Case Studies Flashcards
Complex River Regime- Amazon
Over 1,100 tributaries, Large dams for HEP, Seasonal Precip. Rainforest Climate, high evapotranspiration levels
Complex River Regime- Murray Darling
Competitive irrigation demand, seasonal sub tropical climate, monsoons, basin lies in rain shadow, high water abstraction. Provides 75% of Australia’s water/40% of nations farm produce.
Causes of Water Surplus- Cumbria Storm Desmond 2015
Low pressure system, warm conveyor belt and jet stream, moist air over Cumbria over 48 hours, impermeable surfaces, orographic rainfall. 5200 homes flooded, £400mn cost.
Causes of Water Surplus- Boscastle 2004
Rainfall over 8 hours, sent cars into harbour, flash floods, 58 properties flooded.
Causes of Water Surplus- Pakistan 2010 (Snowmelt)
$43billion, 1700 deaths, forced to drink unsafe water.
Causes of Water Deficit- South Africa 2015
El. Nino, lack of rainfall, heatwave, climate change, reservoirs dry up, loss of cattle, affected food security, increasing prices and poverty.
Causes of Water Deficit- Murray Darling, Big Dry 2006
Climate dominated by sub-tropic high pressure belt, El. Nino, 1 in 200 year drought, one of the highest water consumptions per capita, less rainfall, global warming, vegetation mortality, desertification, over abstraction.
Physical causes of water surplus
Monsoon Rainfall- [May-September in SE Asia] E.g Philippines 2016 flooding in Manila, landslides, low pressure system. (LONG TERM).
Snowmelt- High latitude E.g. Ob and Yenisei rivers cause surplus in Siberian plains (LONG TERM)
In season- Cocker-mouth 2009 autumn prolonged rainfall
Storm Cumbria- Warm conveyor belt, jet stream, prolonged rainfall (SHORT TERM)
Out of season- Gloucestershire 2007 (SHORT TERM)
Water Insecurity- Three Gorges Dam China
Largest Pop. 1.4bn, high demand [20% of worlds pop./7% of worlds water] with global warming and droughts. Yangtze river, $39bn to build, worlds largest HEP system, 1.24mn relocated.
NEGATIVE- Dam risk of bursting, inundation (13 cities), declining tourism due to flooded environment, increase in landslides and earthquakes due to pressure.
POSITIVE- Larger cargo ships enable trade in deeper river, emissions reduced (Down 150m/yr) replacing coal fire stations.
Water Insecurity- South to North Water Transfer China
1/3 pop. in Northern area.
NEGATIVE- 435,000 relocated, environmental impacts such as pollution and sewage
POSITIVE- Water conservation and improved irrigation included in plans.
Water Insecurity- Turkey GAP Project
$32bn, covering 9 provinces, aiming to eliminate regional disparities by increasing income and living standards. GAP included activities such as agriculture and HEP. GAP will provide an estimated 3.5mn jobs directly. ILISU DAM- flooding of Hasankeyf, displacing 70,000, holding back crucial marsh water.
Transboundary Hydropolitics
EGYPT- Nile worlds largest river [10% of Africa], over 300mn residents within basin, 9 countries. Neo-Colonialism [China dams in Ethiopia], Nile Basin initiative//2010 new water treaty for equal usage.
USA- Colorado river drains 7% of USA, supplies water to 50mn+ Americans, HEP, storage down to 48%. California extracts 20% more than agreed, increasing pop. and decreasing avg. annual rainfall. 2007- US states (7) divided storages. 2012 (minute 319).
Reducing Water Conflict Risk
UNECE- ensure sustainable use of transboundary water resources through cooperation (1947).
HELSINKI- water convention (1996) international guideline to how transboundary resources should be used.
WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE BERLIN- international law applied in modern times to freshwater resources (2004).
Sustainable Water Management Schemes
ARAL SEA RESTORATION- Kokoral Dam (2005) financed by WB, increasing fishing, increasing HEP, saxaul seeds.
HYDROPONICS- Uses 95% less water than farms, no pesticides.
MIAMI AQUIFER RESTORATION- restoring aquifer to lower uranium levels, consisting od 20 extraction wells treated at facility.
WATER RECYCLING WINDHOEK- Treating sewage water using carbon membranes, maintaining wetlands and reducing chemical fertilisers.
Sustainable Water Management- Desalination Plants
ASHKELON D. PLANT (ISRAEL)- In 2013, more than 1/3 of Israels tap water came from the Mediterranean sea. Israels plans produce 600 tonnes of water/hour (needed where the country’s rainfall is 50% of global avg. HOWEVER, high concentrations of salt water pumped back into sea, reducing oxygen and therefore suffocating marine life. Requires a lot of power.
