Topic 5 EQ3 Flashcards
What are players ?
Individuals, groups or organisations with an involvement or interest in a particular issue
What are the three fundamental problems in the water world?
Physical distribution, the gap between rising demand and diminishing supplies and the water availability gap
What percentage of the worlds water supply are contained in just ten countries?
60%
Potential population growth by 2030
+ 3 billion people
How are rising standards of living leading to a rising demand?
- countries such as China adopt meat-rich diets which lead to higher consumption of water for agriculture
- increased domestic use for drinking, bathing and cleaning as people become more affluent
- rising demand for electronics encourages more water in manufacturing
How can economic growth lead to a rising demand?
Increases demand for water in all economic sectors (agriculture, industry, energy and services). The mining of unconventional sources of energy such as fracking puts huge demands on water.
How can irrigated farming lead to water insecurity ?
The countries bordering the Aral Sea have the highest water use per capita in the world with around 99% being used for irrigated crops
Why is there a diminishing supply available from groundwater aquifers?
- irrigation
- cheap pumping technology, minimal legislation and climate change induced droughts have led to a falling water table
-the groundwater supplies are being extracted faster than they can be replenished
Why can groundwater no longer be regarded as an unlimited supplement ?
It’s being diminished by overuse. Supplies are being extracted faster than they can be replenished.
What is the water availability gap concept?
An imbalance of usage with richer countries usage which use up to 10x more water per head
What is embedded water?
Known as virtual water which come embedded in all the farm products , food and manufactured goods that are imported.
When does physical scarcity occur?
When more than 75% of a countries blue water flows are being used
When does economic scarcity occur?
When the development of blue water sources is limited by lack of capital, technology and good governance
What is the macro scale physical factor determining the supply of water?
Climate determines annual and seasonal distribution of precipitation.
How can atmospheric pressure systems determine the water supply?
Varies the precipitation with the low pressure zone of mid latitudes and equatorial regions having the highest totals.
How does topography affect the supply of water?
High relief promotes increased precipitation and rapid run-off but may also provide greater opportunities for surface water storage in natural lakes and artificial reservoirs.
How can geology affect the supply of water?
Geology controls the distribution of aquifers that provide groundwater storage. Permeable chalk and porous sandstones can store vast quantities of water underground which is valuable as it is not subject to evaporation loss.
How can the water supply from springs be accessed?
From wells which give an even supply of water throughout the year, despite uneven distribution of rainfall - provided they are not overused by demand which is faster than the natural recharge rate.
What is the crisis caused by over-digging of tube wells?
Massive abstraction and a falling water table combined in many places with a less predictable pattern of rains.
Impact of human activities on the security of supply
- diminishing supply and rising demand
- impact both quantity and quality
How many people are without safe water?
1 billion
How many people in China use contaminated water daily?
300 million
Annual water related illnesses in China
190 million
Why is groundwater contamination serious?
If important aquifers are irreversibly damaged by high levels of toxicity people can be affected by arsenic poisoning - 137 million people world wide
What is the green revolution?
Use of high yield varieties of crops along with the use of agrochemical and irrigation to increase yields.
Impacts of untreated sewage disposal
Causes water borne diseases such as typhoid,cholera and hepatitis.
Impact of the use of chemical fertilisers
Contaminates groundwater as well as river causing eutrophication in lakes and rivers.
Impacts of industrial waste being dumped into river and oceans.
Heavy metals and chemical waste are particularly toxic
What are the regional and local drivers of increased water demand?
Population growth, migration and urbanisation, rising living standards, economic development and industrialisation.
Impact of the removal of fresh water from aquifers on coasts
It can upset the natural balance of saline and fresh water and can lead to salt water incursion and salinisation of wells, boreholes and wetlands.
What is the water poverty index?
An assessment of the degree of water shortage and the subsequent water insecurity problems.
What is water insecurity ?
Not having access to sufficient safe/clean water.
How many people are still without access to safe water ?
