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SUSTAINABILITY. Comment on "Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet"
Fernando Jaramillo1, Georgia Destouni2
1Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden. Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden. fernando.jaramillo@natgeo.su.se.
Global freshwater use may exceed planetary boundaries. Recent scientific advances suggest current assessments underestimate the true impact of freshwater consumption on Earth's systems, indicating a potential boundary transgression.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Hydrology
- Sustainability Science
Background:
- Planetary boundaries framework assesses human impact on Earth systems.
- Previous assessments indicated global freshwater use was below the planetary boundary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate global freshwater use in light of recent scientific advances.
- To determine if global consumptive freshwater use has crossed the planetary boundary.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of recent scientific literature on freshwater use.
- Analysis of consumptive water use data and planetary boundary thresholds.
Main Results:
- Recent advances suggest global consumptive freshwater use may exceed the established planetary boundary.
- Previous assessments may have underestimated the extent of freshwater consumption impacts.
Conclusions:
- The planetary boundary for freshwater use may have already been crossed.
- Further research is needed to refine global freshwater use assessments and boundary definitions.
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