Resource Security Flashcards
What is a resource?
any type of asset, commodity or item which has value to enhance the quality of
human life or help it function more effectively
What is a stock resource?
Finite and will run out eventually e.g. fossil fuels
What is a flow resource?
Infinite and can be replenished and renewed e.g. biofue
What is a natural resource?
those that exist without human intervention and can include stock and
flow resources
What is an inferred resource?
Economic viability
of resource is uncertain
What is an possible resource?
Expected that
inferred resource could
become indicated with
further exploration
What is an indicated resource?
Conditions and
location of resource can be predicted to allow initial planning
What is a measured resource?
Detailed mine planning possible
What is exploration?
the process of searching for available resources and then upgrading the resource
from inferred to measured if appropriate
Why are resources difficult to find?
due to their uneven
global distribution
What is exploitation?
the process of extracting the material from the ground and its use is
dependent on the economic viability of a resource
What is a resource frontier?
the boundary between exploited areas and areas considered too difficult to
exploit under current political and technological conditions
What are changing resource frontiers?
Technological advances
What does changing/warmer climates may allow?
Antarctica to be exploited
What does the tred follow?
Hubbert’s Curve
What does Hubbert’s curve show?
Production increases exponentially until it peaks around
halfway through available resources and is followed by decreasing production
When is it predicted peak oil will occur?
2030
What is the time peak oil production dependent on?
- Availability and discovery of reserves
- Development of new technologies
- Demand for the resource (may decrease or increase suddenly as a result of research into a
material or new uses that are found for a material) - Grade of available resources
What does sustainable refer to?
the ability to keep something going in the long-term
What does a sustainable resource development involve?
long-term planning that
ensures extraction does not increase too quickly or rise to unsustainable levels
What does a sustainable resource development ensure?
- Protection for workers
- a plan for when the resource can no longer be
exploited
When are Environmental Impact Assessments used?
to assess the possible environmental impacts of a resource development
project and should be completed before the project is approved
What does an Environmental Impact Assessment state?
the potential
environmental disturbances caused by a project across different areas of the environment ,
from the flora and fauna to the physical landscape
What do Environmental Impact Assessments suggest?
ways to mitigate and reduce any environmental impacts
What are some examples of what should be included in an Environmental Impact Assessment?
- Project description
- Consideration of alternatives
- Description of the environment
- Environmental impacts of the project
What is a mineral?
s a naturally occuring compound formed by chemical processes
Where are minerals found?
in veins (lines of material) in rock and most commonly in igneous rock, but also in some metamorphic rock
What has technological advances and development of LICs meant for minerals?
increased the global demand
for resources and changed trading patterns
Where does manufacturing of technological devices occur?
Asian NIC’s such as Taiwan
Where is most technological consumption?
North America,
Europe and developed Asian countries
What is the global trading netwrok for minerals?
where minerals
are shipped from all over the world to Asia for manufacturing and then shipped back across
the world for consumption
Historically who were the largest manufactures of minerals?
the USA and Europe
What caused moment of mineral manufacturing?
comparative labour costs and globalisation
What are geopolitics?
the combination of the ways that political and
geographical factors influence the use of land and resources
What have Global renewable
internal freshwater resources per capita decreased from?
13,206 in 1962 to
5,925 in 2014
What is causing the decrease in Global renewable
internal freshwater resources per capita?
development and population growth, which is
predicted to increase water demand up to 55% by 2050 as economic activities such as
manufacturing and agriculture increase.
What is water stress?
Demand exceeds the available amount of clean, non-polluted water during a
certain period. Leads to over-exploitation of long-term water stores such as aquifers
What is water scarcity?
When annual renewable water supplies in a country drop below 1000m3 per capita
What is economic scarcity?
Countries have enough available water supplies, but die to economic restrictions cannot exploit these reserves of water eg. Sub-Saharan Africa and the underground rivers
What is physical scarcity?
Demand of the population exceeds the available water resources of a region eg Yemen
What is absolute scarcity?
Less than 500m3 of water per person in a country per year eg Egypt. By 2025, 1.8bn people could be affected by water scarcity
How is water distributed?
Unevenly
How much access to water does the world have?
66% of the world’s population only have access
to 25% of the world’s annual rainfall
What has caused the water demand to increase?
- Population Growth - More people requires more water
- Socio-Economic Factors - Growing middle class population
- Development - Greater demand in industry and agriculture
Why can supply not meet demand?
- Aquifers over-exploite
- Water is being utilised in long-term stores, faster than it is being recharged
- Climate change is causing extended droughts periods
- Water tables are decreasing
What can affect the quality and quantity of water?
physical geography
How can climate affect water supply?
Seasonal variations
What does the soil water budget show?
that water storage and
precipitation are greatest in winter and autumn
What replenishes water supply in countries?
- Monsoon season
- Spring snowmelt
What is climate change predicted to do for water supply?
- decrease summer rainfall, but increase winter
rainfall and storm events
What does permeable rock do for water supply?
Water can be infiltrated and watet stored underground in aquifers
What does water storage do?
provides a long-term water store useful during the summer months
If the ground is impermeable, what is important?
surface storage is more important as there is no groundwater storage, increasing the risk of drought .
What is water quality like in surface stores?
Lower with pollution and eutrophication risks if the
water is not flowing
What does groundwater flow cause?
a constant supply of
water
What is the quality of ground water like?
Good
What helps to ensure a consistent water supply?
A greater drainage density and number of inputs to a river
What happens if one water supply descreased?
the other water sources (e.g. groundwater flow) ensure the overall impact on the drainage basin is not significant
Where is the water source to the Nile from?
primarily from mountainous areas of Ethiopia and other African countries
What happens if there are droughts upstream in the Nile?
decrease supplies downstream
What could occur due to Eygpts low rainfall?
There is little supply to the Nile, leading to water conflict as Egypt relies on other countries for their water
What are the methods of increasing water supply?
- Storage
- Diversion
- Water Transfer
- Desalination
- Catchment
What are some examples of water storage?
- Constructing dams
- Reservoirs
What are some examples of water diversion
- Water moved from one area to another within the same drainage basin
- Providing water for citie or irrigation for fields
What is water transfer?
- Water moved from areas of surplus to areas of deficit
- Transfer water between different drainage basins
What is desalination?
- Converting sea water into fresh drinking water
What are methods of water catchment?
- Wetland restoration
- Afforestation
What are negative of storing water in dams and reservoirs?
- Dams may only be temporary
What are negatives of water diversion?
- Can have significant environmental impacts as seen in the Colorado River
> Over abstraction has meant no water from Colorado River enters the sea