1 billion
How much is spent each year worldwide by a number of players including international agencies and government?
$35 billion
How can physical scarcity be overcome ?
Technology and capital investment
What 3 factors are related to the problem of water insecurity?
Availability - having a water supply and a distribution network
Access - freedom to use or income to buy water
Usage - entitlement to and understanding of water use and health issue
What is the main determinant of physical scarcity?
Climate - balance between precipitation inputs and evapotranspiration outputs
Significant regional factors of physical scarcity
Continentality and topography
Significant local factor causing physical scarcity
Geology
Main cause of economic scarcity
Developing countries that lack capital and technology and good governance .
What factors if the price of water determined by?
- physical costs of obtaining the supply
- the degree demand for water
- infrastructure
- the supplier
How can the physical cost of obtaining the supply of water affect the price of water?
In some cities, the water has to be piped for many KMs from mountain reservoirs.
How can demand affect the price of water?
If water is scarce the price increases to manage demand and the poor miss out
How can infrastructure affect the price of water ?
Slum districts have to rely on water tankers, stand pipes and bottled water. The cost of water form informal vendors are nearly twice that of standard tap connections.
How can the supplier affect the price of water?
Water supplied by private companies that charge the market price for it (Barranquilla, Columbia) poor people lose out again. In Cuba the government subsidises water to ensure it is available for all.
Argument for the privatisation of water
Market mechanisms would simultaneously conserve water, improve efficiency and increase service quality and coverage.
Argument against the privatisation of water
Subsidies would end so all consumers would be charged at the price it costs to capture, treat and deliver. Private companies see water as a commodity for which a profit should be made.
What are structural adjustment programmes?
Neo-liberal policies promoted by the world bank and IMF to help developing countries overcome their debt problems. The privatisation of utilities was seen as Essen as existing systems were inefficient.
What happened in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in 1999-2000?
A protest against privatisation where a local company was given a monopoly and charged very high prices. Months of protesting by 80,000 people and street battles, the company fled.
How is agriculture leading to environmental concerns .
- around 30% of irrigation is provided using dams . Irrigated land becomes waterlogged leading to salination of soils
- the majority of irrigation is pumped up electrically from aquifers leading the groundwater depletion
How is the dietary revolution leading to pressure on water supplies?
In countries such as China, there has been a huge rise in the consumption of dairy and meat. It takes 3000 litres to produce 1kg of rice but it takes nearly 6x more to produce 1kg of beef
Maxim for irrigated system
More crop per drop
Original size of the Aral Sea
Fourth largest inland sea (68,000 sq km)
First cause for the Aral Sea
In the late 1950’s, the Soviets diverted water from the Amu Daryu and Syr Darya rivers which fed the Aral Sea, for irrigation of agriculture.
What had happened to the Aral Sea by 2007?
The Sea had declined to 10% of its original size and had split into separate lakes.
Why did the former soviet government intervene with the Aral Sea?
The began an ambitious irrigation scheme to develop fruit and cotton farming in an unproductive region and create job for millions.
How was the fishing community affected by the Aral Sea?
Once prosperous industry that employed 60,000 people has collapsed. Now the region faces unemployment and economic hardship.
How have local residents been affected by the Aral Sea?
Health problems are caused by wind blown salt and dust from the dried out sea bed. Drinking water is heavily polluted because of weapons testing , industry and fertiliser/pesticide runoff . Infant mortality rates are among the highest in the world with 10% of children dying in their first year
How has the Aral Sea affected the Uzbekistan government ?
The irrigation schemes allowed the poor country to become one of the worlds largest exporters of cotton.
How has the Aral Sea impacted biodiversity?
Only 160 out of the 310 bird species remain
Percentage of withdrawals worldwide for industry and energy
20%
Consequence of rapid industrialisation
Contamination of rivers and groundwater affecting water quality
How is water used in energy sector?
For generating HEP or for cooling thermal or nuclear power stations.