Resorces Flashcards
What can happen if people doesn’t have access to enough safe and nutrients food
People can become malnourished
Not have the right balance of nutrients
Eg, iron deficiency causes tiredness and can effect children’s development
What is undernourishment
Where people don’t get enough food of any kind
What does malnourishment lead to
Inc in likely hood of disease
1/3 of all under 5s globally die from diseases linked to malnourishment
What can not getting enough to eat lead to and what is the multiplier effect
Not preform as well at school
So lack skills needed to help a country’s economic development
Can also prevent people from working - harming personal economic well being + economy of country
What does improper sanitation cause
Waterborne disease eg cholera and typhoid kill many each year
What causes water sources to get polluted
Raw sewage If they have improper sanitation
If people do not have access to water what will they have to do and what is the multiplier effect of this
Walk long distances to fetch clean water can have an economic impact on people and on a countries economy
People able to spend less time working and children may not be able to go to school
What is water needed for
Food + clothes and many other products
What do countries need energy for
Industry and transport
As well as use in Homes
What can electricity allow industry to do and multiplier
To develop creating jobs and making countries wealthier
What would happen without electricty
People may burn wood or kerosene for cooking and to provide light and heat for homes.
Can lead to local deforestation so people have to walk further and further to find fules
Kerosene also can release harmful fumes and start fires
How can energy provide safe water for communities
Can supply power pumps for wells
How are resources distributed globally
Very uneven
Some don’t have own energy reserves, dry climated or environments not suitable for food production
If a country didn’t have many recourses how would they acces them / more
Have to import them or find technological solutions to produce more.
Eg. Build desalination plants to produce fresh water from saltwater = expensive
What does consumption of resources depend on
A countries wealth and availability
Is consumption of recourses higher or lower in HICS and why
Higher
They can afford to buy resources and expect a higher standard of Living
What is resource consumption like in NEES and why
Increasing rapidly
Industry is developing very fast (requires lots of energy) and population and wealth also inc rapidly
What is resource consumption like in LICs and why
Low
Can’t afford to exploit resources that they have or import
How have types of food in demand in the uk changed and why
1960s - most uk fruit + veg on sale in UK were produced locally and seasonal
But since there has been a growing demand for seasonal products all year round
Fruit and vegetables are being imported
Eg, apples from South Africa
Also been an increasing demand for high value foods eg, exotic fruit and veg
They have become more popular in the Uk as people income have increased
They are often grown in LIC and imported to UK
Organic produce is becoming increasingly popular. Demand is growing as people are becoming good more concerned about environmental impacts of food production and effect of chemicals on heals the
Some organic food is produced in the UK but lots is imported
What is seasonal food
Food you can only buy during the month that it grows
What does the growing, processing and packaging food produce
CO2 and other greenhouse gases
What % of the UKs total greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 came directly from growing food
Up to 9%
What is food miles
Distance food is transported to the market
How does food miles like to CO2 production
Higher food miles more co2
What is the carbon footprint of a product
Amount of greenhouse gases produced during growing, packaging and transporting a food
How does greenhouse gases link to carbon footprint and global warming
Larger carbon footprint
More greenhouse gases
More global warming
Do imported food have high or low food miles and carbon footprints
High
where are environmentalists encouraging people to buy food from
Locally
Eg, farmers markets, farm shops,
What is agribusiness
Large scale industrial farming where process from the production of seeds and fertilisers to the processing and packaging are controlled by large firms
Examples of how UK farms have changed as a result of agribusiness
Farm size inc - many small farms have been taken over and filed size inc so food can be produced cheaper
Amount of chemicals used in food production inc - encourages a faster growth
Number of workers employed decrease pd as of the greater use of machinery
Environmental impacts of industrial farming
Inc farm size meant hedgerows have been removed which leads to loss in biodiversity + heavy machinery is causing soil erosion
In the UK which areas have good / bad water supply and which areas are in demand
North and west of uk have high rainfall so they have a good supply of water, they have a water surplus
South east and midlands have high population densities so high demand for water, they are also areas of water deficit so there is a great demand
What is water surplus
There is a greater supply than demand
Since 1975 the amount of water used by households in the uk have gone up by what % and why
70%
Becuse people have more appliances that use lots of water. Eg, dish washers and washing machines
What is UKs population predicted o increase by by 2040
10 million
Polluted or low quality water reduces amount available to use
What does this cause
Puts pressure on water recourses
Problems with quality of river water in the UK
Nitrates and phosphates from fertilisers used on crops are being washed into rivers amd groundwater
Pollutants from vehicles are being washed into water sources through run off when it rain
Accidental chemical and oil spills at factories are polluting local water sources and groundwater supplies
What % of groundwater is poluted
50%
What has happened to many ground water supplies
Closed or have had expensive treatments to make them safe
What strategies are there to manage water quality
Improving drainage system (Slowing down the movement of rainwater to rivers so pollutants can be broken down in the soil)
Imposing regulations on the amount and types of fertilisers and pesticides used
What is one way to deal with the supply amd demand of water problem across the uk
Transfer water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit
Eg. Birmingham (area of deficit) is supplied with water from middle of wales (area of surplus)
Issues caused by water transfer
Dams and aqueducts are expensive
Affects wildlife that lives in the rivers (eg. Fish migration can be disrupted by dams
Political issues
What continents produced lots of food and which produce small amounts of food
East Asia and North America - lots
Africa - small
Do more developed areas have a high daily calorie intake and why
Yes
They can afford to import a large variety of food and many have a high income and can buy more food
Do less developed areas have a high daily calorie intake and why
No
Can’t afford as much and less is available
What is food security
When people are able to eat enough nutritious food to stay healthy and active
Countries that can produce a lot of food or are rich enough to import food They need have food security
What is food insecurity
When people aren’t able to get enough food to stay healthy or lead an active life
Countries that don’t grow enough to feed their population and can’t afford to import food they need have food insecurity
What are the 2 reasons why food consumption in the world is increasing
Rising population - expected to reach 9 billion by 2040 - so more require food
Economic development - countries getting wealthier, some NEES are experience high population growth rates were lots of people are getting richer quickly, wealthier people have more disposable incomes to spend on food, they often buy a greater variety and more than they need, wealthier countries can afford to food all year round so people no longer eat what is seasonally available
Industrialisation of agriculture mean countries able to produce more food at a lower cost.
