1 Introduction & Water Basics

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• The uneven distribution of water resources over time and space and the way human activity is affecting that distribution today are fundamental sources of water crises in many parts of the world
• Climate change is superimposed on the complex hydrologic landscape, making its signal difficult to isolate and its influence felt throughout the water supply, demand and buffering system

Question 2

Hydrosphere

Answer 2

A region containing all the water in the atmosphere and on the surface of the earth in the form of solid ice, liquid, or gas.

Question 3

Mention 5 parts of the hydrological cycle

see figure on 
# lecture 1 slide 25

Answer 3

• Condensation (formation of clouds)
• Precipitation (rain, snow, hail)
• Infiltration (soil moisture, groundwater recharge)
• Runoff
• Evaporation & Transpiration (Evapo Transpiration)

Question 4

Mention 5 Water Classification!

Answer 4

• Blue water
• Green water
• White water
• Grey water
• Black water

Where this water can be found, how it is used, how important it is for users. We always don’t have competition for each water type by all users.

Question 5

Water Classification:

Blue water

Answer 5

Liquid water moving above and below the ground, includes surface water and groundwater, moves through the landscape, can be reused until it reaches the sea

Question 6

Water Classification:

Green water

Answer 6

Soil moisture that generated from rainfall that infiltrates the soil and is available for uptake by plants and evapo transpiration.

Question 7

Water Classification:

White water

Answer 7

Non productive part of green water, water that evaporates directly into the atmosphere without having been used productively and includes losses from open water and soil surfaces

Question 8

Water Classification:

Grey water

Answer 8

Usually wastewater, may be poor in quality, but usable for some purpose

Question 9

Water Classification:

Black water

Answer 9

Heavily polluted (usually with microbes) as to be harmful (to humans and ecosystems) or at least economically unusable

Question 10

What drives Blue Water Scarcity?

Answer 10

• Demand driven
Demand high in relation to the amount of water available

• Population driven
Pressure on physically available amount, leading to per capita shortages

• Climate driven
Insufficient rainfall means limited run off

• Pollution driven
Water quality degraded to point that it becomes unusable

Question 11

Green Water Scarcity - Classic Cause for Famines (kelaparan)

be able to describe the figure on 
# lecture 1 slide 38

Answer 11

• Too little rain to allow plant production
• Too high evaporation leaving soils dry
• Problems with infiltration, rainfalls, runs off
• Soils with poor water holding capacity, water percolates through the soil into groundwater

Note:
1) Green water scarcity is very important when we talk about food security because it is a type of water we need to produce plants.

2) Water scarcity is not necessarily related only to drinking water but rather about food security and cropping

Question 12

Describe hydrological cycle

Note: you should be able to describe these related aspects

Answer 12

Blue water source (e.g. from stream, river, lake, ocean) and green water (from plants’ transpiration) evaporate due to solar radiation and turn into clouds by condensation process. After the dew point achieved, the clouds will precipitate on the earth’s surface. Some water will directly back evaporate or unable to be used productively by plants (white water), some water infiltrates into the soil and will be taken up and used by plants productively (green water), or become runoff that flows to the water bodies (blue water). Evapotranspiration from blue and green water will occur once again and the hydrological cycle repeats.