EQ3- How does water insecurity occur and why is it becoming such a global issue for the twenty-first century

Question 1

what is water insecurity?

Answer 1

begins to exist when there is less than 1700m^3 per day

Question 2

what is water stress?

Answer 2

the existence of less that 1000m^3 of water per person

Question 3

what are some human and physical factors affecting the availability of water

Answer 3

• evaporation and evapotranspiration
• discharge into the sea
• saltwater enrichment at the coast
• contamination of water by agriculture, industrial and domestic pollution
• over-abstraction from rivers, lakes, aquifers and the acute need to replenish these dwindling stores

Question 4

what are three reasons for the rising demand for water?

Answer 4

• population growth: more people, more thirst to quench
• economic development: increases the demand for water in almost all economic activities- agriculture, industry, energy and services
• rising living standards: increase in the per capita consumption of water for cooking, drinking, bathing and cleaning. domestic consumption like swimming pools, washing machines and dishwashers

Question 5

what are the three main pressures that are increasing the risk of water supply?

Answer 5

• diminishing supply: (climate change, deteriorating quality)
• rising demands: (population growth, economic development)
• competing demands from users: (irrigation and HEP, internal conflicts in the basin

Question 6

what is physical scarcity?

Answer 6

occurs when more than 75% of a country’s or region’s blue water flows are being used.
this currently applies to about 25% of the worlds population

Question 7

what is blue water?

Answer 7

water stored in rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater in liquid form

Question 8

what is economic scarcity?

Answer 8

occurs where the use of blue water sources is limited by lack of capital, technology and good governance.

Question 9

what is safe water?

Answer 9

water fit for human consumption

Question 10

how is agriculture impacting water availability?

Answer 10

irrigation
around 20% of the worlds land is under full irrigation, most of which comes from aquifers leading to serious groundwater depletion especially in areas like India china and Pakistan

Question 11

how is industry and energy impacting water availability?

Answer 11

just over 20% of all freshwater withdrawals worldwide are for industrial and energy production.
water pollution is a serious issue caused by industrial activity
however over half of the water used by energy production is either generated for HEP or as cooling water in nuclear power stations. so is returned to its source virtually unchanged.

Question 12

how is domestic use impacting the water cycle?

Answer 12

rising economic development leads to greater standard of living and increased consumption of water per capita.
safe water is vital in the context of human health, particularly in the context of washing and food prep.

Question 13

how can an inadequate supply of water impede water-dependent aspects of the economy?

Answer 13

costs for water may rise
threats to human life
over-exploitation of existing water supplies which will damage the environment
prolonged series of drought and possible desertification.

Question 14

when do water conflicts occur (‘water wars’)

Answer 14

when the demand for water overtakes the availability and there are key stakeholders who become desperate for that water.
occurs when there is a shared water source between regions

Question 15

what is an example of a river that could cause water conflict?

Answer 15

The Nile
11 countries compete for its water
300 million people live within the nile basin

Question 16

what are different approached to managing water supply?

Answer 16

hard engineering schemes
sustainable water management
integrated drainage basin management (IWMR)

Question 17

how can hard engineering schemes be used to manage water supplies?

Answer 17

> water transfers- these schemes involve the diversion of water form one drainage basin to another by diverting rivers or creating canals
e.g Chinas south to north transfer project
mega dams
desalinisation- process by which dissolved solids in the sea water are partially or completely removed to make it suitable for human use

Question 18

what are some water transfer issues?

Answer 18

source area
-drop in flow of up to 60% means it can become polluted and climate change combined with lower flows can lead to scarcity
receiving area
-greater availability = greater use so greater development which promotes unsustainable irrigation and can encourage pollution

Question 19

what are the main aims of water sustainability?

Answer 19

• minimise wastage and pollution of water resources
• ensure access to safe water at affordable price
• take into account the views of all water users
• guarantee an equitable distribution of water between countries

Question 20

what are the steps towards water sustainability?

Answer 20

• smart irrigation: modern automised spray tech and advanced drip irrigation systems are replacing old ones
• hydrophonics: growing crops in greenhouses where co2 is controlled and nutrients/water are drip fed (no soil)
• recycling grey water for agricultural use
• rainwater harvesting
• filtration technology: so rainwater can be recycled and used
• restoration: of damaged rivers, lakes and wetlands so they can play there part in the hydrological cycle

Question 21

what area has adopted a holistic approach to water management?

Answer 21

Singapore
-gov encouraged citizens to use water prudently and water consumption per capita has fallen from 165L per day to 150
-reuse grey water using technology
-desalinate more seawater: two desalination plants now provide 25% of the water demand
however Singapore still needs to import water from neighbouring country Malaysia

Question 22

who is involved In the integrated drainage basin management?

Answer 22

IWMR

integrated water resources management

Question 23

what does the IWMR do

Answer 23

emphasis the river basin as a logical geographical unit for the management of water resources. It is based on achieving a close corporation between basin users and players

Question 24

how is the river basin treated holistically by the IWMR?

Answer 24

• ensures the environmental quality of the rivers and catchment
• ensures water is used to its maximum efficiency
• ensures an equitable distribution of water among users

Question 25

what are some important international agreements regarding water

Answer 25

• Helsinki rules with their ‘equitable use’ and ‘equitable shares’ concepts
• UN water courses convention offers guidelines for the protection and use of transboundary rivers