Manual - International Environmental Technology Centre

4.A HOW URBANIZATION AND INDUSTRIES INFLUENCE WATER QUALITY
Quantification of pollution is necessary for evaluation
of environment quality and elaboration of a
successful strategy for water quality improvement.
Reduction of threats resulting from pollution is
always the first step to implement ecological measures
in IWM.
The objective of this chapter is to:
introduce possible treats resulting from the
impacts of urbanization, industrialization and
agriculture;
give a review of the assessment procedures
for point and non-point pollution and identification
of „hotspots” in a catchment.
IMPACT OF URBANIZATION, INDUSTRIALIZATION
AND AGRICULTURE ON WATER RESOURCES
In the next decades, water shortages resulting from
both a lowering of water quantity and quality will
be the most urgent problem for 80% of the world’s
population. Development of agriculture, industry
and urbanization will result in increasing water
use, generate more pollutants from both munici-
Fig. 4.1
Urban sprawl often creates poverty belts
that heavily impinge on water quality
(photo: V. Santiago-Fandino)
pal and industrial uses of water, and contribute to
the decline of water resources quality. This may
result in the limitation of water resource use by
people living downstream, as well as very often
degradation of the whole basin-river-reservoir system
occurs. Box 4.1 presents an overview of the
key sources of pollution impacting fresh waters.
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Surveys & Assessments: Landscape