EQ3 Flashcards
in theory explain why there is enough water?
2.5% is available as freshwater for human use
1% is available as easily accessible surface water
According to the UN our basic needs can be met by 1000m^3/yr
In 2010 nearly 60% of this accessible fresh water was being used leaving 40% untapped so in theory there is enough water to go around
in theory what are the 3 main reasons as to why there isn’t enough water
- Physical distribution
- The gap between rising demand and diminishing supplies
- Water availability gap
how does the physical distribution of water affect availability
There is a mismatch between where the water supplies are and where the demand is. Water supplies are spread very unevenly across the world
TRUE or FALSE: 90% of the world’s population live in areas receiving only 25% of the worlds rainfall
FALSE
60% of world’s population live in areas receiving only 25% of world’s annual rainfall
explain how physical distribution of water can lead to conflict
there are areas i.e middle east that have supply shortages leading to potential conflict over shared basin usage/dams and pollution
TRUE or FALSE:
There is a global gap between rising demand and diminishing supplies
TRUE
There is a global gap between rising demand and diminishing supplies
what has caused rising demand for water
Population growth increasing
Rising Standards of living (for domestic, agricultural and manufacturing uses)
Economic growth increasing
Irrigated farming/Agricultural practises
what has led to dwindling supplies for water
there has been minimal legislation over the use of aquifers and groundwater especially during the added threat from climate change induced drought which places pressure on the amount of supply is avalible for use especially if the water table drops leading to land subsidence
what does a fall in the water table mean
water is being extracted quicker than it can be replaced
social impact of water availability gap: how do rich countries cause a water availability gap
Imbalanced usage with rich countries rising into 10x more water per head than poor countries.
social impact of water availability gap:
TRUE or FALSE:
12% of the world’s population consumes 85% of its water
12% of the world’s population consumes 85% of its water
social impact of water availability gap: what amount of people lack clean drinking water?
A. 1.8 billion
B. 1 million
C. 67.5 million
A
1.8 billion people lack clean drinking water
social impact of water availability gap: what amount of people lack adequate sanitation?
A. 77 million
B. 2.9 billion
C. 2.4 billion
2.4 billion lack adequate sanitation
social impact of water availability gap: what amount of people face water shortages?
A. 0.1 billion
B. 1 billion
C. 0.7 billion
0.7 billion face water shortages
what are the social effects of water availability gap on human health
Every 90 seconds, a child dies from a water-borne disease.
0.8 million people die from diarrhoea as a result of dirty water each year; 25% of people drink water contaminated with faeces
what are the environmental and social effects from a water availability gap
Half of the worlds rivers and lakes are badly polluted and half the rivers no longer flow all year
Food supplies are threatened as water shortages increase
define water stress
if a countries water consumption exceeds 10% of its renewable freshwater supply including difficulties in obtaining new quantities of water (e.g from aquifers, lakes or rivers), as well as poor water quality restricting usage
→ it has less than 1700m^3 of water available per person per year
define water scarcity
an imbalance between demand and supply, classified as physical scarcity (insufficient water to meet demand; also the definition for water deficit) or economic scarcity (people can’t afford water, even when it’s available)
→ amount of water falls below 1000 m^3 per person per year – this can threaten flood supplies, reduce economic development and cause environmental damage
define water insecurity
where present and future supplies cannot be guaranteed, leading to a need for physical (dams) or political and economic solutions (e.g supply agreements between countries)
what are the characteristics of physical water scarcity
Areas with low rainfall and high temperatures
In the future climate change will affect the natural water balance and the availability of water even more:
-Changes in patterns and frequency of rainfall will affect the recharging of water stores
-Increases in temperature increase evaporation and transpiration rates.
what are the characteristics of economic water scarcity
Collecting, storing, purifying and distributing water is expensive
Often people cannot afford ‘processed’ water
Some countries don’t have the funds or technology to extract water.
TRUE or FALSE:
there are only human causes of water insecurity
FALSE
There are physical and human causes of water insecurity
what are the physical factors of water insecurity
climate variability
saltwater encroachment
what are the human factors of water insecurity
over abstraction
water contamination by agriculture
industrial water pollution
