Water Supply and Scarcity

According to the United Nations, water scarcity is defined as the point at which the aggregate impact of all users impinges on the supply or quality of water. Water scarcity is a relative concept and can occur at any level of supply or demand. Scarcity may be socially-constructed or the consequence of altered supply patterns stemming from climate change. Resources available in this sub-theme include U.S. drought monitoring data, workshops for rural water supply systems, among other resources that support water supply and scarcity.

Water Supply and Scarcity Resources

Drought Reporter

Publication date:
January 1, 2014
interactive display of drought impacts on state scale (agriculture, fire, water supply, society & public health, etc.)Read more

Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit

Publication date:
June 1, 2004
Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska
Several affiliated faculty work with natural resources management graduate students to create new information useful for management Read more

Water Conservation, Yesterday and Today: a Story of History, Culture and Politics

The National Institutes for Water Resources
Recently very much center stage and in the spotlight, water conservation seems to be an idea whose time has come. If, however, we define water conservation as the careful use of water to better maintain current supplies, then water conservation is not a recent development. What is relatively new is...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States
North America

Holding Back the Waters: Dams as Water Resource Monuments

The National Institutes for Water Resources
This is a guiding premise in understanding dams. What they have in common their shared purposes of greater significance than their many differences. The following discussion is mainly about the smaller, little publicized dams.Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States
North America

Fountains--Water Wasters or Works of Art?

The National Institutes for Water Resources
Those of us conditioned by the ubiquitous precepts of water conservation may feel slightly squeamish about water fountains. We have been taught that not all water uses are equal, some are of more value than others. Drinking obviously is an essential water use but washing sidewalks and driveways is...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States
North America

Weather Modification: a Water Resource Strategy to Be Researched, Tested Before Tried

The National Institutes for Water Resources
Weather modification has a rather unique status among water resource issues. Along with attracting attention as a potential water supply source, weather modification is of interest because of its varied and changing status in the scientific and public policy communities; it has an aura of...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States
North America

The Understanding Water Supply: General Considerations

U.S. Agency for International Development
This paper is one of a series published by Volunteers in Technical Assistance to provide an introduction to specific state-of-the-art technologies of interest to people in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to provide basic information and data for those individuals responsible for...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States
North America

Platte Basin Timelapse Project

Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska
A multimedia and time lapse photography project of the Platte River Basin led by DWFI faculty fellows Michael Forsberg and Michael FarrellRead more

Water Security

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This website provides tools, technical assistance, reports and news which assess and reduce consequences, threats, and vulnerabilities to potential terrorist attacks; to plan for and practice response to natural disasters, emergencies, and incidents; and to develop new security technologies to...Read more

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