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Science 9 February 1996:
Vol. 271. no. 5250, pp. 785 - 788
DOI: 10.1126/science.271.5250.785
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Reports

Human Appropriation of Renewable Fresh Water

Sandra L. Postel,  Gretchen C. Daily,  Paul R. Ehrlich (1)

Humanity now uses 26 percent of total terrestrial evapotranspiration and 54 percent of runoff that is geographically and temporally accessible. Increased use of evapotranspiration will confer minimal benefits globally because most land suitable for rain-fed agriculture is already in production. New dam construction could increase accessible runoff by about 10 percent over the next 30 years, whereas population is projected to increase by more than 45 percent during that period.


S. L. Postel, Global Water Policy Project, 17 Msgr. O'Brien Highway, Cambridge, MA 02141-1817, USA.
G. C. Daily and P. R. Ehrlich, Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
(1) To whom correspondence should be addressed.


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