EQ3: How does water insecurity occur and why is it becoming such a global issue for the 21st century? Flashcards
Key statistics about water problems:
-Only 1% of water on earth is freshwater
-1 in 6 have no access to toilets
-Every 20 seconds a child dies due to water illness
-50% of people lack basic sanitation
-1 in 8 have to search for water
What is water stress?
The annual supply of water per person falls below 1700m cubed
What is water scarcity?
The annual supply of water per person falls below 1000m cubed
What is physical scarcity?
When more than 75% of a country’s or region’s blue water flows are being used
What is economic scarcity?
When the development of the blue water sources is limited by a lack of capital, technology and good governance
What is virtual water?
The hidden flow of water when food or other commodities are traded
How does industrial water pollution cause water insecurity?
Human cause
-Involves dumping industrial waste into rivers
-In China 330 million people use contaminated water everyday
-75% of lakes in China are polluted
-Cause water borne diseases e.g. cholera, typhoid
-Estimated that 135 million would’ve died of these diseases by 2020
How does saltwater encroachment at the coast cause water insecurity?
Human or physical cause
-Movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers due to sea level rise, storm surges or human extraction
-Limits crop production as it depends on freshwater irrigation
-An increasing problem in small, low lying Pacific islands
How does over abstraction of rivers, lakes and groundwater aquifers cause water insecurity?
Human cause
-Increasing demand due to increased population growth, migration and urbanisation
-Upsets the natural balance of saline and freshwater
-Agriculture uses 70% of absorption globally
-Humans over extract from rivers, lakes and groundwater aquifers for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes
How does water contamination from agriculture cause water insecurity?
Human cause
-Water availability is affected by pollution and contamination
-Increase in eutrophication from fertilisers
-Can cause environmental and health risks which can lead to hypoxia and dead zones in water
How does climate variability cause water insecurity?
Physical
-Global variations in the distribution of freshwater sources due to variations in climate change
-Leading to less effective precipitation
-Increase in warm water waste which can encourage bacteria growth
-Can affect water quality
What is the water poverty index?
An assessment of the degree of water shortage and subsequent water insecurity problems
What factors affect the price of water?
-Costs of obtaining the supply
-Investment and infrastructure
-Demand
-Government policies
-Privatisation
-Lack of piped water supply
Case study of the Aral Sea (using water to economically develop) :
Location:
-Northern part is in Kazakhstan
-Southern part is in Uzbekistan
-Occupied by large mountain ranges which merge into the himalayas
-Was part of the soviet union
Causes Of The Problem:
-1930s canals were built to take water from the two rivers in order to develop rice and cotton
-1960s even more canals were built
-70% of irrigation water either leaked or evaporated so less water reached the sea causing shrinkage
Impacts of the Aral Sea:
Social:
-Unemployment
-Respiratory diseases from the dust storms
-Infant and maternal mortality rates increased
Economic:
-Collapse of the fishing industry
-Shop and services closed
Environmental:
-Water became polluted and saline so fish couldn’t survive
-Change to the climate when the lake dried out
-Animals couldn’t find food so they had to migrate
Facts about the Gigel Gibe III Dam in Ethiopia:
-243m high
-610m wide
-14.7 billion cubic metres
-6,500 GWH a year of electricity made
-$1.83 billion to build
-Built in 2015
-200,000 number of people relying on the Omo rivers below the dam for agriculture
Arguments in favour for the Gigel Gibe dam?
-Need for new power due to GDP and population growth
-Provide electricity to cities and towns
-Create jobs in construction
-Allow exports of electricity to develop economically
-Relegate flooding downstream
Arguments against the Gigel Gibe dam?
-Conflict for resources
-Increased poverty
-$1.8 billion to build
-Government broke the rules as they didn’t publish the environmental damage statistics until two years after construction began
-Possible corruption as only one construction company was involved and there was no competition
-Will affect 500,000 downstream
What was the cause of conflict between Russia and Crimea?
-Putin sent thousands of soldiers into Crimea because he needed to protect Russian people in Crimea
-Group of armed men took over the government buildings and raised Russian flag
-Held marches in the streets which Ukraine’s government saw as a threat
What are the potential impacts of the Russia and Crimea conflict?
-Water shortage is threatening 120,000 hectares of Crimea crops
-Current water sources are only meeting 15% of demand
-Ecological catastrophe, destruction of agriculture, salination of land
-Ruined harvest season of 5 billion roubles
What are the advantages of new water and desalination in Singapore?
-High grade recycled water
-Ultra clean and safe to drink
-Meets up to 30% of the nations needs
-Sustainable
-Saves money on imports
-Desalination is becoming cheaper every year
What are the disadvantages of new water and desalination in Singapore?
-Expensive technology
-Time consuming to produce
-Desalination requires large amounts of energy
-Locked in an agreement with Malaysia meaning they are reliant on them but Malaysia could remove the water or increase the price at any time
What are the advantages of smart irrigation in China and Australia?
-Conserves water without a significant reduction in yield
-Saves 25% of water
-Increased water productivity by 60% in Australia
-Prevents evaporation losses
-Increases fruit quality
What are the disadvantages of smart irrigation in China and Australia?
-Expensive
-Creates mild stress
-Requires a precise amount of water
-Not suitable for every crop
