Water is an essential requirement for all life, and the most important global integrator connecting aquatic andterrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere in a continuing cycle of use and replenishment. Humans use freshwatersystems to address the widest range of human health and socioeconomic development needs. Lakes and reservoirsare especially important in this context, numbering in the millions and existing on every continent (the term ‘lakes’refers to both natural and artificial lakes [reservoirs]). The total number of lakes on our planet collectively coverapproximately 4.2 million km2 of land area, equivalent to half the land area of the contiguous United States. It isestimated that more than 90 per cent of all the liquid freshwater on the surface of our planet is located in lakes,reservoirs, wetlands and other lentic (standing) water systems.
Published: December 2016
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Volume2_Transboundary Lakes and Reservoirs_Status and Trends.pdf | 6 MB | 19-01-2017 |