Patterns in environmental quality Flashcards
1
Q
Physical water scarcity
A
Where water resource development is approaching or has exceeded unsustainable levels; it relates water availability to water demand and implies that arid areas are not necessarily water scarce
2
Q
Economic water scarcity
A
Water is available locally but not accessible for human, institutional or financial capital reasons.
3
Q
Soil degradation
A
A severe reduction in the quality of soils. The term includes soil erosion, salinization and soil exhaustion (loss of fertility).
4
Q
Global climate change
A
The changes in global patterns of rainfall and temperature, sea level, habitats and the incidences of droughts, floods and storms, resulting from changes in the Earth’s atmosphere, believed to be mainly caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect.
