Question

The map shows the percentages of available freshwater that humans withdrew from groundwater or surface water in 1995. In that year, the human population worldwide was 5.7 billion. By 2025, the human population is expected to reach 8 billion.



Suppose the map is updated after 2025. Which prediction about how the map will change is best supported by the data?

Multiple choice question.
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A)
South America and Australia will withdraw more than 40% of their available freshwater, changing their areas on the map to the darkest shade of gray.

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B)
Europe, Asia, and North America will withdraw 20 to 40% of their available freshwater, changing their areas of the map to a darker shade of gray.

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C)
All countries will reduce their freshwater needs, which means areas marked with dark shades of gray will change to the lightest shade of gray.

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D)
Freshwater needs will be met in other ways, which means the darkest shade of gray will no longer appear in any areas of the map.

Answer 1

The best-supported prediction about how the map will change is:

**B)** Europe, Asia, and North America will withdraw 20 to 40% of their available freshwater, changing their areas of the map to a darker shade of gray.

This prediction is reasonable given that as the population increases, the demand for freshwater is likely to rise in more developed regions where water usage may already be significant. However, it is less likely that all countries will reduce their freshwater needs (as suggested in options C and D) or that regions like South America and Australia will suddenly increase their withdrawal levels to over 40% (option A) without additional challenges or advancements in water resource management.