Food becomes cheaper so people can afford to eat more
How has the energy mix in the UK chnaged
Traditionally the UK has relied on fossil fuels supplies energy in 1970 91% of our energy came from Coal and oil
discovery of large gas reserves under the north sea meant by 1980 22% of the U.K.’s energy is supplied by gas use
of nuclear energy to produce electricity also increase during 1990s
recently there has been a shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources all coal fired power stations are due to close by 2025 and 2014 19% of all electricity in the UK was generated from the renewable sources
wind and bioenergy are the biggest source of renewable energy but the use of solar and hydroelectric power has also increased 
What is bio energy
Nervy from break down of burning of biological sources
What is fracking
Fluid is pumped into shale rock at high pressure, causing it to crack this forces gas trapped in the rock to flow back out of a well where it is collected
Benefits of exploiting energy sources
Creates jobs + wealth
Economic issues with exploiting energy recourses
Extracting fossil fuels is Expensive (cost of extraction increases as reserve is used up)
Expensive to produce electricity from nuclear and renewable energy sources
Money is needed for research unti alternative energy sources (eg, shale gas)
Many renewable sources don’t provide a reliable enough supply of energy, so Uk still has to pay to import energy
Environmental issues with exploiting energy resources
Burning fossil fules releases co2 and other greenhouse gases
Fracking may pollute groundwater and cause mini earthquakes
Accidents (oil spills or nuclear disaster) can lead toxic chemicals into water sources, soil amd the atmosphere
Natural ecosystems can be damaged by renewable energy generators (large wind farms or tidal barrage system) planned for Swansea in wales
Power stations and wind farms are ugly
What is irrigation
Artificially watering land so crops can grow, can be used to make dry areas more productive or increase number if harvest sand the yield of crops
What is water security
Having reliable and sustainable source of enough good quality water to meet everyone’s needs for industry, agriculture and personal health
What does water security depend on
Amount of water available
Number of people who need to use the water
Able to aces the water
What is having more water than you need known as
A water surplus
What is a water deficit
When there is not enough water to meet people’s needs
What can water deficit lead to
Water insecurity
What is water insecurity
Not enough clean water to keep everyone healthy or enable them to make a living
What is water stress
When demand for water exceeds supply during a certain period of when water is not high mouth whilst to use
What do areas with water security have + examples
High rainfall and/or very low population density
Eg, Canada and Brazil
What do areas with water insecurity have + examples
Low rainfall and/or high population density
Eg, Libya, Mexico
What are the two main reasons why global demand for water is rising
Rising population
Economic development
What would a rise in population increase water demand
Each person needs water
More people are mean more food needs to be produced (irrigation for agriculture used 70% of worlds fresh water resources)
Why would industrialisation increase water demand
Uses a lot of water
Why does energy production increase water demand
15% I’d all water withdrawn closely is used to produce energ
Why would rising living standards increase global demand for water
As peoples Wealth increases they can afford a higher standard of living
Increases water use as more people can afford flushing toilets, showers ect
Physical factors effecting water availability
Climate
Geology
Why does climate effect water availability
Most places rely on rainfall which feeds lakes and rivers of the water supply
If climates are hot lots of water is also lost from the lakes and rivers due to the evaporation climate change is altering the total amount of rainfall in places as well as how often it rains and how heavy very dry areas are getting try increasing the risk of drought
Why does geology effect water availability
When rate falls on impermeable rock it can’t soak in so flows of into lakes and rivers These are easy to get water from when the rain falls on permeable rock it flows down through them and can form underground water storesThese are harder to get from.
