Option A - Water management futures Flashcards
What are some community-level responses to water management?
- water saving
- customer pricing
- new technologies
- zoning
- water purification
- rainwater harvesting
Water saving as a type of water management
- take showers instead of baths
- use water-efficient showerheads and taps with a low flow rate, taps with push-down mechanisms
- fix dripping taps
- use dishwasher and washing machines only when they are full
Customer pricing as a type of water management
- water companies charge customers for the amount of water they use
New technologies as types of water management
nanotechnology infiltration membrane chemistry seawater desalination biomimicry smart monitoring precision irrigation systems
Zoning as a type of water management
zones that are protected from development in order to safeguard water quality to allow aquifers to recharge
Water purification as a type of water management
removal of impurities (chemicals, suspended solids, biological contaminants and gases) from water so that it is fit for purpose
Rainwater harvesting as a type of water management
making use of available water before it drains away or evaporates
What are the benefits and costs of the Aswan Dam?
Benefits:
Flood and drought control: dams allow good crops in dry years (in Egypt in 1972 and 1973)
Irrigation
Hydroelectric power (7,000 million kilowatt hours each year)
Improved navigation
Recreation and tourism
Costs:
Water losses: the dam provides less than half the amount of water expected
Salinisation: crop yields have reduced up to a third
Groundwater changes
Displacement of population: up to 100,000 Nubian people have been removed
Drowning of archaeological sites
Seismic stress
Deposition within the lake
Channel erosion: 25mm over 18 years
Erosion of the Nile delta: 25mm a year
Loss of nutrients: $100 million to buy commercial fertilisers
Decreased fish catches: sardine yields are down 95% + loss of 3,000 fisheries jobs
What is the IDBM?
Integrated drainage basin management has operated in the USA since the 1930s with the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to ensure land and water management is focused on the drainage basin and adopts a holistic approach to river management.
What are the benefits and costs of the IDBM?
Benefits
Produces $54 billion of agricultural products and 92% of the country’s farm exports
Over half the goods and services consumed by US people are produced with water from the Mississippi drainage basin
Costs
Floods on the Mississippi and its tributaries threaten people and economic activities
Global demand for crops such as cotton, corn and soya beans will increase pressure on water resources
Much of the water infrastructure is ageing and needs replacing
What is the America’s Great Watershed Initiative (AGWI)?
A project to increase water availability, improve its quality and safeguard its use for future generations
Involves academics, government, businesses and civil societies to help find solutions for the challenges of managing the Mississippi drainage basin.
Measures six key areas of concern: ecosystems, flood control and risk reduction, transportation, water supply, economy and recreation.
What is wetland?
land with soils that are permanently flooded
What are the functions of wetlands?
Water storage Groundwater recharge Storm protection Flood mitigation Shoreline stabilisation Erosion control Regulate water quantity and quality
Retention of carbon, nutrients, sediments and pollutants
Produce goods of economic value: clear water, opportunities for tourism, fisheries, timer, peat and wildlife resources
Provide resources for direct human consumption (water for drinking, fish, reeds for thatched roofs, timber for construction, peat and fuel wood)
What are the natural causes of wetland loss?
Sea-level rise Drought Hurricanes and other storms Erosion Human interference (direct or indirect) Dam construction Conversion for aquaculture Mining of wetlands for peat, coal, gravel, phosphate and other materials
Why should we care about wetlands?
Wetlands provide fresh water
Freshwater wetlands give us our water for basic drinking, cooking and washing needs and for irrigation
Wetlands feed humanity
Rice, grown in wetland paddies, is the staple diet of nearly 3 billion people, and accounts for 20% of the world’s foods
Wetlands are nature’s shock absorber
The wetlands within river basins act as natural sponges, absorbing rainfall, reducing flood impact
Mangroves and coral reefs reduce the speed and height of storm surges and impact of tsunamis and hurricanes
Wetlands create sustainable products and livelihoods
More than 660 million people depend on fishing and aquaculture for their livelihoods
