week 1

Question 1

Environmental flow requirements

Answer 1

the amount, quality and timing of waterflows required to sustain freshwater ecosystem health

Question 2

return flow

Answer 2

water that is returned to the water resources after use, as treated or untreated wastewater

Question 3

water consumption

Answer 3

portion of the water withdrawal that is lost to its source. this water is no longer available because it evaporated, transpired, used by plants, or consumed by humans or livestock

Question 4

water footprint

Answer 4

total volume of freshwater consumed to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual, community, or produced by the business

Question 5

water scarcity

Answer 5

refers to the lack of available water resources. has two components: water shortage and water stress

Question 6

water security

Answer 6

refers to the reliable availability of an acceptable water quantity and quality of water for health, livelihoods, ecosystems, and production coupled with an acceptable level of water-related risks for people, environments and economiesw

Question 7

water shortage

Answer 7

refers to the physical lack of sufficient available water resources given the number of people depending on these water resources

Question 8

water stress

Answer 8

refers to the impact of high water use relative to water availability

Question 9

water use

Answer 9

general term to refer to a certain volume of water that is utilised in a specific way

Question 10

water withdrawal

Answer 10

volume of water that is abstracted from water resources, usually for human needs

Question 11

scenarios

Answer 11

simplification of reality to assess the future

Question 12

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Answer 12

assessment of the human impact on the environment. they modelled scenarios for future trends in society and their implications on ecosystem services. Global orchestration, order from strength, adapting mosaic, and technogarden

Question 13

Representative Concentration Pathways

Answer 13

4 pathways on the GHG emission, concentrations, and land use. four RCPs ranging from 2.6 to 8.5 w/m2 (radiative forcing trajectories: how much infrared radiation that is trapped in the lower atmosphere and causes the enhanced GHG effect that we call global warming). ! does not include any socio-economic narrative alongside the pathways

Question 14

Shared Socio-economic Pathways

Answer 14

combines pathways of future radiative forcing and associated climate change with pathways of socioeconomic development. the SSP pathways describe plausible alternative trens in the evolution of society and ecosystems over a century timescale, in the absence of climate policies. x axis: socioeconomic challenges for adaptation, y: mitigation

Question 15

main difference between 3 scenarios:

Answer 15

MEA: effect of future trends in society on ecosystems
RCP: only ghg trajectories. NO socio-economic narrative linked to the trajectories
SSP: combines emission pathways with socio-economic development. looks at the socio-economic drivers of GHG emissions