EQ3- integrated water resource management

Question 1

transboundary basins

Answer 1

-theres 263 transboundary lake+river basins that cover nearly 1/2 earths surface
-total of 145 nations incl. territory w/in international basins+21 countries lie entirely w/in international basins
-most basins r shared between 2 countries, theres many basins where this no. is higher
-13 basins worldwide r shared between

Question 2

intergrated water resource management

Answer 2

-according to wb, IWRM aims to establish a framework for coordination whereby all adminstrations+stakeholders involved in river basin planning+management come together to develop an agree set of policies + stratergies
-aim=achieve a baalanced +mutual approach to land,water n natural resource management

Question 3

iwrm

Answer 3

-free from corruption
-food+water securtity for poor
-good gov
-effective dialogue between users n providers
-cash recovery of schemes via effective pricing
-appropriate choices regarding water use in economic productivity
-effective regulation+planning of use

Question 4

sustainable management of water resources

groundwater management

Answer 4

-aquifer storage+recovery (reuse)
-groundwater quality+quantity modelling

Question 5

sustainable management of water resources

waterway management

Answer 5

-river rehabilitation
-sustainable water allocation
-waterway health
-enviromental flows
-waterway structures

Question 6

sustainable management of water resources

monitoring technoologies

Answer 6

-sensor tech
-real time wireless monitoring n control systems

Question 7

sustainable management of water resources

intergrated urban water management

Answer 7

-water treatment tech
-water sensitive urban design
-water harvvesting n reuse

Question 8

water poverty index

Answer 8

-an index used to measure localised water stress, for the use of national govs to improve provisions. 5 componenets:
-▪ Water resources​ – the availability and quality of water
▪ Access to water​ – the distance from safe water for drinking, cooking, cleaning and
industries
▪ Handling capacity​ – management, infrastructure and income
▪ Use of water​ – for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes
▪ Environmental indicators​ – ability to sustain nature and ecosystems
-each component scored out of 20. 0=water stress 100=no water stress
-finland= highest=78
-haiti=lowest=35

Question 9

hard engineering

mega dams
facts+pros

china/colarado

Answer 9

-Nearly 60% of the world’s major rivers are impeded by large dams
-5000 megadams globally
-provide irrigation,HEP+flood control+domestic water supply
-make 1/6 of worlds electricity
-in colarado, nile, yangtze
-the 3 Gorges dam in China or the Aswan dam in Egypt.

Question 10

hard engineering

mega dams
cons

Answer 10

-flooded areas of cali
-1.3million displaced in cali
-ecological imapcts=sediment+river dolphins(china)
-landslides
-the capital costs of such dams r high
-high evaporation losses from the water surface,
-disruption of the downstream transport of silt
-displacement of people.

Question 11

3 gorges dam china

Answer 11

-blocks the Yangtze River;
-cost £17 billion to build + completed+ functional on the 4 July 2012.
-dam drains an area of 1.8 million km2 + will supply Shanghai (pop of 13 million) + Chongqing (pop of 3 million) w sufficient supplies of water
-worlds largest HEP scheme
-protects 10 mill ppl + 25,000 hectares of farmland from flooding
-Up to 1.2 million people, 1,600 enterprises, 140 towns + 4,500 villages=relocated;
-many of these haven’t received compensation - $30 million+ of funds set aside for this has been taken by corrupt local officials
-traps human+industrial waste=affect biodiversity
-interfered w aquatic life-Siberian Crane + white flag dolphin which are threatened with extinction
-fish stock decline
-port=may become silted up bc of ^ deposition=cause delta+affect longevity of dam

Question 12

hard engineering

desalination plans
facts+pros

Answer 12

-process by which dissolved solids in sea water r partially or completely removed to make it suitable for human use
-sustainable process altough does have ecological impact on marine life
-been undertaken on a small scale for centuries, recently theres been tech advances like: reverse osmosis +carbon nanotube membranes
-claims to provide 70% of israels domestic water supplies by 2020
-reliable+predictable supply of water
-as price of freshwater rises some countries will look to sea as supply

Question 13

hard engineering

desalination
cons

Answer 13

-israel: fossil fuels, saline water dumped on plants back into ocean
-each plant requires own power station+emits co2 but much of energy is solar
-contains antiscalling agents that harm ecosystems
-expensive process
-requires inputs of advanced technology and energy
-

