5.8 Consequences and Risks Associated With Water Insecurity Flashcards
5.8a Water scarcity
Physical water scarcity
what are the conditions for physical water scarcity?
physical water scarcity occurs when more than 75% of a country’s or a region’s blue water flows are being used
this currently applies to around 25% of the world’s population
Water-scarce countries are clustered in the Middle East and North Africa, and regionally in some large countries, such s North East China and parts of the Great Plains of the USA
5.8a Water scarcity
Economic water scarcity
economic water scarcity occurs when the development of blue water sources is limited by lack of capital, technology and good governance
Around 1 billion people currently have satisfactory physical availability but can only access 25% of the water supplies because of the high levels of poverty prevalent in these developing countries
5.8a Water scarcity
Price of water
The cost of supplying water varies significantly between developed and developing nations across the world.
5.8a Water scarcity
Factors affecting the price of water
The construction and maintenance of infrastructure that also dispose of and treat used dirty water. Such services are expensive and therefore difficult for many developing nations to provide, especially in ares of poverty and high population density. Massive urban growth has outgrown the limited infrastructure that was originally installed in colonial governments because the cities were small at the time. This means that government pass the responsibility for modernising the ageing water infrastructure over to private companies.
The privatisation of water supplies allows TNCs to control water prices by monopolising the market. During the 1980’s the World Bank and IMF gave loans that required many developing countries to privatise their water supply system, in the hope that competition would reduce costs. However, as a result, consumers have had to pay significantly higher charges for their water supplies. CASE STUDY ON BOLIVIA
The government attitudes can cause changes to prices of water, for example through taxes and tariffs as well as government subsidies. Denmark has the world’s most expensive water because its government aims to cut water consumption through high water pricing- based on passing on all costs to the consumer. In Canada, where supplying water still lies within the public sector, charges to consumers are 80% less than in Germany. Ireland only began charging for water in 2012 and in 2016 water bills were 75% less than in the UK.
5.8b The importance of water supply
economic development
Water is an essential resource in the production of most types of goods and services, including food, energy and manufactured products, and so is needed to ensure economic stability.
Global water demand for economic development is increasing, particularly for manufacturing industry, where the demand is expected to increase by 400% 2000-2050, with the majority of this increase occurring in emerging economies and developing countries
5.8b The importance of water supply
economic development: industrial
Industrial water supply (quantity and quality) must be reliable and predictable to support financially sustainable investments in economic activities.
Over 20% of all freshwater withdrawals worldwide are for industrial and energy production.
Water pollution is a major problem associated with much of this industrial use of water. Many industrial process produce ‘grey water’ which is polluted and in-potable.
5.8b The importance of water supply
economic development: energy supply
Over half of the water use by energy production is either for generation HEP or as cooling water in thermal and nuclear power stations. This means that water is returned to its source virtually unchanged.
New fuels such as biofuels includes crops that require large volumes of water to grow, leading to rising concern about how these will be used in the future.
5.8b The importance of water supply
economic development: agriculture
Agriculture demands more than twice the total water withdrawal for industrial and domestic purposes.
Around 20% of the worlds land is under full irrigation. The majority of irrigation water is pumped directly from aquifers and is leading to massive groundwater depletion, especially in China, India, Pakistan and the USA.
5.8b The importance of water supply
human well-being: sanitation, health and food preparation
Polluted water can spread diseases (e.g. Cholera) and act as a breading ground for disease vectors (e.g. Mosquitoes). Therefore safe water is vital to human health, particularly in the context of washing and food preparation.
The spiral of well-being shows that improvements to wellbeing ultimately leads to reductions in poverty.
Improvements in water quality improve sanitation as well as personal and food hygiene. This improves school attendance, particularly attendance of girls who are often required to collect the water. This improves their education which improves their career opportunities, ultimately reducing poverty and breaking the cycle of poverty.
Improvements in water quality improve sanitation as well as personal and food hygiene. This improves health which reduces poverty.
5.8b The importance of water supply
environmental problems
Inadequate water supply will encourage people to over-exploit remaining water resources, leading to prolonged periods of drought and potentially desertification. LINK TO BRAZIL CASE STUDY
The disruption of ecosystems through urban sprawl and urbanisation, over-abstraction for agriculture, deforestation and pollution may undermine an environment’s capacity to sustain itself. The reduces their resilience, which accelerates water-quality degradation and reduces water availability.
5.8b The importance of water supply
economic problems
Freshwater ecosystems provide essential services for economic, social and environmental wellbeing. Wetlands reduce the occurrence of floods, sort water and provide other direct economic benefits su h as fisheries and recreation, yet half of them have been lost.
Most economic models do not value the essential services provided by freshwater ecosystems, partly because they are difficult to quantify, which may cause natural environments to be overlooked and lead to unsustainable use of water resources and then ecosystem degradation.
5.8c Conflicts over local and trans-boundary water sources
key facts
263 trans-boundary rivers/lakes, which account for 60% of global freshwater flow. 158 of these lack any type of cooperative management framework.
300 trans-boundary aquifers
40% of the worlds population lives within a river or lake drainage basin that extends over 2 or more countries
CASE STUDIES ON THESE
