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Alabama
Alabama's current population is almost 4.5 million and is projected to increase to about 5.2 million in 2025. The state's freshwater resources will be increasingly tapped for urban residential or industrial uses, irrigation, the prevention of saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers, and the maintenance of healthy aquatic ecosystems. Competing demands on limited water resources due to population and economic growth will increase freshwater management challenges with or without climate change. However, climate change would cause additional stress to the situation. Any change in rainfall, evaporation, groundwater recharge rates, and runoff patterns would affect ecosystems and all users of fresh water. For example:
More on Alabama: Introduction | Climate Projections | Human Health | Agriculture & Forestry | Freshwater Resources | Biodiversity & Land Conservation | Fisheries | Coastal Development | AL Resources & Links Photo Credits: Alabama Canebrake pitcher plant - Threatened & Endangered Species of Alabama. R. Johnson & B. Wehrle; www.pfmt.org. Fish River - NOAA Photo Library. Mobil River and harbor - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, G. Edwards. |
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