Question 14

hard engineering

water transfer schemes

Answer 14

-s china=rich in water resources but north isnt. to even it out WTS used in 2003= expect to take 50yrs+cost $100bn
-transfer 44.8billion m3 of water each year
-reduces water insecurity in n + supports economy develop
-more water available for irrigation
-health benefits
-helps china cope w/cc
-groundwater w/drawal reduce

Question 15

hard engineering

water transfer schemes
cons

Answer 15

-region prone to eqs which could cause intensive dmaage to scheme
-Source area
- drop in flow up to 60% bc of diversion/transfer
-River has low flow + becomes polluted increasing impact on ecosystem’s salinity
-CC can combine w lower flows to lead to water scarcity
Receiving area
-Availability of water leads to greater use
-^ use for development, e.g. golf courses, tourism
-Promotes unsustainable irrigated farming by agri-business
-Nitrate eutrophication, salination and ecosystem destruction. Pollution transfer

Question 16

Sustainable Water Management

smart irrigation

Answer 16

-sprinklers + surface flow systems r being replaced by modern automated spray technology n advanced drip irrigation systems
-ogallala aquifer usa:
-16 wireless infrared sensors have been put in field-measure crop temp to c if they need water. if=temp=on automatically
-grow wheat+crops dont need lot of water
-allow some fields to return to grassland+money made from hunting,ecotourism+dude ranches

Question 17

Sustainable Water Management

smart/drip irrigation
cons

Answer 17

-government gives higher subsidies for crop fields rather than grassland fields, this would need to change.

Question 18

aims of sustainable water management

Answer 18

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

Question 19

sustainable water management

recycling water

Answer 19

-grey water: a low-cost option that produces water for agricultural use, but not human consumption. less energy intensive
-city/clean wastewater: is a relatively cheap method of conserving freshwater supplies, especially in areas of extremely high demand.
-Dongtan, China= have 2 water systems going in houses. 1=grey water + 2= clean water. so they are reducing the demand on freshwater supplies.
-they consume16,500 tonnes per day, but will discharge only 3,500 tonnes= good leap
-bedzed london=recycled water is used for toilet flushing, garden irrigation + public area cleaning.

Question 20

water recycling cons

Answer 20

-require more maintenance than a regular sewer or septic system.
-The climate may be unsuitable for recycling.
- may only be able to recycle in warmer months if u live in cold climates.
- Your soil may be too permeable or not permeable enough, n u may need to make adjustments.
- health disease from bacterias being transfered such as e.coli so lead to water/food borne diseases

Question 21

sustainable water management

Singapore
rain water harvesting

Answer 21

-few natural water resources,thriving economy, high standard of living +high per capita consumption of water= made WM a top priority w/its6 millionpop.
-Its a holistic approach to WM based on 3 key strategies:
1. Collect every drop of water=since 2003 per capita water home use drop 165L a day to 150L a day.
2. reuse water endlessly= new technologies to re-use grey water
3. Desalinate more seawater=2 desalination plants now meet 25% of the water demand.
-despite this it has to import water from malysia

Question 22

Water Sharing Treaties

Helsinki rules

Answer 22

international treaties must contain concepts like equitable use and shares. criteria :
- Natural factors​ → rainfall amounts, discharge, share of drainage basin
- Social and economic needs​→ population size, welfare of people, development
plans
- Downstream impacts​ → restructuring flow, water tables, pollution
- Dependency→ availability of alternative sources
- Prior use​ → the tricky question of existing historic rights and potential future use
- Efficiency​ → avoiding waste and mismanagement

Question 23

water sharing treaties

Different organisations are involved in promoting effective water management schemes:

Answer 23

-UNECE Water Convention=promotes joint management + conservation of shared freshwater ecosystems in Europe and neighbouring areas.
- UN Water Courses Convention​ =offers guidelines on the protection+use of transboundary rivers.
- However, the ​WWF​ says that most agreements lack appropriate enforcement and monitoring.

Question 24

Key players involved in water management include:

Answer 24

UN​ – UNECE (UN Economic Commission for Europe Water Convention) aims to protect and ensure the quality and sustainable use of transboundary water resources.
EU​ – Water Framework Directive agreed in Berlin 2000– Targets to restore river, lakes, canals, coastal waters to suitable condition.
NationalGovernments– e.g. the UK’s environment agency which checks compliance with EU frameworks.