5.7 causes of water insecurity

Question 1

7a) supply and demand mismatch

Answer 1

60% of water resources come from 10 countries
high water resources are found generally at high latitudes and the ITCZ
Canada, Russia, Brazil: supply high, withdrawal low
parts of Africa: supply low, withdrawal low
N. Africa, Middle East, supply low, withdrawal high
USA, Australia: supply high, withdrawal high

often not distributed evenly to areas that need it (eg Australia: 95% of precipitation is lost through evapotranspiration)

Question 2

7b) causes of water insecurity

Answer 2

1. physical
   - climate variability (annual precipitation: low unreliable rainfall)
   - evaporation and evapotranspiration
   - countries far away from oceans with continental climates
   - saltwater encroachment at the coast
2. human
   - contamination of water (agricultural, industrial and domestic pollution)
   - over abstraction from rivers, lakes and aquifers and the acute need to replenish these dwindling stores

EXACERBATED BY GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Question 3

7c) why is demand for water rising

Answer 3

1. population growth
2. economic development
   - increases demand fro water in almost all economic activities (agriculture/ industry/ energy/ services)
3. rising living standards
   - increase in per capita consumption for drinking, cooking, bathing also washing machines/ dishwashers

Question 4

7c) what is increasing risk of water insecurity

Answer 4

1. diminishing supply
   - climate change
   - declining quality (from pollution)
2. rising demands
   - popn. growth
   - economic development
3. competing demands from users (within a a basin)
   - international issues
   - upstream vs downstream

Question 5

7a) what is water security

Answer 5

the capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality of water for maintaining a range of social, economic, environmental and political needs

(livelihoods, well-being, socio- econ. development, protection against pollution, water related disasters and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability)

Question 6

7a) rate of water use

Answer 6

growing TWICE the rate of the population in the last century
79% of world live in emerging countries!!!!