Section C - Water Managment Flashcards
how do water surplus and deficit vary around the world
regions with water surplus have a supply of water which exceeds demand. Other regions have a water deficit where demand exceeds supply. Areas of water defivit may have: low rainfall, high densities of population and/or industry, increasing demand
what is water security
water security means having acess to enough clean water to sustain well-being, good health and economic development
what is water insecurity
water insecurity describes the situation where regions do not have access to sufficient water supplies
when do countries experience water stress
countries begin to experience water stress when less than 1700metres cubed is availabed per person each year. Regions with high water stress include several Caribbean islands and the Middle Easr
why is water consumption increasing
the growth of the world’s population means more water is needed. Economic development redults in higher consumption. Changes in lifestyle and eating habits. Water is required for increasing energy production
what factors affect water availability
geology, climate, over-abstraction, pollution, limited infrastruture, poverty
what is over-abstraction
pumping water out of the ground faster than it is replaced
what are some impacts of water insecurity
waterbourne disease, water pollution, food production, industrial output and conflict
how does water pollution and waterboune disease cause water insecurity
contaminated drinking water can cause diseases such as chlorea. Queuing to clean water wastes time and levels of productivity, and reduces time spent at school
how is the River Ganges in India being polluted
over one billion litres of raw sewages enter the River Ganges each day. Factories discharge 260 million litres of untreated wastewater into the river daily. Toxic chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers leak into the river
how does food production cause water insecurity
Agriculture uses 70% of global water supply and suffers the most from water insecurity. The River Nile is Egypt’s primary source of water. Climate change and the demands of countries upstream are expected to reduce its flow by 90% by 2100. Egypt currently has to import 60%of its food
how does industrial output cause water insecurity
Growth of manufacturing industry, particularly in NEEs, is making increasing demands on water supplies. Water shortages cost China US$40 billion is lower industrial production
how does water conflict cause water insecurity
water sources cross national and political borders, Issues such as reservoir construction and pollution can impact on more than one country and create conflict. Turkey built dams, causing anger in Iraq and Syria
how does diverting water supply and increasing storage increase water supply
water supplies can be artificially diverted and stored for use over longer periods. In Oklahoma, rainfall is infrequent and heavy. Surface water wuickly evaporates so it is collected and diverted and stored in undelying alluvial soils
how do dams and reservoirs increase water supply
dams bring advantages: they control river flow by storing water in reservoirs, the control of water flow enables it to be transported and used for irrigation, they help to prevent flooding. Large dams: are expensive, can lead to the displacement of large numbers of people, may reduce the flow of water downstream. In hot and arid regions, reservoirs can lose a lot of water through evaporation
how does water transfer increase water supply
schemes move water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit. China is building three canal systems to transfer water from the Yangtze River in the south to the Yellow River Basin in the arid north. The controversial wester route involves building dams and tunnels through the Bayankela Mountains
how does desalination increase water supply
Desalinations means removing salt from seawater to produce fresh water. This is a very expensive process. It is used only when there is a serious shortage of water with few alternatives to increase water supply. Saudi Arabia and UAE have developed desalination plants
what is the Lesotho Highland Water Project
It is a huge water transfer scheme aimed to help solve the water shortage in South Africa. 40% of the water from the Segu Riverwill eventually be transferred to the River Vaal in South Africa. It involves the construction of dams, reservoirs and pipelines as well as roadsm bridges and other infrastructure
what is Lesotho
Lesotho is a highland country, surrounded by South Africa. It is heavily dependent economically on South Africa. Despite food insecurity, Lesotho has a water surplus mainly due to high rainfall in its mountainous regions
What are some advantages for Lesotho (Lesotho highland water project)
Provides 75% of Lesotho’s GDP, supplies all of Lesotho’s hydro electric requirements, sanitation coverage will increase from 15% to 20%
What are some disadvantages for Lesotho (Lesotho highland water project)
Building the first two dams displaced 30,000 people, destruction of a unique wetland ecosystem, corruption has prevented money reaching those affected by the construction
What are some advantages for South Africa (Lesotho highland water project)
Provides water to an area with regular droughts, fresh water reduces the acidity of the Vaal River Reservoir, provides safe water to an extra 10% of the population
What are some disadvantages for South Africa (Lesotho highland water project)
Costs are likely to reach US$4 billion, 40% of water is lost through leakages, corruption has plagued the whole project
what is sustainable water supply
sustainable approaches to water supply focus on: managment of water resources, reducing waste and excessive demand
how does groundwater managment help to create sustainable water supplies
groundwater is stored in underground aquifers. To ensure sustainability, water abstraction must be balanced by recharge. If groundwater levels fall, water can become contaminated, making expensive water treatment necessary
what is the Participatory Groundwater Managment scheme in India
The Participatory Groundwater Managment scheme in india trains people to monitor rainfall and groundwater levels, help farmers prepare how much water to use for irrigation, encourage farmers to plant crops to fit in with periods when water is available. Through PGM, rural communities have balanced water supply and demand using sustainable practices
how does recycling help to create sustainable water supplies
water recycling involves re-using trated wastewater for purposes like irrigation and industry. In Kolkata, India, sweage water is re-used for fish farming and ariculture. Some nuclear power plants-such as in Arizona USA, use recycled water for cooling
how does grey water help to create sustainable water supplies
grey water is taken from bathrooms and washing machines. It is recycled domestic waste water. If used within 24 hours it contains fertiliser for plants. Water from toilets cannot be used in this way. In Jordan, 70% of the water used for irrigation and gardens is waste water
what are some ways to conserve water
reduce leakages, improve public awareness of the importance of saving water, water meters, prevent polllution, turn off tap when brushing teeth
what is the Wakel River Basin Project
The Wakel River Basin Project is a project in north west India - in the south of Rajasthan - the driest and poorest part of India. The rainfall is less than 250mm per year so it quickly soaks or evaporates
what are the issues with water supply in Rajasthan
water managment in the region has been poor. Over use of water for irrigation has led to waterlogging and salinisation. Over abstraction from unregulated pumps has resulted in falling water tables in aquifers. Some wells have dried up
How does the wakel basin project increase sustainable supplies of water
The United States Agency for international development has been working with people in the wakel river basin. The project aims to improve water security and overcome the problems of water shortages by encouraging greater use of rainwater harvesting techniques such as taankas, Johed and pats
What are taankas
Underground storage systems which collect surface water from roofs
What is a Johed
Small earth dams that capture rainwater
What are pats
Irrigation channels that transfer water to the fields
How does the pat system work for the wakel river basin project
A small dam called a bun diverts water from the stream towards the fields. Villages take turns to irrigate their fields in this way. Maintenance is done by the villager whose turn it is to receive the Water
How has increasing public awareness helped in water security to increase in the wakel river basin
Education is used to increase awareness for the need for communities to work together to conserve water
