3.2

Question 1

WEF Nexus

Answer 1

the interrelationships between water, energy and food resource systems

Question 2

water (wef interactions)

Answer 2

agriculture = 70% of global freshwater withdrawals

fracking is water intensive

dams for hydro E = lower river flow in some places

Question 3

food (wef interactions)

Answer 3

water scarcity = agriculture threatened

biofuel production is growing, land used for it could have been used for agriculture

oil spills = marine pollution

Question 4

energy (wef interactions)

Answer 4

food production and supply = 30% of world E

biofuel production, wind turbines = less land available for growing food

pollution from E production can ruin farmland

Question 5

water scarcity

Answer 5

when annual supply of water available per person is below 1000 cumecs

Question 6

energy pathways

Answer 6

flows of energy that link producer regions w consumer regions

Question 7

climate change and water

Answer 7

more frequent extreme weather events (eg droughts) -> desertification, land degradation. less water = less food and energy (no crops or biomass)

Question 8

climate change and food

Answer 8

for some societies could trigger shift from transitory food insecurity to chronic food insecurity

heat stress in livestock

drought -> desertification

less crop yields

reliance on irrigation

higher probability of fire

lower fish stock due to increased temp

Question 9

transitory food insecurity

Answer 9

short term, temporary. experienced naturally in some places with less rainfall. can be overcome with planning (storing harvests for dry seasons)

Question 10

chronic food insecurity

Answer 10

long term. cant meet minimum food requirements over sustained period of time

Question 11

climate change and energy

Answer 11

some energy companies make use of massive seasonal runoff from ice stores. climate change = reduced amount of ice left to melt for hydroelectric power

changes in wind patters, cloud cover, rainfall -> may impact renewable E

harder to grow biofuels, more irrigation water needed (hence poorer water security)

higher energy supply pressure as its increasingly needed for air con and water desalinisation

Question 12

political uncertainty over continued use of fossil fuel energy supplies due to climate change

Answer 12

climate change mitigation may lead to governments investing more money in renewable energy

governments may be more willing to permit fracking, despite it threatening water security, as gas has less co2 emissions than coal