About a quarter of the world’s population lives in regions whose lakes suffer from the drying up or evaporation of water from their dams, according to the study published Thursday in the prestigious scientific journal Science.
“Lakes are under threat on a global scale, and this has vast implications. They provide a lifeline for communities and humanity, but they are not given the respect they deserve,” said Balaji Rajagopalan, professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder and co-author of the study, AFP said in a report.
Lakes cover about 3% of the Earth’s surface, but they account for 87% of the freshwater liquid found there. They are used for human consumption, agriculture or to produce electricity.
Previous studies have looked at the depletion and degradation of the Great Lakes individually. But this study is the first to provide a detailed view of global trends and the reasons for the observed changes, thanks to satellite observations.
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