). However, in many cities there is a lack of water supply capacity. In Russia as a whole, the shortage of water supply capacity exceeds 10 million m3/day, or 10% of the installed capacity.

The sources of centralized water supply are surface water, the share of which in the total volume of water intake is 68%, and groundwater - 32%.

Almost all surface water sources have been exposed to harmful anthropogenic pollution in recent years, especially rivers such as the Volga, Don, Northern Dvina, Ufa, Tobol, Tom and other rivers of Siberia and Far East. 70% of surface waters and 30% of underground waters have lost their drinking value and moved into the categories of pollution - “conditionally clean” and “dirty”. Almost 70% of the population of the Russian Federation consume water that does not comply with GOST “Drinking water”.

Over the past 10 years, the volume of financing for water management activities in Russia has been reduced 11 times. As a result, the conditions of water supply to the population worsened.

The processes of degradation of surface water bodies are increasing due to the discharge of contaminated wastewater into them by enterprises and facilities of housing and communal services, petrochemical, oil, gas, coal, meat, forestry, woodworking and pulp and paper industries, as well as ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, collection of collector and drainage waters from irrigated lands contaminated with toxic chemicals and pesticides.

The depletion of river water resources continues under the influence of economic activities. The possibilities of irreversible water withdrawal in the basins of the Kuban, Don, Terek, Ural, Iset, Miass and a number of other rivers have been practically exhausted.

The condition of small rivers is unfavorable, especially in the areas of large industrial centers. Significant damage to small rivers is caused in rural areas due to violation of the special regime of economic activity in water protection zones and coastal protective strips, leading to river pollution, as well as soil loss as a result of water erosion.

Pollution of groundwater used for water supply is increasing. About 1,200 sources of groundwater pollution have been identified in the Russian Federation, of which 86% are located in the European part. Deterioration in water quality was noted in 76 cities and towns, at 175 water intakes. Many underground sources, especially those supplying large cities in the Central, Central Black Earth, North Caucasus and other regions, are severely depleted, as evidenced by a decrease in the sanitary water level, in some places reaching tens of meters.

The total consumption of contaminated water at water intakes is 5-6% of the total amount of groundwater used for domestic and drinking water supply.

About 500 areas have been discovered in Russia where groundwater is contaminated with sulfates, chlorides, compounds of nitrogen, copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, and mercury, the levels of which are tens of times higher than the maximum permissible concentration.

Due to increased pollution of water sources, traditionally used water treatment technologies are in most cases insufficiently effective. The efficiency of water treatment is negatively affected by the shortage of reagents and the low level of equipment of water stations, automation and control devices. The situation is aggravated by the fact that 40% of the internal surfaces of pipelines are corroded and covered with rust, therefore, during transportation, the quality of water further deteriorates.

State control and supervision in the field of drinking water supply is carried out by bodies and institutions of the state sanitary and epidemiological service in interaction with state environmental control bodies and state bodies for managing the use and protection of the water fund. Accounting for the amount of water consumed from centralized drinking water supply systems is carried out by housing and communal services authorities.

Drinking water supply development programs are an integral part of the socio-economic development plans of the territories. The design, construction and reconstruction of centralized and non-centralized drinking water supply systems are carried out in accordance with the calculated indicators of master plans for the development of territories, building codes and regulations, state standards, sanitary rules and norms. At the same time, the requirements for ensuring the reliability of these systems when exposed to destabilizing factors of natural (landslides, flooding, aquifer depletion, etc.) and man-made origin must be taken into account.

If you look at our planet from space, the Earth appears as a blue ball completely covered with water. And the continents are like small islands in this endless ocean. This is understandable. Water occupies 70.8% of the planet's surface, leaving only 29.2% of land. Water shell our planet is called the hydrosphere. Its volume is 1.4 billion cubic meters.

Water appeared on our planet about 3.5 billion years ago in the form of vapor that was formed as a result of degassing of the mantle. Currently, water is the most important element in the Earth's biosphere, since it cannot be replaced by anything. Fortunately, water resources are considered inexhaustible because scientists have come up with a way to desalinate salt water.

