Unit 12 - Essays - Water SIMPLE ENGLISH UPDATED Flashcards
Evaluate the role of economic factors in causing water pollution in LICs/MICs.
Paragraph 1: Farming (Agriculture)
Explain farming is Mali’s main economic activity.
Say farming employs many people (about 80%) and makes around 33% of Mali’s economy.
Farmers use chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) to grow more crops and earn more money.
These chemicals run into rivers and lakes causing pollution.
Give a clear example from Sikasso in Mali: nitrates from fertilizers are 3 times above safe limits.
Pollution from farming happens more during planting and harvest seasons (time variations).
Most pollution is seen in rural farming areas (spatial variation).
Paragraph 2: Industry (Factories and Businesses)
Explain Mali has factories (small-scale industries) like clothing, leather, and small mining companies.
Factory owners often do not treat wastewater because it’s expensive and reduces profits.
About 90% of factory wastewater in Bamako (capital city) goes untreated into the Niger River.
Wastewater from factories contains harmful chemicals and metals.
Compare briefly with countries like India (where industry pollution is even larger).
Explain pollution mostly happens near cities with factories (spatial variation).
Paragraph 3: Urbanisation (Growth of Cities)
Explain people in Mali move to cities (especially Bamako) for jobs and better money.
Bamako’s population grew quickly from around 658,000 in 1990 to about 2.7 million today.
Because of quick growth, Bamako lacks toilets, sewage systems, and good waste disposal.
Around 60% of people in Bamako don’t have proper sanitation, so waste pollutes rivers.
Clearly explain that cities cause more pollution than rural areas (spatial variation).
Highlight how pollution increased rapidly over recent years due to urban growth (time variation).
Paragraph 4: Mining (Resource Extraction)
Explain Mali makes money from mining gold (around 6.5% of the economy).
Many small-scale miners use dangerous chemicals like mercury and cyanide to get gold quickly and cheaply.
Mercury pollution near mining towns like Kayes and Sikasso is 100 times higher than safe levels.
Miners often ignore safety because protective equipment is expensive and reduces profits.
Explain clearly pollution is worst where mining happens, and gets worse when gold prices rise, causing more mining activity (time variation).
Paragraph 5: Poverty (Not Having Enough Money)
Explain Mali is a poor country (average income around US$890 per year per person).
Mali does not have enough money to build good water systems or enforce pollution rules.
Less than 40% of people in rural Mali have safe drinking water.
Poor rural people use polluted rivers and wells because they cannot afford cleaner sources.
Government cannot properly enforce laws due to lack of money, allowing pollution to continue.
Explain clearly that rural areas have worse problems due to poverty (spatial variation).
Other important factors (briefly mentioned)
Quickly say that other reasons also cause water pollution, such as:
Weak government rules and enforcement.
Lack of education about pollution.
Briefly compare Mali with Rwanda (another LIC) that successfully reduced pollution through better laws and education despite similar economic problems.
Conclusion
Clearly say economic factors (farming, industry, cities, mining, poverty) strongly cause water pollution in Mali and similar countries.
Clearly summarise that pollution varies by place (urban vs rural areas), over time (seasonal changes), and in scale (small vs large countries).
Clearly state that solving water pollution also requires stronger rules, better education, and government support, not just economic solutions.
‘For many countries, water quality is more of an issue than water supply.’ With reference to one or more examples, how far do you agree?
Paragraph 1: Mali – Dirty Water is More Dangerous than Lack of Water
Main point: Mali does not have much water, but the bigger issue is that the available water is unsafe to drink.
Where does the problem happen? (Spatial Variation)
North of Mali is very dry (250–500mm rain per year).
South gets more rain (1,100mm per year), but water is still dirty.
Evidence (Facts & Numbers):
77% of people in Mali have access to better water, but only 64% in rural areas.
Diseases like diarrhea and cholera cause 20% of child deaths under five years old.
How is the problem getting worse? (Temporal Variation)
Climate change is causing longer droughts – people are forced to drink unsafe water.
Over time, groundwater is also getting more polluted.
Why is water quality a bigger problem than supply?
Even if water is available, people still get sick because it is contaminated.
Dirty water causes death and disease more quickly than not having enough water.
Paragraph 2: India – Too Much Pollution Makes Water Unsafe
Main point: India has lots of water, but it is often too polluted to use.
Where does the problem happen? (Spatial Variation)
The Ganges River supports 400 million people but is full of waste.
Factories in cities like Delhi and Kanpur release toxic chemicals into water.
Farming areas like Punjab and Haryana use too many fertilizers, making underground water unsafe.
Evidence (Facts & Numbers):
70% of India’s surface water is polluted.
230 billion cubic meters of groundwater are used every year (most in the world).
60% of India’s districts have unsafe levels of nitrates, causing diseases like blue baby syndrome.
How is the problem getting worse? (Temporal Variation)
Factories and farms have been increasing since the 1990s, making water pollution worse.
Water pollution is not getting better—it is affecting more people every year.
Why is water quality a bigger problem than supply?
India has enough water, but much of it is too polluted to drink.
Millions of people get sick because of dirty water, making it a bigger issue than water shortages.
Paragraph 3: California – Rich State with Both Water Shortages and Dirty Water
Main point: California does not have enough water, but some areas also suffer from dirty water, especially poor communities.
Where does the problem happen? (Spatial Variation)
The whole state has water shortages, but the Central Valley has both shortages and pollution.
Cities like Los Angeles and San Diego have old water pipes that cause lead poisoning.
Evidence (Facts & Numbers):
Between 2020–2022, California had its driest three years in 1,200 years.
250,000 people in California have unsafe drinking water because of nitrates.
Poor communities are affected more by pollution than wealthier areas.
How is the problem getting worse? (Temporal Variation)
Climate change is making droughts longer and more severe.
When water supply decreases, the pollution in the remaining water becomes worse.
Is water quality a bigger issue than supply?
In wealthy areas, water supply is a bigger issue.
In poor areas, water quality is a bigger problem because of pollution.
Paragraph 4: Water Supply and Quality Are Connected
Main point: If there is not enough water, water quality usually gets worse.
Examples from case studies:
Mali: When water is scarce, people drink from dirty sources.
India: Overuse of groundwater leads to pollution because there is less clean water left.
California: Droughts mean that remaining water has more pollution.
How does this change over time? (Temporal Variation)
Climate change is making both problems worse.
As water shortages increase, water quality also declines.
Why is water quality the bigger issue?
Water shortages can sometimes be fixed with technology (dams, pipelines, etc.).
Water pollution is harder to fix and affects more people’s health.
Paragraph 5: How Big is the Impact of Water Quality Compared to Supply?
Main point: Water quality is a bigger issue than supply because it affects more people and causes more serious problems.
Comparing different countries (Scale Variation):
Poor countries like Mali – Contaminated water kills children and spreads disease.
Middle-income countries like India – Millions of people drink unsafe water every day.
Wealthy places like California – Poor people suffer from bad water quality more than rich people.
Final judgment:
Even if a country has enough water, it is useless if it is too dirty to drink.
Water pollution affects health, farming, and the economy, making it a bigger challenge than supply issues.
Conclusion
Restate the main argument – Water is essential, but in many places, pollution is a bigger problem than not having enough water.
Key reason – Millions of people suffer from diseases due to unsafe water, making it a more urgent crisis than supply shortages.
Final judgment – Most countries need to focus more on improving water quality than on increasing water supply.
