4.2

Question 1

distribution of water

Answer 1

• The Atacama desert has low precipitation and Cherrapunji has extreme rainfall but dry seasons in Cherrapunji can cause water shortages –> great example of unequal freshwater distributions

Question 2

access to water issues

Answer 2

• between urban and rural areas –> urban areas have pipe systems and in rural areas water can be difficult to access
• between the rich and poor –> richer people have easier access to freshwater

Question 3

climate change impact

Answer 3

• already water-stressed areas in the mid-latitude will receive less precipitation
• high latitudes and equatorial areas may experience more precipitation

Question 4

define water stress vs water scarcity

Answer 4

• Water Stress: when demand exceeds the available supply over a certain time period or when the quality of the water restricts its use
• Water Scarcity: not enough water resources to meet demands

Question 5

why is there an increase in demand for water

Answer 5

• pop growth –> more water required for domestic use
• meat-based diet –> production of meat requires a lot of water
• growth of industry –> infrastructure to provide water resources

Question 6

river flows

Answer 6

• many river systems are shared between countries –> countries upstream control the water flow to downstream areas
• e.g. Nile river shared between 11 countries, Ethiopia wants to build a hydrological dam but Egypt is against this because it doesn’t want decrease in water income or quality

Question 7

nature of water scarcity

Answer 7

physical water scarcity
- inadequate water available to meet people’s needs
- due to low precipitation rates, access to rivers, and limited availability of renewable groundwater resources

economic water scarcity
- water available, but limited economic resources limit access
- no clean water supplies, lack of wells and filtration systems
- affects marginalized groups

Question 8

Nile River Water Conflict Case Study

Answer 8

• flows through 11 countries (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and others)
• Ethiopia wanted to build a hydrological dam and Sudan wasn’t happy about it because the incoming water would be limited and possibly polluted

Question 9

benefits and impacts of reservoirs

Answer 9

Benefits:
- generation of hydropower for electricity
- flood control –> used to capture floodwater so it doesn’t go downstream
Impacts:
- change in habitat –> area is flooded to become reservoir so change from terrestrial to aquatic (loss of ecosystems and habitats)
- relocation of people –> people living in area need to move out if area is getting flooded
- loss of fish migration roots –> dams walls can block migration roots of some fish

Question 10

use of greywater

Answer 10

• used water that is clean enough to be used again is used for toilet flushing or gardening
• reducing amount of water that needs to be processed

Question 11

increasing need for irrigation of crops how to reduce water demand?

Answer 11

by farming drought-resistant crops