TECHNICAL REPORT - Water Consumption, Measurements and Sustainable Water Use - February 2023

.26 6 CONCLUSIONS 31 7 REFERENCES 32 WATER CONSUMPTION, MEASUREMENTS AND SUSTAINABLE WATER USE | 1 Executive summary The pattern of water use in many countries is unsustainable: deterioration of the water-de- pendent environment, including both surface and groundwater systems, is ongoing and often accelerating. [...] Understanding the drivers of this trend depends on sound water accounting, which is identifying the sources and uses of water at the appropriate scale. [...] The problem with surface water is somewhat less severe due to the real physical constraints of streamflow, though many estu- aries are at least seasonally water short, and fed by water of poor quality. [...] Demand and consumption exceed the renewable supply and are currently associated with the deple- tion of aquifers and general damage to the environment. [...] This figure does not account for the deteriorating status of many rivers, and thus understates the magnitude of the adjustment required to achieve sustainable water use.