Water Management

Question 1

Water transfer schemes

Answer 1

Diverting water from one basin to another (inter-basin transfer) either by diverting river itself or constructing canals.

Question 2

CASE STUDY - China’s south north transfer

Answer 2

• Divert 44.8 billion metres cubes of water annually from china’s humid south to dry, industrialised north.
• In the North east half the population rely on 15% of china’s water supply.
• Dangers that water could become contaminated and undrinkable.

Question 3

Negatives of water transfer schemes

Answer 3

• Huge costs of infrastructure.
• Pollution.
• Introduce alien species of fish.
• Increase flood risk.

Question 4

Mega Dams

Answer 4

• Nearly 60% of major rivers now impeded by large dams.

- ability to store 15% of annual global run off.

Question 5

Positives of Mega dams

Answer 5

• Irrigation
• hydroelectric power
• flood control
• domestic water supply
• fuel economic growth

Question 6

Negatives of mega dams

Answer 6

• evaporation losses as usually in semi-arid areas.

Question 7

China’s three gorges

Answer 7

• triggered by 1991 floods, built to reduce flooding.
• hydroelectric power for development.
• human activity already worsened floods.
• some believe smaller, cost less dam would be more effective. (largest)

Question 8

Desalination

Answer 8

• uses ocean water not fresh water supplies therefore sustainable.
• recent technology means more efficient as less pressure needed and less energy. (Eg. Carbon nanotubes and reverse osmosis)

Question 9

Negatives of desalination

Answer 9

• impacts marine life.

- left over water twice as salty as ocean water therefore dumped at shore effects coral reefs and food webs.

Question 10

CASE STUDY - Israel desalination project

Answer 10

• largest plant situated near Tel Aviv.
• produce 624 million litres of drinkable water everyday.
• countries suffering from scarcity still find prices too high.
• send billion to Riyadh as population growing rapidly.

Question 11

‘Magic stones’ - conservation

Answer 11

Eg. Sahel

- line stones along contour lines to prevent erosion and conserve soil moisture.

Question 12

Hydroponics

Answer 12

Growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions.

Question 13

Minimise tiling

Answer 13

Farmers minimising tiling so water is stored in layer of mulch and conserved.

Question 14

CASE STUDY - Singapore holistic approach

Answer 14

• one of the most water stressed cities in the world.
• demand set to double by 2060.
• NEWater is using water from drains and sewers and cleaning it with dual membrane technology.
• not drinkable tho.