Global reservoir volumes fell during the last 20 years despite a construction boom that drove up storage capacity, a new study showed, suggesting that new dams will not be enough to solve growing strain on the world's water supplies.
Satellite data showed that water sequestered in 7,245 reservoirs across the world fell from 1999 to 2018, despite a 28 cubic kilometer annual increase in capacity, a study published by Nature Communications said.
Climate change was a "critical factor" in reducing reservoir efficiency, said lead author Huilin Gao of Texas A&M University, but rising water demand also played a role.