water case study

Question 1

human - water insecurity

Answer 1

-pollution caused from human and industrial waste being dumped into water sources
-poverty prevents low income families affording water
-limited infrastructure such as lack of water pipes and sewers
-over abstraction is when more water is taken than is replaced

Question 2

physical - water insecurity

Answer 2

-climate needs to provide enough rainfall to feed lakes and rivers
-geology, permeable rock means sourcing water from difficult aquifers

Question 3

impact of water insecurity - food production

Answer 3

the less water available for irrigating crops the less food produced, lead to starvation

Question 4

impact of water insecurity - industrial output

Answer 4

manufacturing industries depend heavily on water, a severe lack of water can impact economic output

Question 5

impact of water insecurity - disease and water pollution

Answer 5

inadequate sanitation systems pollutes drinking water causing diseases such as cholera

Question 6

impact of water insecurity - water conflict

Answer 6

water sources that cross national borders can create tensions and even war between countries

Question 7

increasing water supply

Answer 7

-water diversion - diverting water to be stored for longer periods, often pumped underground
-dams and reservoirs - control flow and storage of water to be released in times of deficit
-water transfer - move water from areas of surplus to deficit
-desalination - involves the extraction of salt from sea water to produce fresh drinking water

Question 8

sustainable water supply

Answer 8

-water conservation - reduce the amount of water wasted
-groundwater management - involves the monitoring of extracting groundwater
-recycling and ‘grey’ water - taking water that has already been used and using it again rather than returning it to a river or sea.

Question 9

name of large scale water transfer scheme

Answer 9

south - north water transfer scheme

Question 10

what is it

Answer 10

scheme to transfer 12 trillion gallons of water 1000km
cost 62 billion dollars

Question 11

where is it

Answer 11

china
south to north
rivers yellow and Yangtze

Question 12

why is it needed

Answer 12

-significant demand for water in North
-water table below Beijing is falling 5m per year
-high population density
-needed for irrigating farmland

Question 13

advantages

Answer 13

-reduces water insecurity in the north
-improves food security because more water for irrigation
-health benefits from improved water quality
-improved water supply for industry

Question 14

disadvantages

Answer 14

-hundreds of thousands of people displaced
-damage to natural environment
-region is prone to earthquakes
-costs money for taxpayers