5.9 Water insecurity- the consequences Flashcards
What are the three causes of water scarcity?
lack of availability: climate and physical scarcity - topography, geology and continentality
access (or lack of): freedom of use, income to buy, water in a particular location - usually comes down to the failure of institutions to ensure a reliable water supply
Utilisation- inadequate infrastructure due to financial constraints and understanding of water health and sanitation
What is physical scarcity?
Insufficient water to meet demand, determined by climate, continentality, geology, topography and climate change
What is economic scarcity?
People cannot afford water even if it’s available - associated with developing countries that lack capital, good governance and technology
How will climate change affect the natural water balance and availability?
-Changes in pattern and frequency will affect the recharging of water stores
-Increases in temperature will increase evaporation and transpiration rates
Who now tends to have control over water and how has this changed the price?
In many places, water services are now privatised and controlled by large companies rather than the government. This means consumers now have to pay more for water supplies - to provide profit to companies.
What factors will affect the price of water?
Government policies
Water scarcity in the location and the degree of water demand
Who is the supplier
Physical costs of obtaining the supply
Insufficient infrastructure
What’s an example of government policies affecting the price of water?
Denmark has the world’s most expensive water. The government aims to cut water consumption through high pricing, by passing on all costs to the consumer
Where’s an example of the supplier of water making the price high and a place to compare this to where the price is low?
Barranquilla supplies water in Colombia, making the price high. On the other hand, in Cuba, the government subsidises water to ensure supplies are available to all
What is an example of where the physical costs of obtaining water are high?
In LA, water has to be piped 242 miles from Colorado making it more expensive
How does a lack of supply (scarcity) and a the degree of water demand affect the price? What problems does this cause and where has this happened?
Where water is scarce -e.g. because of drought in California - the price increases to manage demand. This inevitably means the poor miss out. For example in Detroit and New York, many poor don’t have direct water supplies to their home
How does insufficient infrastructure make water prices high and where has this been an issue?
In the developing world mega cities, poor people living in slums have to rely on water tankers, stand pipes and bottled water. In Manilla, the costs from informal vendors are often 4x higher than standard tap connections, but are twice the quality
What’s an example of the price of water varying between developed countries?
In Canada, where supplying water still lies within the public sector, charges to consumers are 80% less than in Germany
What’s an example of water conflict caused by the privatisation and therefore high prices of water?
Cochabamba – Bolivia’s Water Wars, 1999
In 1999, Agua del Tunari took over the Bolivian city of Cochabamba’s water system. The company immediately raised the price of water supplies so that they cost 20% of the average income of Cochabamba’s urban poor. People protested for 4 days - and one was killed - which led to the government cancelling the contract
What is water scarcity like in Mexico City?
Mexico city uses more water than any other city in the world, but many must get their water from trucks, as they cannot trust taps. However, it can take up to a month for water trucks to arrive. People must use the water they have 3-4 times over and spend as much as 20% of income on it, with people resorting to collecting rainwater from roofs. Protests occur in times of water shortages and truck drivers can be kidnapped
What is the water poverty index?
Developed in 2002 to monitor progress and prioritise water needs in response to UN MDGs that address poverty and water access
Based on 5 components – each given a score up to 20, resulting in a max score of 100
What are the 5 components of the water poverty index?
Resource - Physical availability, quality and total amount available
Environmental factors - The ability to sustain nature and ecosystems
Handling capacity - Effective management, infrastructure, income
access - Distance from safe water for drinking, cooking, irrigation & industrial uses
use - For domestic, agricultural, industrial uses
