14. Strategies To Increase Water Supply And Environmental Impacts

Question 1

What are 3 small scale strategies to increase water supply?

Answer 1

1. River catchment management (Holnicote Somerset)
2. Rainwater harvesting (Water Aid)
3. Fog nets (Atacama Desert, Chile)

Question 2

How does river catchment management in Holnicote, Somerset increase water supply?

Question 3

How do fog nets in the Atacama Desert, Chile increase water supply?

Answer 3

• Captures more than 1500 litres of water by capturing moisture from the fog
• At least 30 native species of plants grow in this area due to fog nets

Question 4

What factors need to be considered relating to fog nets?

Answer 4

• concentrates water downwards - crops will flourish beneath the fog nets

Question 5

What factors need to be considered relating to beaver reintroduction?

Answer 5

• Soft management technique
• Beavers help to retain the surface water
• Enhances rewilding

Question 6

Where is the highest demand for water in China?

Answer 6

Beijing (lots of industry in the North)

Question 7

Where is the highest supply of water in China?

Answer 7

South East of China

Question 8

Large scale strategies to increase water supplies: Describe the California State Water Project

Answer 8

Water is diverted from the Feather river to the Central Valley, South Bay Area and Southern California. (444 mile long aqueduct)

Question 9

Large scale strategies to increase water supplies:
Describe the South to North Water Transfer Project, China.

Answer 9

A transfer channel which transports 45 billion cubic meters of water annually from the Yangtze River in Southern China to northern regions through three canal systems.

Question 10

How long is the South to North Water Transfer project in China?

Question 11

How expensive is the South to North water transfer project in China?

Answer 11

$79 billion

Question 12

How much of China’s water consumption is provided by the South to North Water Transfer Project?

Answer 12

7%

Question 13

What were the drawbacks of the South to North Water Transfer Project in China?

Answer 13

• Pollution from factories along the Eastern Route may render the water unfit to drink
• 350,000 residents relocated for the expansion of the Danjiangkou reserviour

Question 14

Give an example of a permanent reservior.

Answer 14

The Three Gorges Dam - HEP, flood control and water supplies (stores 5 trillion gallons of water)

Question 15

Describe the China Three Gorges Dam permanent storage reservior.

Answer 15

• Produces 85 billion kilowatt hours a year by 2009
• More than 1 million people have been resettled
• 60,000 acres of farmland flooded