Population density, land degradation and the water resource in tropical islands

Why is water a rapidly diminishing resource in many parts of the world? How do social and economic processes effect water supplies? What is the relationship between environmental factors and socio-economic processes? Research from the University of Hull examines the links between population density, forest removal, land degradation and water scarcity in Barbados, Antigua and St. Vincent. Demand for water on all three islands is increasing, while supplies are diminishing. Climate change and land degradation have had negative effects on the water supply which are being reinforced by economic and political processes, including the promotion of tourism for development. This research report attempts to bridge the gap between social and natural sciences by examining how interaction between social and environmental processes structure demands for water. Research findings include: severe water shortages are increasingly evident on all three islands; the overall situation is becoming worse, not better; temperatures are rising and rainfall diminishing, possibly as a result of climate change; environmental degradation from agricultural over-exploitation is reducing the amount of available water demand for water is increasing for agricultural purposes as well as non-agricultural, for example, industry, tourism and modern housing; recurrent drought is an overwhelming issue on all three islands and drives up water costs and the conflict of interest in water between agriculturists and developers; forty percent of the world's population is experiencing 'water stress' due to processes very similar to those described above, implying that the issues are not confined to the Caribbean alone. (author's abstract)