CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE


17


650


Barley Litres per 500 grams


650


Wheat Litres per 500 grams


1400


Sorghum Litres per 500 grams


2500


Italian millet Litres per 500 grams


750


Sugar cane Litres per 500 grams


650


Bread Litres per 500 grams


2500


Burger Litres per 500 grams


4650


Beef cattle Litres per 500 grams


90


Tea Litres per 500 grams


840


Coffee Litres per 500 grams


1000


Milk Litres per 500 grams


2500


Cheese Litres per 500 grams


Figure 8: A summary of the water footprints of major agricultural products Buffering against floods


Floods are caused by heavy rainfall, severe winds over water, unusually high tides, tsunamis, or the failure of dams, levees, retention ponds or other structures used to contain water. The Asia-Pacific region is known to be prone to natural disasters (UNESCAP 2016), which can cause substantial loss and damage. For instance, the loss and damage from flood events are immense for poor communities in Nepal, a nation that experiences frequent floods due to its varied topography and torrential rain during monsoon seasons (Devkot and Karmacharya 2014). Since 1980, national estimates indicate that flood events in Nepal have on average each killed about 200 people (UNDP 2009).


Freshwater bodies, floodplains, wetlands (Figure 9) and river zones, not only function as habitats; they are also effective natural flood controls (Palmer and Richardson 2009; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board 2005). Each habitat regulates the rate of water flow from land to freshwater bodies, and the vegetation on intact floodplains and along riverbanks act as buffers against floods. Without these flood control services, the frequency and magnitude of flooding are greatly increased (Box 6; Palmer and Richardson 2009).


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