WATER P2 (SEC C) Flashcards
what countries have water surplus/deficit?
SURPLUS : north America , Europe , Parts of Asia
- due to high rainfall
water security?
Water security means to have a clean, reliable source of water that meets demand throughout the year.
how does water security imrpove Q of L?
- reduce poverty
- help improve education
- increase living standards
why do countries suffer from water insecurity?
- contaminated water / polluted
- lcoals cant purify water before drinking
- depends on drought
reasons for increasing water consumption ?
- population growth (by 80 mill a year)
- economic development
- changes in lifestyle/eating
- water used to irrigate food
- urbanisation -> needed for sanitation, drinking, drainage
factors effecting water availability?
CLIMATE - high rainfall means water surplus
GEOLOGY- infiltration of water through permeable rock builds important groundwater supplies
POLLUTION - LICs/NEEs use water sources as open sewers leading to waterbourne diseases
LIMITED INFRASTRUCTURE - poorer countries lack infrastruture to transport water
POVERTY- lack mains water
OVER ABSTRACTION - pumping out water faster than it can be replaced
C
impact of water insecurity?
WASTE FOOD IS WASTE
WATERBORNE DISEASE
- water supply infrastruture is limited, so less sanitation
- opee sewer/pollution in rivers -> DISEASE
FOOD PRODUCTION
- agriculture uses 70% water supply
- droughts/shortages lead to impact of food production
INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT
- More industry , means more DEMAND FOR WATER (water shortage cost $40 billion in China /factories have closed due to shortage)
WATER CONFLICT
- may be water conflict bc water sources cross national/political borders
EAMPLE OF WATER POLLUTION ?
River Ganges , india
- most polluted river in world , with uman/industrail waste
- one billion litres of raw sewage enters river each day
- leather industries pollute river
- pestcides /fertilisers leak into river
how can water supply be increased?
DDDW
diverting supplies- artifically diverted/stored for use over long periods
- some parts of world surface water EVAPORATES RAPIDLY (collected and diverted into underlying soils)
Dams and Resevoirs
- rainfall is collected/stored and then released in drier periods
- reduces flooding downstream/hydroelectric power can be produced
water transfers
- redistrubute water from areas of water surplus–> deficit
- invlove elaborate systems of canals/pipelines
desalination
- removing salt from seawater to produce fresh water
what is China’s south-north water transfer scheme?
- spending over 79$ billion to transfer water from south- north
- involves building dams /tunnels
issues linked with desalination?
- environmentalimpacts of ecosystems when salt wste is dumped back into sea
- vast amounts of energy needed
- expensive to transport desalinated water
CASE STUDY
what is Lesotho Highland water Project?
- WATER TRANSFER SCHEME to solve water shortage in South Africa
- involve construction of dams, pipelines, roads , bridges , resevoirs
Case study
main features of scheme?
- Katse/Mohale dams store water that is transferred to Mohale resevoirs
- water then tranfered to South Africa via 32km tunnel enabling HEP to be produced at Muela Plant
- Polihali Dam will hold 2.2 billion m cubed of water with 38km transfer tunnel
- Ntoahae Dam/pumping station will be built 40km downstream from Tsoelike Dam
CASE STUDY
advantages of scheme for Lesotho?
- provides 75% of GDP
- income from scheme helps development/standard of living
- supplies with hydroelectric power
- improvements to transport infrastructure
- water supply reach 90% of population
- sanitation coverage from 15-20%
advantages of scheme for South Africa ?
- provides water to area of uneven rainfall pattern/regular droughts
- provides safe water for 10% population
- reduces acidity of Vaal river resevoir
