Future of Water Flashcards by cammy mccready

If we continue “business as usual” what will occur by 2025 in household consumption, where will this mainly come from?

household water use increased 70%

mostly from LICs

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

If we continue “business as usual” what will occur by 2025 in terms of agriculture? What are the wider impacts of this?

reduced food production
LICs reliant on food imports
grain imports X3 in parts of Africa

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

If we go into a “water crisis” situation what are the wider implications?

conflict within and between countries
famine, malnutrition and poverty
rapid increase in food prices

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

If we adopt sustainable use what will happen to water consumption?

decrease due to increased efficiency

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

If we adopt sustainable use what will happen to water consumption in terms of agriculture?

more rain fed crop yield due to improvements in water harvesting

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

If we adopt sustainable use what will happen to water prices for domestic use?

increase substantially to incentivise greater efficiency

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

If we adopt sustainable use what will happen to the price of food / water?

increase

water prices will increase to ensure as little wastage as possible - $ used as a deterrent

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

x2 major uncertainties in relation to water supply in the future and the environment;

a) melting of glaciers (lost to oceans)

b) frequency of droughts

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Players involved with sustainable development

Conservationists

scientists (IPCC)

planners

international organisations

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Economic players involved with water;

world bank

developers

utility companies e,g Thames Water

TNCs

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Social players involved with water

NGOs (e.g water aid)

indigenous groups

consumers

farmers

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Name X3 types of solutions to reduce water conflict

privatisation
water conservation
restoration

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does WaterAid define water as? What solution does this go against?

“a public good”

challenges privatisation

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Example of country which has privatised water, in what areas?

Bolivia

In La Paz and El Alto

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

In privatisation what do companies have the liberty of doing? What % is this in Bolivia?

increase water price to increase profit margin

16% in Bolivia

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Why did Bolivia privatise its water?

World Bank required Bolivia to in return for debt-relief

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

In what area of Bolivia was privatisation of water proposed which sparked a 4 day strike?

Cochabamba

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

How many injured in Cochabamba strikes? What was the result?

170 injured

let to suspension of the right to strike

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What X2 positives have been seen with privatisation?

corporation efficiency
= connections can be made more quickly when people are able to afford
50% increase in number of connections in Bolivia

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

X4 reasons why privatisation has not been an effective solution;

still under 20% of people connected in Bolivia
violent protest
choices between paying for health / education / water connection = cycle of poverty
people dig own wells at expense of quality

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Why do people in Bolivia have to make choices about health / education / water?

privatisation has meant water often costs 20% of wages monthly

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does the solution of water conservation mean?

reducing the amount of water used rather than trying to increase supplies

Long term positive of water conservation;

sustainability for a growing population

X2 wages water conservation can be achieved

adoption of new technologies for efficiency

- recycling water

example of technology which can aid water conservation;

- drip irrigation | - adding water meters

What is the practice of 'ferrigation' ? Where has it been adopted? What solution is it trying to achieve?

using smaller quantitates of fertilisers and thinner water sprinklers Israel water conservation

Disadvantage of water conservation solution (X3)

- limited in LICs due to $$$ - more $$$ process to businesses not incentivised - processes still have high pollution e. g manufacturing / transport

Example of a case where restoration could be a solution

Oral Sea

What are restoration solutions often dependent on?

loans

Where is the Aral Sea restoration project receiving a loan from?

World Bank

What will the restoration project in the Aral sea do?

build a series of dams to expand the Aral Sea in the north

What country will benefit from Aral sea restoration in the north?

Kazakstan

X2 benefits of restoring the Aral sea

+ farmers can again earn a living / profit + rain has returned = reversing a great environmental disaster

X4 negatives of the Aral restoration project;

- southern part still shrinking - still use of inefficient crops (i.e. cotton) so water demand not reduced - HQ controlled by other countries - may lead to further conflict

Name X4 types of low / intermediate tech

- tube wells - wells - pumpkin tanks - treadle pumps

X3 costs of using wells;

- groundwater depletion - saltwater incursion - contamination

case of contamination in wells

arsenic in Bangladesh

X2 benefits of using wells;

- community scale - can learn skills | - often NGO funded

X2 benefits of using pumpkin tanks / treadle pumps

- relatively cheap | - often NGO funded

X2 disadvantages of using pumpkin tanks / treadle pumps

- very small scale | - needs up scaling to help sufficient people

X2 advantages of dams

+ multi purpose (i.e flood control / HEP) + store for water during dry period

X3 disadvantages of dams

- high cost (debt financing) - mass displacement - siltation over time

X5 types of contrasting technology to secure water supplies in developing countries;

- tube wells / wells - dams - transfers - desalination - low-intermediate tech * although some less likely due to $$$

X2 types of approaches to water security attainment

- NGO (bottom up) | - top-down - government led initiatives

X3 benefits of top-down government initiatives

- often include the most people (maximum effectiveness) - have long-term goals in mind (although may be $$$ motivated) - may provide other benefits e.g HEP

What did the World Economic Forum Rank water crises as? X2

- most worrying global threat (in terms of danger) | - more likely to occur than the use of weapons of mass destruction

What SDG look for availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all?

SDG 6

What does SDG 6 include?

availability and sustainable management of water via expanding international cooperation

What is a suggestion by the World Economic Forum to do in relation to transboundary water resources? X3

hold regular summits to negotiate tradeoffs develop an integrated strategy to combat climate change jointly plan and manage infrastructure

What measure is a measure of collaboration over water resources?

Water Cooperation Quotient

According the the Water Cooperation Quotient how many river basins benefit from properly functioning collaborative management?

only 1/4

What does the World Economic Forum call for in regards to the law over water?

a more robust global treaty to regulate emissions into bodies of water

If the supply problem is solved, what will the next challenge of water security be about?

conflicts increasingly about water quality

X3 threats to water quality

- irrigation practices - industrialisation - urbanisation