Table 1.1: Impact of water use sectors on water resources
Positive Impacts Negative Impacts
Environment
• Purification
• Storage
• Hydrological cycle
Agriculture
• Return flows
• Increased infiltration
• Decreased erosion
• Grondwater recharge
• Nutrient recycling • Depletion
• Pollution
• Salinisation
• Water logging
• Erosion
Water supply & sanitation • Nutrient recycling • High level of water security required
• Surface and groundwater pollution