UK water scientists do not look next door at a country with 5.5 million litres of drinkable water per person, 40 times that where they are in London and nearly 4 000 times that globally

Professor John Robertson OBA

The Guardian today has the above and:

Vast swathes of Europe’s water reserves are drying up, a new analysis using two decades of satellite data reveals, with freshwater storage shrinking across southern and central Europe, from Spain and Italy to Poland and parts of the UK. Scientists at University College London (UCL), working with Watershed Investigations and the Guardian, analysed 2002–24 data from satellites, which track changes in Earth’s gravitational field.

As per usual, UCL scientists, despite often vacationing, here did not think to look at Scotland’s water supplies.

Before comparing with the world, how much more fresh water does Scotland have than in England where UCL gets its tap water?

Scotland’s Loch Ness alone contains 7,452 million cubic meters of water, which is more than the combined volume of all lakes and reservoirs in England and Wales.

https://www.environment.gov.scot/our-environment/water/scotland-s-freshwater/ https://www.nature.scot/landscapes-and-habitats/habitat-types/lochs-rivers-and-wetlands/freshwater-lochs

England and Wales, by contrast, have far fewer natural lakes, with reservoirs like Rutland Water (12.5 km²) and Kielder Reservoir being among the largest, but their total volume is significantly less than Scotland’s.

http://www.fao.org/3/T0798E16.htm

Scotland’s water reserves are estimated at 5,500,000 liters per person, compared to England’s 134,000 litres per person, highlighting a vast disparity due to Scotland’s smaller population (around 5.5 million) and abundant resources compared to England’s larger population (around 56 million). Scotland is often cited as having around 90% of the UK’s freshwater resources, largely due to its extensive loch system and higher rainfall (averaging 1,500–3,000 mm annually compared to England’s lower averages, particularly in the south).

https://www.studycountry.com/wiki/does-scotland-have-more-fresh-water-than-england 

https://www.thenational.scot/news/19515230.big-corporations-could-make-scotlands-water-next-oil/

Globally?

According to the US Geological Study, there’s around 1 200 to 1 500 litres of drinkable accessible water per person globally: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-much-natural-water-there

Scots have around 3 666 times as much.

What could we do with that?

What it be immoral of us to sell it? The only country to ever not sell it valuable resources?

6 thoughts on “UK water scientists do not look next door at a country with 5.5 million litres of drinkable water per person, 40 times that where they are in London and nearly 4 000 times that globally”

  1. ”Water , water everywhere nor any drop to drink ” – while the Ancient Mariner was cursed with water that couldn’t be drunk , Scotland has an abundance .

    Like our renewable wind energy this is another resource which , as time ticks away , makes an Independent Scotland even richer ( potentially ) – but only if we , like the Ancient Mariner , can be freed from the cursed albatross – in our case , England !

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  3. Whilst getting your point, perhaps a slightly more sobering one, where are we when it all evaporates ? – We may not live long enough to see it, but generations who succeed us may, if we don’t break ties with the profit based suicide jockeys in London.

    I confess to irritation over with my emphasis in bold “…with freshwater storage shrinking across southern and central Europe, from Spain and Italy to Poland and parts of the UK “

    The “ parts of the UK ” were known 50 years ago even to the Grauniad, and the were very well known by HMG who did next to bugger all about it bar build one RO plant at Beckton rather than build 60 plus along the South Coast of England, complete with the then favoured nuclear plants to run them.

    That 1970s analysis was based on population and consumption stats for southern england, long before climate change entered the conversation – In modern times Rishi de Rich built a swimming pool whilst less than a hundred miles away a hosepipe had run 24/7/365…

    So can we please not kid ourselves that Scots are exempt from what would appear to be happening a la Tetchy Price et al – This is not only down to Richard Tice and Nigel Farago, it is every single MP in the HoC who did sod all about it since ‘there is no such thing as society’ Thatcher….

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  5. Too much plastic being used. Changing to different containers – cartons. Biodegradable. Still the same price. Or reuseable containers.

    There is enough water in the world. Mass hysteria. To get grants and funding. Keeping scientific research members in the money. Gag. Manipulation.

    The population will peak and fall. 8Billion going down. World population will fall. Less pressure on resources. As long as equally distributed. Not over taxed etc.

    Scotland has the best water in the world. Not densely populated. Migration. Westminster destructive policies.
    Too many crammed into London S/E. The North/South divide. Resources going South causing inequality.

    Scotland the best water in the world. Essential to life. Salinisation in the rest of the world. Really hot. Water needed,

    London water wasted, recycled 8 times, Not good or hygenic. Not the best in the world.

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