Water shortages worsened by reservoir effects

Giuliano Di Baldassarre (), Niko Wanders, Amir AghaKouchak, Linda Kuil, Sally Rangecroft, Ted I. E. Veldkamp, Margaret Garcia, Pieter R. van Oel, Korbinian Breinl and Anne F. Van Loon
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Giuliano Di Baldassarre: Uppsala University
Niko Wanders: Utrecht University
Amir AghaKouchak: University of California, Irvine
Linda Kuil: Vienna University of Technology
Sally Rangecroft: University of Birmingham
Ted I. E. Veldkamp: Water and Climate Risk Department, VU Amsterdam
Margaret Garcia: Arizona State University
Pieter R. van Oel: Wageningen University
Korbinian Breinl: Uppsala University
Anne F. Van Loon: University of Birmingham

Nature Sustainability, 2018, vol. 1, issue 11, 617-622

Abstract: Abstract The expansion of reservoirs to cope with droughts and water shortages is hotly debated in many places around the world. We argue that there are two counterintuitive dynamics that should be considered in this debate: supply–demand cycles and reservoir effects. Supply–demand cycles describe instances where increasing water supply enables higher water demand, which can quickly offset the initial benefits of reservoirs. Reservoir effects refer to cases where over-reliance on reservoirs increases vulnerability, and therefore increases the potential damage caused by droughts. Here we illustrate these counterintuitive dynamics with global and local examples, and discuss policy and research implications.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-018-0159-0

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