The main purpose of water as a natural resource is to support the life of all living things - plants, animals and humans. It is the basis of all life on our planet, the main supplier of oxygen in the most important process on Earth - photosynthesis.

Water is the most important factor in climate formation. By absorbing heat from the atmosphere and releasing it back, water regulates climate processes.

It is impossible not to note the role of water sources in the modification of our planet. From time immemorial, people have settled near reservoirs and water sources. Water serves as one of the main means of communication. There is an opinion among scientists that if our planet were entirely dry land, then, for example, the discovery of America would be delayed for several centuries. And we would hardly have learned about Australia for another 300 years.

Types of Earth's water resources

The water resources of our planet are the reserves of all water. But water is one of the most common and most unique compounds on Earth, since it is present in three states at once: liquid, solid and gaseous. Therefore, the Earth's water resources are:

. Surface waters (oceans, lakes, rivers, seas, swamps)

. The groundwater.

. Artificial reservoirs.

. Glaciers and snowfields (frozen water from glaciers in Antarctica, the Arctic and highlands).

. Water contained in plants and animals.

. Atmospheric vapors.

The last 3 points relate to potential resources, because humanity has not yet learned to use them.

Fresh water is the most valuable; it is used much more widely than sea, salt water. Of the total water reserves in the world, 97% of water comes from seas and oceans. 2% of fresh water is contained in glaciers, and only 1% is fresh water reserves in lakes and rivers.

Use of water resources

Water resources - essential component and human life. People use water in industry and at home.

According to statistics, most water resources are used in agriculture (about 66% of all fresh water reserves). About 25% is used by industry and only 9% goes to meet the needs of utilities and households.

For example, to grow 1 ton of cotton, about 10 thousand tons of water are needed, for 1 ton of wheat - 1,500 tons of water. To produce 1 ton of steel, 250 tons of water are required, and to produce 1 ton of paper, at least 236 thousand tons of water are needed.

A person needs to drink at least 2.5 liters of water per day. However, on average per 1 person per major cities spend at least 360 liters per day. This includes the use of water in sewers, water supply, for watering streets and extinguishing fires, for washing vehicles, etc., etc.

Another option for using water resources is water transport. Every year, over 50 million tons of cargo are transported across Russian waters alone.

Don't forget about fisheries. Breeding marine and freshwater fish plays an important role in the economies of countries. Moreover, fish farming requires pure water saturated with oxygen and free of harmful impurities.

An example of the use of water resources is also recreation. Who among us doesn’t like to relax by the sea, barbecue on the river bank or swim in the lake? In the world, 90% of recreational facilities are located near water bodies.

Water conservation

Today there are only two ways to conserve water resources:

1. Preservation of existing fresh water reserves.

2. Creation of more advanced collectors.

The accumulation of water in reservoirs prevents its flow into the world's oceans. And storing water, for example, in underground cavities, allows you to protect water from evaporation. The construction of canals allows us to solve the issue of delivering water without it seeping into the ground. New methods of irrigating agricultural land are also being developed that make it possible to use wastewater.

But each of these methods has an impact on the biosphere. Thus, the reservoir system prevents the formation of fertile silt deposits. The canals impede the replenishment of groundwater. And water filtration in canals and dams is the main risk factor for swamps, which leads to disturbances in the planet’s ecosystem.

Today, the most effective measure for protecting water resources is considered to be the method of wastewater treatment. Various ways allow you to remove up to 96% harmful substances of water. But often this is not enough, and the construction of more advanced treatment facilities often turns out to be economically unprofitable.

Water pollution problems

Population growth, development of production and agriculture - these factors have led to a shortage of fresh water for humanity. The share of polluted water resources is growing every year.

Main sources of pollution:

. Industrial wastewater;

. Wastewater from municipal routes;

. Drains from fields (when the water is oversaturated with chemicals and fertilizers);

. Disposal of radioactive substances in water bodies;

. Drains from livestock complexes (such water contains a lot of biogenic organic matter);

. Shipping.

Nature provides for the self-purification of reservoirs, which occurs due to the water cycle in nature, due to the life activity of plankton, irradiation with ultraviolet rays, and the sedimentation of insoluble particles. But all these processes can no longer cope with the mass of pollution that human activity brings to the planet’s water resources.

