Human activity is disrupting the freshwater cycle, here's how to change that

Jul 1, 2022

Radiation from the sun evaporates green water in the soil, cooling the environment and returning moisture to the atmosphere where it forms clouds and rain. Image: Unsplash/ Md. Hasanuzzaman Himel

Arne Tobian

PhD Candidate in Planetary Boundaries, Stockholm University

Dieter Gerten

Working Group Leader, Terrestrial Safe Operating Space, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Lan Wang Erlandsson

Researcher and Theme leader, Anthropocene Dynamics, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University

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By including green water in our assessment, we found that freshwater’s ability to sustain a stable Earth system is even more threatened than first reported. Image: Azote/Stockholm Resilience Centre

Deforestation can halt the flow of green water in the hydrological cycle. Image: Unsplash/Karsten Winegeart

Explicitly governing green water and its protection in policy and legal frameworks may also be necessary. Image: EPA-EFE/Rajat Gupta

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