MORE THAN HALF OF WORLD'DS LARGEST'S LAKES AND RESERVOIRS HAVE LOST SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF WATER OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES
Roughly one quarter of the worlds population lives in the basin of a drying lake, according to the study by a team of international scientists, published in the journal of science. While lakes cover only around 3% of the planet, they hold nearly 90% of its liquid surface freshwater and are essential sources of drinking water, irrigation and power.,and they provide vital habitats for animals and plants.
But they're in trouble.
Across the world the most significant lakes are seeing declines. The Colorados Lake Mead in Southwest US has receded dramatically amid a mega drought and decades of overuse. The Caspian Sea between Asia and Europe - has long been declining due to climate change and water use.
The shrinking of many lakes has been well documented, but the extent of change - and the reasons behind it - have been less thoroughly examined, said Fangfang Yao, the study's lead author and visiting scholar at the Cooperative institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at at the University of Colorado Boulder.
The Caspian Sea is rapidly shrinking due to climate change and human activity
The researchers used satellite measurements of nearly 2000 of the worlds largest lakes and reservoirs , which together represent 95% of Earths total lake storage.
They found that 53% of the lakes and reservoirs had lost significant amounts of water, with a net decline of around 22 billion metric tons a year - an amount the report authors compared to the volume of 17 Lake Meads.
As may parts of the world become hotter and drier, lakes must be managed properly,. ...OTHERWISE CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES "CAN LEAD TO DRYING SOONER THAN WE THINK," Yao said.