however groundwater can make water availability in very dry places
Economic and social factors affecting water availability
Over abstraction
Pollution
Limited infrastructure
Poverty
Why does limited infrastructure affect water availability
Rapid urbanisation means that water pipe and sewers can’t be built quickly enough to supply the population and prevent sewage from contaminating the supply
Why does poverty affect water availability
Water providers charge a fee For supplying water to homes people who are too poor to pay for it have to find other sources of water which may not be treated to make them safe to drink
Why does pollution affect water availability + how can water sources become polluted
Pollution of water sources reduces the amount of clean water available
water pollution is a major problem in rapidly industrialising countries where a lot of industrial waste is dumped into rivers without being treated human and animal waste or a hazard where people share water sources with animals that don’t have access to sanitation
What is over abstraction
more water being used than is being replaced
What is over abstraction caused by
Population growth + economic development
Improvements in sanitation and personal hygiene (people taking more showers)
High demand for businesses - tourists and recreation can put water stress on places during peak holiday season
Problems caused by water insecurity
Pollution and disease - where water is scarce supplies of drinking water can become Polluted by sewage industrial chemicals or nitrogen from fertilisers. some diseases (collar and typhoid) are caused by microorganisms that are passed on through water contaminatimg untreated sewage. without access to alternative water supplies people maybe focus drink polluted water which can cause death or disease
Food production- irrigation for agriculture uses lots of water , shortage of water means less food can be grown would lead to starvation
industrial output - manufacturing industries are hugely water intensive so can’t produce as much during water shortages reducing peoples wages and affecting economy of the country
Conflict
What is water transfers
Large scale engineering projects that more water from a river that has a surplus of water to a river that has a water shortage
How is water usually transferred in water transfer schemes
Canals and pipes - but original river chnnel can also be dredged (deepened) to improve water flow
What does water transfer have to potential to do
Reduce water insecurity in the receiving basin buy cause environmental social and economic problems
How can dams and reservoirs help water supplies
During times of surplus the reservoir will fill - water then can be released in water deficit
How is water transferred from reservoirs
Usually along pipelines but also involve tunnels, aqueducts and pumping stations (expensive)
How can reservoirs cause conflict
Flood agricultural land
May also drown settlements so people are forced to move and find new jobs
What is desalination
The removal of salt from sea water so that it can be used
What are the two main process of desalination
Seawater heated ro evaporated then condensed to collect fresh water
Or seawater can be passes through a special membrane to remove salt
Negatives of desalination
Expensive - uses energy to beat the water or force it through a membrane
Most plant safe also powered by fossil fuels
What is water conservation
Trying to use less water
Examples of water conservation
Fixing leaking reservoirs, pipes and dripping taps to stop water being wasted
Fitting duel flush toilets so they use les water
Buying efficient washing machines / dishwashers and only run them with full loads
Irrigate farmland by using drip pipes and sprays that direct water where it’s needed
Fitting homes / business with water meters (inc. awareness)
Educate people to take shorter showers / turn of taps when not In use
How does groundwater management make a sustainable water supply
The amount go groundwater being extracted can be monitored to ensure it is not extracted faster then is naturally replaced
Laws dna be passed to prevent too much being extracted
How can groundwater management prevent the supplied being polluted
Encourage farmers to apply less artificial fertilisers and pecans to farmland and companies that leak industrial waste can be fined
When groundwater supplies are shared between countries what can be made to make sure that one country doesn’t take a unsustainable amount of water leaving the other country on unable to meet needs of their population
International agreements
Issues with international agreements on groundwater shared supplies
Agreeing how much water each country should take can be difficult
Sustainable water methods
Water conservation
Groundwater management
Recycling the ‘grey water’
What does recycling water mean
Taking water that has already been used and using it again rather than returning it to a river or sea straight away
How is recycling water more sustainable
Less water needs to be extracted from rivers or fr9k groundwater to meet peoples needs
Where can water from homes and industry’s be piped so it is treated and is safe to reuse
Treatment plants
What is most recycled water used for
Irrigation
Industry
Poweplants
Toilet flushing
But it can be treated to make it safe enough drink
What is ‘grey water’
A type of recycled water
Usually reused immediately rather than being treated first
It is mostly waste water from peoples homes
As it’s relatively clean it can be sawfly used for irrigating gardens or farmland washing cars amd flushing toilets - not safe for washing hands or drinking
How is China coping with water insecurity
Chinese government has planned a $62 billion projects that will transfer 44.8 billion litres of water every year from the wetter south to the drier north of the country two out of three planned routes have been completed - the central and eastern route
Advantaged if water transfer project in China
Provides water in the people in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin
Allows industry to continue to develop brining wealth to country
Provides water for irrigation of farmland so crops can be grown
Disadvantages of the water transfer scheme in China
Large areas flooded destroying natural habitats , construction works damaging ecosystems
Rising dam of danjiangkou resouvuir flooded productive farmland and forced 345,000 people to move - most now have less land and poorly built housing they refined little compensation and are now unemployed
The water it supplies to beijing is very expensive
Project only supplies urban areas so rural areas don’t have access
Water stress in the south will increase
