Case Study - Optinion A Flashcards
Mississippi River Basin - intergraded drainage basin, flood management
What happened:
- The river flooded in 1993
- River flows through 10 states
- 5th largest in the world
What caused the flood:
- 400-750 % average precipitation
- Heavy snowfall in the previous year
- levees are poorly built
- Developed urban areas along the river
- Channelization of river St Louis causes problems downstream
Flood effects:
- 43 people died
- 72,000 homes flooded
- 62,000 families evacuated
- 70% of levees damaged
- Two towns near by wrecked
Responses:
- Flood warning along the river
- Afforiatation
- two towns were relocated to higher ground
- using dams to hold water back
- stone and earth levees
South Africa, Cape Town - Water shortages (Day zero)
Situation:
South Africa had three years of drought (2015-2018) leading them to be 3 months away from running out of water
Response - Day zero:
As a result Day Zero was created in January 2018. It is when most of the cities taps will be switched off
Causes of drought:
- High temperatures (evaporation)
- Human activities (agriculture)
- Low levels of precipitation
Effects of the drought:
- increase in fire risk
- increased food prices
- less and limited food options
- less water abalone
- loss of life
- increased health problems
- decline in tourism
- Smaller agriculture yield shows an economic loss of $400 million
- Loss of jobs and people pushed below poverty line
What has the city done ?
- urged people to consume less than 50 liters a day and then later only 25 liters
- Enforced water tariffs to decrease over usage
What is affective?
Yes but not enough
Solution:
- day zero
- recycling water
- crop engineering
Grand Ethiopia Renaissance dam, conflict of a dam
Location:
The river is located on the on the Blue River Nile
Stakeholders:
- Sudan
- Ethiopia
- Egypt
Situation :
The river is a water source of the three stakeholders. Ethiopia wants to build a dam on the water and has promised Sudan and Ethiopia a set amount of water as they both need it for agriculture ect.
The purposes of the dam:
- generates 6,000 megawatts of electricity
- the resistor behind the dam will hold more water than the Blue Nile
Agreement with Sudan:
Sudan is 20 km from the border of Ethiopia and normally sided with Egypt but due to the advantages they now side with Ethiopia more.
- will receive power produced by the dam
- stabilizing flows reduces flooding in Sudan
Future plans: to build more dams
Florida, Lame Okeechobee, the Everglades (wetlands)
Lake OkeeChobee:
Lake okeechobee is the largest lake freshwater lake in Floria. Therefore there are many farms around it which cause ago chemical surface runoff for fertilizers (eutrophication). They decided to stop putting the contaminated water in the ever-lands so instead but it into rivers which release it into the Atlantic Ocean, but this harms coastal systems and causes red tide.
The Everglades,
Since 1800 human actions have been altering the Everglades landscape.
Purpose of the Everglades:
- provides drinking water for more than 8 million people
- protects communities from hurricanes and loss
- supports Florida 1.2 billion fishing industry
- filter water
- Support diverse wildlife
Consequences:
- increase flooding
- Destruction of habitat
Occurrence of invasive species (fish)
The Ramsar Convention
What is it?
Is an Internal governmental treaty that helps to conserve wetlands by providing framework to country.The treaty began in 1971 and was in force by 1975.
What does the Ramsar convention do?
- public awareness and education
- laws in place
- Management and planning
- pick suitable wetlands to be put on the Ramsar list
How is it funded?
- Every three years the conference parties provide a core budget and each involving party must pay a percentage related to its contribution
- partnered with the Evian water brand
How does it work?
- Parties meet very three years to advance and promote guidelines
