Save room for the fish

Satisfying an increasingly thirsty world while protecting biodiversity is a daunting task. In many parts of the world, we are or will be facing a crisis in the basic human right of access to fresh water. Naturally, this creates a conflict with other species sharing our ecosystem, and like many problems, humans have engineered a solution – interbasin water transfers (IBWTs).  In planning and implementing such a solution, economic considerations often take precedence, while ecological consequences receive little attention. Is there a way to balance the needs of both human and non-human members of fresh water ecosystems?