5.7 Flashcards
What is the pattern throughout the world shown through population density and freshwater supply?
Areas with higher population tend to have less freshwater supply, meaning the population doesn’t have water available, creating insecurity
Global mismatch between supply and demand
Where has economic water scarcity?
S.America, central Africa and parts of Asia due to the fact they are developing countries
Where has physical water scarcity?
Mostly along along the equator due to where the hadley and feral cell meet there is high pressure
What is water stress?
below 1700m3 of water per person per day
E.g. India has 1036m3
What is water scarcity?
below 1000m3 of water per person per day
What are the types of scarcity?
Physical scarcity- caused by climate and landscape
Economic scarcity- to do with people, cant afford E.g. Haiti
How does over abstraction cause water insecurity?
over abstraction from rivers, lakes and aquifers –> this can cause saltwater encroachment meaning took too much groundwater and saltwater moves in, contaminating supplies and increase insecurity
What does eutrophication mean?
chemicals enter the water meaning plants die this reduces oxygen for fish, killing the fish
How does water contamination from agriculture increase water insecurity?
Water contamination from agriculture –> chemicals and pesticides leaches through ground to the store contaminating it, increasing water insecurity as supplies are reduced. E.g. Declining water in Aral sea, Kazakhstan.
How does industrial pollution create water insecurity?
Industrial pollution –> waste and chemicals into the water from surface runoff and dumping, it becomes contaminated causing eutrophication and increases water insecurity.
–> another way is through fracking, which requires water and if go too deep it can contaminate groundwater and reduce supplies
E.g. 45% of industrial waste dumped into Yangtze river, China
What are the 3 human causes of water insecurity?
Over abstraction, water contamination from agriculture, industrial pollution
What are the 2 physical causes of water insecurity?
climate variability and saltwater encroachment
How does climate variability increase insecurity?
-locations determine if high or low pressure such as the equator where the Hadley and feral cell meet are high pressure
-Seasons of dry and wet impact
-if there’s less precipitation, less infiltration and less groundwater store
E.g. Rajasthan, India
How does natural saltwater encroachment increase insecurity?
-flooding, tsunamis and high tides causes this
-saltwater seeps into groundwater through infiltration there is then a lack of available freshwater
What is the future of water insecurity like?
-increasing population means more demand, 80+ million a year
-improved living standards means rising incomes and consumption, indirect consumption
-industrialisation, global water demand in industry increase 400% from 2000->2050
-agriculture is the largest consumer of water and by 2050 will need to provide 60% more food due to growing population
