Water for people.pdf - WHO Thailand Digital Repository

L A K E T I T I C A C A B A S I N , B O L I V I A A N D P E R U / 4 7 3Table 21.7: Water use in the TDPS systemUse and sector Surface water Groundwater Total use Net consumption(litres/second) (litres/second) (litres/second) (litres/second)Domestic 1,210 912 2,122 424Bolivia 361 761 1,122 224El Alto 51 382 433 86Oruro 34 379 413 82Other urban 133 133 27Rural 143 143 29Peru 849 151 1,000 200Puno 25 151 176 35Juliaca 300 300 60Other urban 334 334 67Rural 190 190 38Irrigation 7,294 85 7,379 5,534Bolivia 4,494 4,494 3,370Peru 2,800 85 2,885 2,164Other 1,000 1,000 200Bolivia 590 590 118Peru 410 410 82Total 9,504 997 10,501 6,158Bolivia 5,445 761 6,206 3,712Peru 4,059 236 4,295 2,446Irrigation is by far the greatest water user in the TDPS system: it accounts for 75 percent of total withdrawals.Challenges to Life and Well-BeingWater needs, uses and demands in the TDPS system are mainlydirected at covering basic needs and irrigated agricultural production.However, it should be noted that increased water alone cannotimprove the local living conditions, which are limited by extremepoverty. Table 21.7 illustrates present water use in the TDPS system.Water for basic needsDrinking water and sewage systems are largely deficient throughoutthe TDPS area. On the Peruvian side, drinking water coverage isbetween 12 and 30 percent with an average of 19 percent. Sewagesystem coverage is between 13 and 39 percent with an average of20 percent. Conditions on the Bolivian side are similar. There is anaverage drinking water and sewage system coverage of 24 percentand 13 percent respectively.Bolivian and Peruvian consumption is about 30 and 50 litres perperson per day, respectively. However, only 20 percent is taken as aloss to the system because about 80 percent returns to the systemas sewage.Water for foodAbout 48 percent of the TDPS system area is being used foragriculture; 4.4 percent for crop production, 21.7 percent for grazing,14.9 percent for grazing-forestry and 7 percent for other uses.Most of the crop production area is located in the areassurrounding Lake Titicaca. However, only 17 percent of the totalarea is truly suitable for crop production. Therefore, soil erosion anddegradation are a major concern. Excessive property fragmentationis another common problem throughout the system. Thisfragmentation causes low crop productivity because farmers are notable to use technology to increase their crop yield.Forestry takes up only 3 percent of the basin. Native brushescover 2.3 percent of this area and 0.7 percent is formed bymodified forest comprising native trees called Kiwiña (Polylepis sp).Irrigated land represents about 19,444 hectares, of which10,960 lie on the Bolivian side and 8,484 lie in Peru. Taking intoconsideration the combined needs of water for irrigation projects,crops and potential irrigation areas, the water available for irrigationpurposes has been estimated at 7,379 litres per second, mainlytaken from surface resources.In contrast with water for basic needs, water for irrigationrepresents a significant loss for the system. Most of the water usedfor irrigation goes to the atmosphere through evaporation andtranspiration processes, and only 25 percent returns to the system.