Water In South Africa Flashcards
(21 cards)
What are the 3 main uses for water in SA and explain
Domestic use > 27%
Homes - drinking, cooking and cleaning
Industrial use > 11%
Industry
Mining
Generate power
Agricultural use > 62%
Irrigation - crops and forestry
What do water shortages affect
A persons health
A persons food supply
A country’s economy
What are 2 reasons we are facing a water crisis
Rain fills rivers, lakes and groundwater
The rainfall is very low
68% of SA is getting less than 500mm per year
There are more people and not enough water
Some places have more people than others
Some places have more rain than others
The places with more people aren’t getting lots of rain
The places with lots of rain dont have a lot of people
Places are getting more rain than needed
Runoff
Rainwater flowing over the land, instead of seeping into the ground
Catchment area
In which water is collected
Unpolluted
Clean, not being dirty and dangerous
Soil erosion
The process in which soil that has been picked up and carried away by water or wind
Where does runoff go
Flows into streams and rivers
Sinks into the ground
Ensuring regular supply of water all year
What do we depend on rivers for
Water supply
Animal and plant habitats
What do we do that affects catchment areas badly
Exotic trees use much more ground water than indigenous vegetation > Pine Trees
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides wash into rivers and sink into ground water
Factory, human and animal waste is often pumped into rivers
When rows are ploughed up and down a slope it is easier for rain to wash it into rivers > muddy water
Litter, mine waste water and mine dumps that contain metals and chemicals are washed into rivers and ground water
Tarred surfaces prevent water sinking into the ground
Vegetation along river banks protects them from erosion > when cleared there are fewer roots to hold the soil and nothing to slow runoff = less ground water
Wetlands
Places where there is water on the land for at least part of the year
Home of plants, animals and birds
Exotic
From another country, especially a tropical one
Fertilizers
Food for plants
Pesticides
Chemical substances used on plants to kill insects, which are harmful to other animals and people
Domestic animals
Animals that are bred to live and reproduce in captivity
Filters
Devices used to hold back the solid parts in a liquid or gas
Pollutants
Things that make the air or rivers dirty and dangerous
Alien invader trees
Trees from other countries or areas that don’t grow naturally in a certain area
Why are wetlands disappearing
Drained - use land >crops
> tree plantations
> settlements
Pollution
Overgrazing
Taking water > irrigation
Reasons to conserve wetlands
> Store water for domestic and wild animals
> Slow down runoff and sink into ground
Increase ground water
Prevents soil erosion
Lessens the effects of flooding- absorbs
> Natural filters - trap pollutants
- clean water
> High plant and animal biodiversity
How to use water responsibly
DONT WASTE WATER
>Collect rainwater in tanks
>Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth
>Use greywater to water your garden
DONT POLLUTE WATER
>Clean waste water before returning it to river
>Grow indigenous rather than exotic plants
>Use natural rather than chemical fertilizers
>Dont use overhead sprinklers
>Water crops and gardens at night
AVOID DOING ANYTHING THAT WILL REDUCE RIVER, WETLAND AND UNDERGROUND WATER SUPPLIES
>Dont remove vegetation from river banks
>Dont drain wetlands
>Pick up litter
>Take showers instead of baths
>Dont plough up and down slopes
>Repair dripping or leaking taps and pipes immediately