In its development, humanity has gone through many stages in the use of water. Initially, the direct use of water prevailed - for drinking, for cooking, and for household purposes. The importance of rivers and seas for the development of water transport is gradually increasing. The emergence of many centers of civilization is associated with the presence of waterways. People used water spaces as routes of communication, for fishing, salt production and other types of economic activities. During the heyday of shipping, the most economically developed and wealthy were the maritime powers. And today, the use of waterways has a significant impact on the development of the world economy. Thus, maritime transport transports 3-4 billion tons of cargo per year, or 4-5% of the total volume of cargo transportation, while carrying over 30 trillion. t/km, or 70% of the total world freight turnover.

A distinctive feature of the XX century. There was a rapid increase in water consumption in a variety of areas. Ranked first in terms of water consumption agricultural production. In order to provide food for the ever-increasing population of the Earth, it is necessary to spend huge amounts of water in agriculture. Moisture and heat resources and their ratio determine natural biological productivity in various natural and climatic zones of the world. To produce 1 kg of plant mass, different plants spend from 150-200 to 800-1000 m 3 of water on transpiration; Moreover, 1 hectare of area occupied by corn evaporates 2-3 million liters of water during the growing season; To grow 1 ton of wheat, rice or cotton, 1500, 4000 and 10,000 tons of water are required respectively.

The area of ​​irrigated land on the globe currently reaches 220 million hectares. They provide approximately half of the world's agricultural products; up to 2/3 of the world's cotton crops are located on such lands. At the same time, 12-14 thousand m 3 of water is consumed during the year to irrigate 1 hectare of crops. The annual water flow reaches 2500 km 3 or more than 6% of the total annual flow of the world's rivers. In terms of the volume of water used, irrigated agriculture ranks first among other water consumers.

The need for water for modern livestock farming, livestock keeping on farms and livestock complexes is extremely high. To produce 1 kg of milk, 4 tons are consumed, and 1 kg of meat requires 25 tons of water. The specific use of water for agricultural and other purposes in various countries of the world (according to data from the 80-90s of the 20th century) is given in Table. 7.2.

Water consumption is growing in industrial, production. It is impossible to indicate another substance that would find such diverse and widespread uses as water. It is a chemical reagent involved in the production of oxygen, hydrogen, alkalis, nitric acid, alcohols and many other important chemical products. Water is a necessary component in the production of building materials: cement, gypsum, lime, etc. The bulk of water in industry is used for energy production and cooling. A significant amount of water in the manufacturing industry is used for dissolution, mixing, purification and other technological processes. To smelt 1 ton of cast iron and convert it into steel and rolled products, 50-150 m 3 of water are consumed, 1 ton of copper - 500 m 3, 1 ton of synthetic rubber and chemical fibers - from 2 to 5 thousand m 3 of water.

Table 7.2

Use of water for various economic purposes in individual countries of the world (as a percentage of total water consumption)

* Including water use in fisheries.

The overwhelming number of industries are adapted to use only fresh water; The newest industries (production of semiconductors, nuclear technology, etc.) require water of special purity. Modern industrial enterprises, thermal power plants consume enormous water resources, comparable to the annual flow of large rivers.

As populations and cities grow, water consumption increases for municipal and household needs. The physiological need of a person for water, which is introduced into the body with drink and food, depending on climatic conditions, is 9-10 l/day. A significantly larger amount of water is needed for sanitary and domestic needs. Only with a sufficient level of water consumption, which is provided centralized systems water supply, it is possible to remove waste and sewage using a floating sewer. The level of household and drinking water consumption varies significantly: from 30-50 l/day. in buildings with water use from standpipes (without sewerage) up to 275-400 l/day. per inhabitant in buildings with water supply, sewerage and a centralized hot water supply system. Naturally, the improvement of communal living conditions in cities and rural areas entails an increase in water consumption.

Theoretically, water resources are inexhaustible, since when rational use they are continuously renewed in the process of the water cycle in nature. Even in the recent past, it was believed that there was so much water on Earth that, with the exception of some arid areas, people did not need to worry about running out of it. However, water consumption is growing at such a rate that humanity is increasingly faced with the problem of how to meet future needs for it. In countries and regions of the world today there is already a shortage of water resources, which is increasing every year.

