Rivers - KQ4 (management challenges with development of rivers)

Question 1

What are the management challenges for the River Severn?

Answer 1

• Discharge from sewage works = reduces water quality
• Need for new homes = build on floodplain
• Pollution is a pressure on water environment
• Physical modification needs to be addressed in order to achieve more natural functioning of wetland ecosystems and to protect fish
• Sea level rise poses threats
• Cost = who should pay?
• Needs maintenance of water resources for people and environment

Question 2

What are the management strategies in the Severn?

Answer 2

• Controlling agricultural pollution from nitrates by further regulation
• Creation of new wetlands
• Protection of high quality coarse and game fishing areas (eg. Cound Brook)
• Managing recreational development

Question 3

Why does the Severn need management?

Answer 3

• Multiuse/shared catchment
• Limited water supply = concerns over maintaining water resources for people/environment
• Competing needs = discharge from sewage works = impacts water quality
• Pressure from lots of uses = more vulnerable to flooding
  ISSUES with water:
• Pollution from rural areas and waste water
• Physical modification needed?
• Pollution from towns, cities and transport
• Changes to natural level and flow of water
• Negative impacts of non-native species

Question 4

What are the management challenges for the Nile?

Answer 4

• Lake Nasser Aswan high Dam = loss of soil fertility downstream as plains no longer flooded with alluvium = artificial fertilisers now used
  = Stagnant water downstream of Dam = good breeding ground for parasites and insects (eg bilharzia)
• Lake Manzala = highly polluted due to lack of waste water treatment = quality needs to be improved

Question 5

Why does the Nile needs to be managed?

Answer 5

• Limited water supply = shared water supply equally = no shortage downstream
• Competing needs = discharge from sewage works = impacts water quality
  = Construction of something (Aswan Dam) can lead to less alluvium on flood plains = artificial fertilisers used

Question 6

What are the socio-economic needs in the development of the Aswan Dam?

Answer 6

• Generate electricity

- Provide water for drinking and irrigation = more crops = less hunger and more jobs

Question 7

What are the environmental needs in the development of the Aswan Dam?

Answer 7

• Reduce flooding = can store two years of Nile flows
  = Lake Nasser = 500m deep, 10km wide and over 500km long
• Protect areas from drought by storing water (in Lake Nasser)

Question 8

Was the Aswan Dam building about balancing socio-economic and environmental needs?

Answer 8

• Dam construction aids economic prosperity = reduces floods and droughts in Egypt
• Now a tourist attraction = more employment and wealth
• River levels remain steady all year
• Cultivated (farmed) land increased from 4% to 8%