Water

Question 1

When was the Brazil drought?

Answer 1

2015

Question 2

Impacts of the Brazil drought?

Answer 2

Water supplies cut off for 3 days a week
No HEP production
Water rationing for 4 million people
Reservoirs at 1% capacity
Wildfires
Increased groundwater abstraction

Question 3

When was the Cumbria flooding?

Answer 3

2015

Question 4

What caused the Cumbria flooding?

Answer 4

Storm Desmond
Orographic rainfall
Precedent saturated conditons
Changing land use - reduced lag times
Mismanagement of rivers - straightening and dredged rivers mean rainwater met floodplains faster (hard engineering)

Question 5

Impacts of the Cumbria flooding

Answer 5

£6 billion insurance claim
Livestock lost
5200 homes flooded
Schools and hospitals closed
Landslides

Question 6

When was the Pantanal wetlands drought?

Answer 6

2011

Question 7

What factors worsened the Pantanal wetlands drought

Answer 7

Unsustainable farming
HEP
Deforestation

Question 8

Impacts of the Pantanal wetlands drought

Answer 8

Wildfires
Loss of vegetation
Fragile biome

Question 9

South-North Water Transfer Project

Answer 9

Cost $70 billion
Reduce the risk of water shortages and boost economic development
Reduce the abstraction of groundwater
345,000 people will have to relocate

Question 10

When was the Pakistan Floods?

Answer 10

2022

Question 11

Impacts of the Pakistan floods

Answer 11

2 million acres of crops ruined
800,000 livestock died
Indus River overflowed
Due to 75% more rain in the monsoon season

Question 12

When was the Horn of Africa drought?

Answer 12

2011

Question 13

What caused the Horn of Africa drought?

Answer 13

La Niña interrupted rain seasons twice

Question 14

Impacts of the Horn of Africa drought

Answer 14

260,000 deaths in Somalia
Threatened the livelihood of 9.5 million
Desertification and degradation of land

Question 15

Global water statistics

Answer 15

25% lack access to safe water
70% of water is used by agriculture
60% of world’s supplies in 10 countries
20% of all freshwater is used for energy production
1/3 of China’s rivers are polluted
20% of Amazon rainforest destroyed in last 50 years
1/5 land under full irrigation
1 degree increase could increase runoff by 40%

Question 16

Mega dam example

Answer 16

Three Gorges Dam, China

Question 17

Why was the Three Gorges Dam built?

Answer 17

Control flooding
Improve water supply by regulating water flow
Generate HEP

Question 18

Pros of the Three Gorges Dam

Answer 18

Enables surplus water to build up and be diverted to Northern China via the South-North water transfer project
Electricity generated is vital for China’s growth

Question 19

Cons of the Three Gorges Dam

Answer 19

1.3 million people were relocated
Water quality is low due to industrial pollution, farm waste and sewage
Decomposing vegetation produces methane in the reservoir
Controversial and expensive

Question 20

Desalination in Israel

Answer 20

Provides 70% of their domestic water
Reliable and predictable supply of water
600 tonnes of potable water per hour

Question 21

Cons of desalination in Israel

Answer 21

Each plant requires its own power station
Adds to CO emissions
Produces vast amounts of salt which harms ecosystems

Question 22

Deforestation in Amazonia

Answer 22

20% of the forest has been destroyed
Used for cattle ranching, biofuels and logging
Carbon sink
Large impact on the water cycle

Question 23

Water conflicts over the River Nile

Answer 23

300 million live within the Nile Basin
Some countries exploit the supply
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Egypt is reliant on the Nile for 95% of its water needs
Nile Base Initative

Question 24

Transboundary river in India and Pakistan

Answer 24

Indus Waters Treaty 1960
Upheld in spite of the countries going to war twice since its signing