A-Level Geography: The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity CASE STUDY EXAMPLES

Question 1

WATER CYCLE: EL NINO

OCCURENCE OF EL NINO

Answer 1

El Niño events usually occur every 3-7 years, and usually last for 18 months. El Niño events can trigger very dry conditions throughout the world. For example, the monsoon rains in India and South East Asia often fail.

Question 2

WATER CYCLE: EL NINO

AUSTRALIA 2006: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Answer 2

• In 2006, southern Australia had an extremely low rainfall season, the lowest since 1990.
• This caused the River Murray to dry up in places, reducing food production, social well-being and water supply for locals.

Question 3

WATER CYCLE: EL NINO

AUSTRALIA 2006: ECONOMIC IMPACT

Answer 3

• The basin is often referred to as Australia’s food basket, as agriculture here is a key economic activity and the area contains 1/2 of Australia’s arable land and 70% of its population.
• Six million sheep died as a result of the drought whilst thousands migrated away from the Murray Darling Basin.

Question 4

WATER CYCLE: EL NINO

AUSTRALIA 2006: CONTEXT

Answer 4

The Murray-Darling basin covers 14% of Australia and provides 3/4 of the water consumed nationally.

Question 5

WATER CYCLE: EL NINO

SOCIAL IMPACTS FOUND IN THE 2014-15 BRAZIL DROUGHT

Answer 5

• The depletion of Brazil’s 17 largest reservoirs to dangerously low levels (see Figure 2)-some down to just 1% of capacity.
• Increased groundwater abstraction, which led aquifers to become dangerously low.
• Water rationing for 4 million people; water supplies were cut off for three days a week in some towns.

Question 6

WATER CYCLE: EL NINO

ECONOMIC IMPACTS FOUND IN THE 2014-15 BRAZIL DROUGHT

Answer 6

• The halting of HEP production, led to power cuts. Around 70% of Brazil’s electric generation (66%).
• A reduced crop of Arabica coffee beans (Brazil is the world’s largest producer of these). which pushed up global coffee prices by 50%.

Question 7

WATER CYCLE: EL NINO

HUMAN CAUSES/EXACERBATION FOR DROUGHT IN THE 2014-15 BRAZIL DROUGHT

Answer 7

• Water becomes scarcer as seen with the Sao Paulo state’s industries increasingly using groundwater supplies as rivers ran dry.
• Water shortage lead to people dilling illegal wells. About 70% of all new wells in the state were illegal.

Question 8

WATER CYCLE: EL NINO

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FOUND IN THE 2014-15 BRAZIL DROUGHT

Answer 8

• IN THE PATANAL, TREE MORTALITY INCREASED

- WILDFIRES. MAJOR THREAT WHEN CATTLE FARMERS CLEAR VEGETATION LEFT UNGRAZED, BUT DRY CONDITIONS EASILY SPREAD FIRES.

Question 9

WATER CYCLE: EL NINO

CONTEXT OF PATANAL IN THE 2014-15 BRAZIL DROUGHT

Answer 9

• LARGE WETLAND, 140,000 KM2 LIES IN BRAZIL

- FLOODING COVER 80% OF THE PATANAL, AND 60% OF FLOODWATER IS RETAINED NEAR THE RIVER

Question 10

WATER CYCLE: FLOODING

SOCIAL IMPACTS FOUND IN STORM DESMOND

Answer 10

• 1 DEATH IN CUMBRIA
• 19,000 HOMES FLOODED ACROSS NORTHERN ENGLAND
• 43,000 HOMES WERE AFFECTED BY POWERCUTS IN CUMBRIA

Question 11

WATER CYCLE: FLOODING

ECONOMIC IMPACTS FOUND IN STORM DESMOND

Answer 11

• DAMAGE DONE TO CUMBRIA WAS £500 MILLION
• INSURANCE CLAIMS CAUSED BY FLOODING ACROSS THE UK EXCEEDED £6 BILLION
• MANY BUSINESSES CLOSED AND TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE WERE CLOSED (CUMBRIA)