The growth of industrial and agricultural production and high rates of urbanization contributed to the expansion of the use of water resources in Belarus. The intake of river and groundwater has constantly increased, reaching its maximum value of 2.9 km 3 in 1990. As a result of the decline in production since 1992, there has been a decrease in water consumption in various sectors of the economy. In 1999 it amounted to 1 7 km 3 . The main consumer of water turned out to be housing and communal services - 46.0% of total consumption; industrial (industrial) water supply - 31.5%; agricultural water supply and irrigation - 9.7%; fish pond farming - 12.8% (use of water resources is reflected in Table 7.3). In the regional aspect, the central part of Belarus stands out, where almost a third of the total volume of used water is consumed, which basically coincides with the economic potential of this region.

Table 7.3

Use of water resources in the Republic of Belarus

Water management is being formed as a branch of the national economy engaged in the study, accounting, planning and forecasting of the integrated use of water resources, the protection of surface and groundwater from pollution and depletion, and its transportation to the place of consumption. The main task of the water sector is to provide all sectors and types of economic activities with water in required quantity and appropriate quality.

Based on the nature of the use of water resources, sectors of the national economy are divided into water consumers and water users. At water consumption water is withdrawn from its sources (rivers, reservoirs, aquifers) and used in industry, agriculture, and for domestic needs; It is part of manufactured products and is subject to contamination and evaporation. Water consumption from the point of view of water resource use is divided into returnable(returned to source) and irrevocable ( losses).

Water use It is usually associated with processes where it is not water as such that is used, but its energy or the aquatic environment. Hydropower, water transport, fisheries, recreation and sports systems, etc. are developing on this basis.

Sectors of the national economy make different demands on water resources, so it is most advisable to solve water construction in a comprehensive manner, taking into account the characteristics of each sector and those changes in the regime of ground and surface waters that arise during the construction of hydraulic structures and their operation and disrupt ecological systems. The integrated use of water resources makes it possible to most rationally satisfy the water needs of each sector of the national economy, optimally combine the interests of all water consumers and water users, and save money on the construction of water facilities.

In its development, humanity has gone through many stages in the use of water. Initially, the direct use of water predominated - for drinking, for cooking, and for household purposes. The importance of rivers and seas for the development of water transport gradually increased. The emergence of many centers of civilization is associated with the presence of waterways. People used water spaces as routes of communication, for fishing, salt production and other types of economic activities. During the heyday of shipping, the most economically developed and wealthy were the maritime powers. And in modern conditions the use of waterways has a significant impact on the development of the world economy.

Water finds the widest use in human activities. This is a material used in industry and is part of various types products and technological processes, acts as a coolant, serves for heating purposes. The force of falling water drives the turbines of hydroelectric power plants. The water factor is decisive in the development and location of a number of industrial productions. Water-intensive industries that rely on large sources of water supply include many chemical and petrochemical industries, where water is not only an auxiliary material, but also one of the important types of raw materials, as well as electric power, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, some forestry, light and Food Industry. Water is widely used in the construction and building materials industry. Human agricultural activity is associated with the consumption of huge amounts of water, primarily for irrigated agriculture. Rivers, canals, lakes are important routes of communication. Water bodies are places of recreation, restoration of human health, sports, and tourism.

Agricultural production ranks first in global water consumption. In order to provide food for the ever-increasing population of the Earth, it is necessary to spend huge amounts of water in agriculture. Moisture and heat resources and their ratio determine natural biological productivity in various natural and climatic zones of the world. To produce 1 kg of plant mass, different plants spend from 150 – 200 to 800 – 1000 m 3 of water on transpiration; Moreover, 1 hectare of area occupied by corn evaporates 2–3 million liters of water during the growing season; To grow 1 ton of wheat, rice or cotton, 1500, 4000 and 10000 tons of water are required respectively. The use of water for economic purposes in individual regions and countries of the world is presented in Table 3.2.

Table 3.2

Use of water for various economic purposes
in certain regions and countries of the world

(in % of total water consumption)*