Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
HESS
Articles | Volume 21, issue 7
Articles | Volume 21, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3455-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3455-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Articles | Volume 21, issue 7
Opinion article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
12 Jul 2017
Opinion article | Highlight paper |  | 12 Jul 2017

HESS Opinions: A planetary boundary on freshwater use is misleading

Maik Heistermann

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In 2009, the "planetary boundaries" were introduced. They consist of nine global control variables and corresponding "thresholds which, if crossed, could generate unacceptable environmental change". The idea has been very successful, but also controversial. This paper picks up the debate with regard to the boundary on "global freshwater use": it argues that such a boundary is based on mere speculation, and that any exercise of assigning actual numbers is arbitrary, premature, and misleading.
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HESS Opinions 2017