Question 12

WATER CYCLE: FLOODING

HUMAN CAUSES/EXACERBATION FOR STORM DESMOND IN CUMBRIA

Answer 12

• CHANGING LAND USE - GEORGE MONBIOT REFERS TO THE CUMBRIAN LANDSCAPE AS “SHEEP-WRECKED UPLANDS.” SUGGESTS DEFORESTATION FOR FARMLAND
• MISMANAGING RIVERS - NO DREDGING OF THE GRAVEL RAISING THE RAISED RIVER BED REGARDLESS OF 4.4 METTRE HIGH DEFENCES. IN KESWICK
• URBAN EXPANSION TO FLOOD PLAINS

Question 13

WATER CYCLE: FLOODING

FUTURE MITIGATION OF FLOOD RISK IN CUMBRIA

Answer 13

• GOVERNMENT PLEDGED TO SPEND £2.3 BILLION ON FLOOD DEFENCES BETWEEN 2016 AND 2022
• ENVIRONMENT AGENCY BELIEVES TO USE SOFT-ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS LIKE REFORESTATION, RESTORATION OF FLOOD PLAINS, AND REFUSING PLANNING PERMISSION

Question 14

WATER CYCLE: CLIMATE CHANGE

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FOUND IN CALIFORNIA DROUGHT 2014

Answer 14

• Windy and warm weather lead to forest fires - environmental damage, air pollution, destruction of wildlife and habitats, life risk and property.
• Cost the Californian government $2.7 billion a year - less state money to be spent on services.
• Snowpack levels in 2015 were record low. Crucial since meltwater provides 1/3 of water used by Californian cities.

Question 15

WATER CYCLE: CLIMATE CHANGE

ECONOMIC IMPACTS FOUND IN CALIFORNIA DROUGHT 2014

Answer 15

Californian farms lost $1.8 billion and 10,000 jobs.

Question 16

WATER CYCLE: CLIMATE CHANGE

SOCIAL IMPACTS FOUND IN CALIFORNIA DROUGHT 2014

Answer 16

• Water shortages and restrictions.
• Competition over the water supply for agriculture, domestic use and aquatic ecosystems – could escalate to conflict over water use.

Question 17

WATER CYCLE: CLIMATE CHANGE

CAUSE FOR CALIFORNIA MEGA-DROUGHTS

Answer 17

• In normal winters, southwest winds from the ocean deliver water. Recently, for unexplained reasons, these winds have failed California.
• Tree ring studies: Very little of the California drought can be attributed to climate change with any certainty.
• Cooler water temperatures – known as La Niñas – tend to produce drier conditions in the west. El Niño conditions would cause above average rainfall.

Question 18

WATER CYCLE: CLIMATE CHANGE

SOCIAL IMPACTS FROM DROUGHT IN SAHEL

Answer 18

• Subsistence farmers’ crops fail and livestock dies. This can lead to famine and hunger.
• Commercial farms growing cash crops such as cotton lose income, which may cause unemployment.
• With less food being grown and an increase in demand, food prices increase.

Question 19

WATER CYCLE: CLIMATE CHANGE

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM DROUGHT IN SAHEL

Answer 19

• Seasonal rivers and water holes dry up, so organisms which live in them or rely on them for water may die.
• Vegetation dies causing animals depending on it for food or shelter to perish or migrate.
• Increased soil erosion. Eroded material is washed into rivers or water holes resulting in contamination.

Question 20

WATER CYCLE: CLIMATE CHANGE

CONTEXT OF THE DROUGHT IN SAHEL

Answer 20

• Overgrazing and deforestation on marginal land can lead to desertification. With less vegetation there is less transpiration and evaporation from the soil, causing less rainfall.
• Some scientists believe climate change has reduced rainfall or made it less predictable.

Question 21

WATER CYCLE: GENERAL

STATISTIC ON WATER PERCENTAGES

Answer 21

• 2.5% of water is freshwater.
• 1% of freshwater is easily accessible freshwater.
• 96.9% of total water is found in the oceans.
• Rivers only hold 0.007% of total water - but are the main water source for humans.