Water insecurity and Water Stress With CS- WATER CYCLE

Question 1

What is water insecurity?

Answer 1

• When there is not enough water to meet the needs of the population
• Sometimes an economy has lot of water but due to economic scarcity, there is not enough infrastructure to be used safely to extract it.
• un definition - The capacity of a population to safeguard
  sustainable access to acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods and ensuring protection against water-borne pollution

Question 2

What is water stress

Answer 2

When available water is less than 1700 m^3 per year. This marks the start of water stress and leads to water scarcity physical and economic scarcity

Question 3

Who will suffer from water stress in the future?

Answer 3

• Middle East and Asia and some of Northern Africa may suffer form highest water stress in 2040. This may be due to overpopulation growth and economic mean as they have no way to sanitise an also climate change.

Question 4

What are uncertainties?

Answer 4

Extra factors that may cause a change and alter projections of water stress such areas more affluent than others or a sudden pandemic

Question 5

Human causes of water insecurity with CASE STUDY EXAMPLES (5)

Answer 5

• Increasing population - lack of infrastructure to cope with demand or waste. Ex- In Bangladesh, plastic bags banned as they causes floods and provides breeding grounds for mosquito and water borne diseases.
• Over abstraction from rivers , lakes and groundwater aquifers- Such as Mexico City and Morocco- There was pressure on groundwater resources increase due to water demand as well as droughts
• Contamination of water from agriculture industry ( eutrophication -chemical fertilizers go in water used for agriculture) - For ex such as Lake logh neagh, where eutrophication remains a significant environmental problem through degrading water quality because of seasonal agriculture irregular climatic event.
• Salt water incursion for over abstraction
• Industrial water pollution

Question 6

Physical causes of water insecurity (5)

Answer 6

• Precipitation ( Pakistan- Flooding)
• Topography ( Lake mead )
• Geology (Boscastle-flooding)
• Discharge into the sea
• Sea water incursion - if pump is close to equator, than the aquifer salt contaminates water supply

Question 7

Difference between water stress and water scarcity

Answer 7

• Water stress - lack of safe water below 1,700 m^3
• Water scarcity - a situation where water demand exceeds over available water supply (below 1000 m^3)

Question 8

Why is there Inequality and insecurity over water ? (6)
and CASE STUDY EXAMPLES

Answer 8

• 66% of the world population live in areas which have only have access to 25% of the worlds annual life. Demand has risen due to:

1. Population growth - South America + Mexico
2. Growing middle class - China + India
3. Economic growth - China + India
4. Aquifers and Deep water well - India
5. Water table - …
6. Water extracted fort - USA

Question 9

What are the 4 Causes of pollution

Answer 9

• Untreated sewage
• Chemical fertilisers
• Industrial waste
• Large dams - rubbish from behind rive pollutes

Question 10

What are stats for Mexico City? (over abstraction-more case study notes)

Answer 10

• villa Victoria is a source of water for 6 milllion
• climate change, chaotic urban growth and inefficient infrastructure have trained Mexico’s water supplies
• water stress is a problem for 200,000 residents due to water shortages as a result of failure of key pipeline from reservoir
• nearly half of Mexico experience drought in march 2023
• $16.55 million pounds for canal upgrade
• rainwater no longer absorbs into subsoil which is now covered by rods to houses
• rainy season helps replenish reservoirs but most not captured