Article
Article
Water conservation
Article By:
McClure, Michelle Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington.
Press, George Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington.
Walsh, John J. Brookhaven National Laboratories, Upton, New York.
Last reviewed:March 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.738600
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- Water conservation, published June 2014:Download PDF
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The protection, development, and efficient management of water resources. Water's physical and chemical properties make it essential to life and civilization. It is combined with carbon dioxide in the synthesis of carbohydrates by green plants, from which all other foods are formed. It is a highly efficient medium for dissolving and transporting nutrients through the soil and throughout the bodies of plants and animals. It can also carry deadly organisms and toxic wastes. Water is a raw material that is indispensable for many domestic and industrial purposes. However, the availability of freshwater is being affected by global climate change (see illustration).
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