Theme 3 Chapter 3 - Water resource and management

Question 1

What does Abstraction means?

Answer 1

Water taken up from rivers, reservoirs or underground to be used

Question 2

What is embedded water?

Answer 2

The amount of water used to make an item of food or a product such as clothing

Question 3

What is a water footprint?

Answer 3

The amount of water used by an individual either directly or as embedded water

Question 4

What is water security?

Answer 4

When a society has enough water to ensure that everyone has clean water, sanitation and good health and the economy has enough water to grow food and make things.

Question 5

Where is water found?

Answer 5

In stores:

• Ocean / sea store
• Cloud store
• vegetation store
• Grounds store
• River store

Question 6

What is the household device that uses most water?

Answer 6

Washing machine - 50 - 100 liters

Question 7

Why is there an increased demand for water in modern society?

Answer 7

1) Population increase
2) Modern lifestyle needs more water as people use for time saving devices like washing machines
3) People want food out of season which increase water use

Question 8

What is over-abstraction?

Answer 8

Taking more water from a source than is being replenished

Question 9

What is an aquifer?

Answer 9

A permeable rock under the ground that can store large quantities of water

Question 10

2 serious effects of over abstraction of groundwater:

Answer 10

1) water cannot be supplied in sufficient quantities for an areas need
2) Can cause salt water intrusion into groundwater stores rendering them unusable

Question 11

2 serious effects of over abstraction of lakes:

Answer 11

1) Death of the fishing industry

2) competition between communities for control over remaining water

Question 12

What is the water supply like in Denmark?

Answer 12

• water supply is entirely from groundwater stores
• country sits onto of chalk (an aquifer)
• little water treatment is required

Question 13

What is the economy like in Denmark?

Answer 13

• Earn most income from agriculture

- 32nd richest country in terms of GNI

Question 14

What are some water challenges that Denmark faces?

Answer 14

1) Some salt water has intruded into groundwater stores
2) Pesticides and nitrates from fertilizers in shallow drinking waters
3) Increased usage causing increased demand

Question 15

How does Denmark resolve the water supply issues?

Answer 15

1) Restoration of contaminated water
2) Regulations on pesticides and Fertilisers
3) Increased tax on water usage

Question 16

What is the water supply like in Chad?

Answer 16

• Relies on lake Chad

- Hardly any water flows into lake chad from sources - the mountains surrounding

Question 17

What is the economy like in Chad?

Answer 17

• Amongst the top 40 poorest countries in the world

- Most agriculture is subsistence agriculture

Question 18

What is subsistence agriculture?

Answer 18

Farmers only growing food for their families with little left to sell

Question 19

What are some water challenges that Chad faces?

Answer 19

1) reduced flow to lake due to Dam construction
2) Overgrazing and deforestation resulting in warmer climate
3) Increased migration putting pressure on major urban areas

Question 20

How does Chad resolve the water supply issues?

Answer 20

1) Taking water from the Congo river and placing it into lake Chad -> this creases a huge economic zone in agriculture, industries and electrical production

Question 21

What causes the water supply to decrease?

Answer 21

1) A growing population
2) Smaller households - more water used as smaller washing machine and dishwasher loads used
3) More intense storm - Increased surface runoff and less infiltration into aquifer storage
4) Increased demand for crop irrigation

Question 22

What is the Elan Valley scheme?

Answer 22

In wales and is responsible for supplying water to Birmingham

Question 23

Positive and negative of the Elan Valley scheme on people and environment?

Answer 23

PEOPLE
Positive -> Creates jobs in construction
Negative -> Increases water bills for people in Birmingham

ENVIRONEMENT
Positive -> Steep valley sloped left wooded preventing flood risk
Negative -> Animals disturbed by noise pollution and habitat destruction

Question 24

Positive factors of having a transboundary -across countries - river?

Answer 24

• Provides water supply
• Provides water for industry
• Acts as a transport route
• Provides hydroelectric power
• Source of irrigation water
• Contains fish

Question 25

Problems with a transboundary river?

Answer 25

• One country could pollute waters affecting health downstream
• One country can build a dam causing flooding or droughts downstream
• If the countries at war, they can blockade the river
• One country could over fish causing less fish travelling downstream

Question 26

Effects of the dam on the upper basin (China) vs lower basin (Cambodia)?

Answer 26

Upper basin:

• Jobs created
• Cheap electricity
• More people have safe water supply
• Land flooded and lost occasionally

Lower basin:

• Less water for people and farms
• Sudden release of water from dam causes flashfloods
• Population of fish drastically decreased

Question 27

What did China propose to help the water issues with Cambodia?

Answer 27

1) Set up fish ladders to promote fish moving downstream into Cambodia
2) Increased seed diversity and develop drought-tolerant crops preventing food shortages in Winter
3) Health assessment to analyse the impacts of polluted waters into Cambodia