4b- global implications of water and carbon management Flashcards
how does afforestation protect the carbon cycle
planting trees increases carbon store in the biosphere and decreases CO2 in the atmosphere. Also decreases flood risk, soil erosion and increases biodiversity.
protecting primary forests is a cheap way of reducing GHG, the UN Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) incentivises countries to preserve their rainforest by putting value on the conservation
how does improving agricultural techniques protect the carbon cycle
over-cultivation/grazing - soil erosion and CO2 in the atmosphere. Farming produces 100 million tonnes/yr of CH4, it’s emitted from flooded rice fields and the decomposition of manure. Using manure management can control how it decomposes and reduce CH4 emissions
Growing crops without ploughing keeps the store of carbon in the soil as ploughing means the organic content of the soil is oxidised. polyculture- growing crops with trees interspersed means that the soil is bound all year round due to the trees so there is less soil erosion
AO2- small scale, will make a difference but wont reverse amounts of coal being burnt, little incentive for farmers- in AC government could incentivise farmers, going to reduce crop production so will earn less- too small scale
how does wetland restoration protect the carbon cycle
Wetlands contain 35% of the terrestrial carbon pool but only 6-9% of the earth’s surface are wetlands, New York and Netherlands, dartmoor, used to be wetlands and when they are waterlogged the carbon is stored. Humans drained them and built on them- wetlands not very helpful for humans as you cant farm/live on them, to restore them need to trap the water in .
Increasing population and urbanisation puts pressure on them decreasing biodiversity and habitats, and CO2 and CH4 are released into the atmosphere.
In the UK 400 Ha of farmland are being converted into wetlands. Coastal areas can be restored by breaching sea defences
AO2- easy to do just need to block the water, conflict over land use- hard to convince people who live on places that used to be wetlands to move, in summerset levels would have to stop farming. Only appropriate in places that had wetlands
how does reducing emissions protect the carbon cycle
Kyoto protocol- rich countries agreed to decrease CO2 but the biggest pollutants like china and India were excluded. Paris agreement in 2015 aimed to decrease CO2 emissions by 60% of 2010 levels and global temperature change to less than 2 degrees but the targets were not legally bonding
some countries rely on fossil fuels for development
AO2-only one tackling the cause, best strategy in theory, biggest emitters don’t agree to international agreements as they want to grow economy – China, US. Cap and trade in theory is good but only doing it on a EU scale and often countries get things made in other countries so their emissions are lower. Not mandatory to sign agreements, often discussions are about adapting rather than reducing emissions- coal is the most polluting and cheapest
what is cap and trade and how does it protect the carbon cycle
international market approach to CO2 emission. Businesses are allocated annual CO2 quota and they recieve carbon credits if they emit less which can be traded on international markets
if quotas are exceeded they have to buy carbon credits
credits are awarded to countries for schemes like afforestation and wetland restoration
how does improving forestry techniques protect the water cycle
UN reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation(REDD+), as well as the World Bank’s Forest carbon partnership fund, protects tropical forests. Aids LIDC to restore forests
Brazil- support from the UN, World Bank, and WWF to protect its forests. Stabilises water cycle, reduces flooding due to lack of interception. Keeps EVTP going and therefore rainfall
AO2- takes up lots of room, conflict over land use means its hard to plant lots of trees, growing population , takes ages for them to grow, requires long term commitment to planting and protecting them, drainage basin scale
how does water allocation protect the water cycle
Water wastage occurs through evaporation and inefficient water management, drip irrigation which leaks water from pipes running in or on the soil.
In areas of water scarcity like the US, Colorado basin water agreements divide up resources between places- allocated to California, Arizona, Utah and new mexico. Didn’t reach the sea for a few years- water scarcity.
AO2- works for a small number of people and when there isn’t water in a drought or floods so needs a steady input of water, if new people come into the area makes this harder – populations growing in developing countries, cotton farming in Pakistan and india which is a water intensive farming method
how does drainage basin planning protect the water cycle (run off)
rapid run off is controlled by reforestation programmes in upland catchments, reducing artificial drainage and adding permeable surfaces in urban areas like green roofs and gardens
A02- more appropriate in some places than others, drainage basin planning happening on a drainage basin scale often quite small- stuff happening in water cycle in one place wouldn’t impact stuff happening in other drainage basins very much, easier in AC- police to monitor, easier when river is in one country- Pakistan and India. Most significant as the other two are part of it
how does drainage basin planning protect the water cycle (surface stores)
improved by conserving and restoring wetlands including temporary storage on flood plains
how does drainage basin planning protect the water cycle (groundwater)
Groundwater levels are maintained by limiting abstraction and by artificial recharge where water is injected into aquifers via boreholes.
each district has a river basin management plan. The plan sets targets in relation to, e.g., water quality, abstraction rates and floodplain development.
