EQ3- How does water insecurity occur and why is it becoming such a global issue for the twenty-first century Flashcards
what is water insecurity?
begins to exist when there is less than 1700m^3 per day
what is water stress?
the existence of less that 1000m^3 of water per person
what are some human and physical factors affecting the availability of water
- evaporation and evapotranspiration
- discharge into the sea
- saltwater enrichment at the coast
- contamination of water by agriculture, industrial and domestic pollution
- over-abstraction from rivers, lakes, aquifers and the acute need to replenish these dwindling stores
what are three reasons for the rising demand for water?
- population growth: more people, more thirst to quench
- economic development: increases the demand for water in almost all economic activities- agriculture, industry, energy and services
- rising living standards: increase in the per capita consumption of water for cooking, drinking, bathing and cleaning. domestic consumption like swimming pools, washing machines and dishwashers
what are the three main pressures that are increasing the risk of water supply?
- diminishing supply: (climate change, deteriorating quality)
- rising demands: (population growth, economic development)
- competing demands from users: (irrigation and HEP, internal conflicts in the basin
what is physical scarcity?
occurs when more than 75% of a country’s or region’s blue water flows are being used.
this currently applies to about 25% of the worlds population
what is blue water?
water stored in rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater in liquid form
what is economic scarcity?
occurs where the use of blue water sources is limited by lack of capital, technology and good governance.
what is safe water?
water fit for human consumption
how is agriculture impacting water availability?
irrigation
around 20% of the worlds land is under full irrigation, most of which comes from aquifers leading to serious groundwater depletion especially in areas like India china and Pakistan
how is industry and energy impacting water availability?
just over 20% of all freshwater withdrawals worldwide are for industrial and energy production.
water pollution is a serious issue caused by industrial activity
however over half of the water used by energy production is either generated for HEP or as cooling water in nuclear power stations. so is returned to its source virtually unchanged.
how is domestic use impacting the water cycle?
rising economic development leads to greater standard of living and increased consumption of water per capita.
safe water is vital in the context of human health, particularly in the context of washing and food prep.
how can an inadequate supply of water impede water-dependent aspects of the economy?
costs for water may rise
threats to human life
over-exploitation of existing water supplies which will damage the environment
prolonged series of drought and possible desertification.
when do water conflicts occur (‘water wars’)
when the demand for water overtakes the availability and there are key stakeholders who become desperate for that water.
occurs when there is a shared water source between regions
what is an example of a river that could cause water conflict?
The Nile
11 countries compete for its water
300 million people live within the nile basin
what are different approached to managing water supply?
hard engineering schemes
sustainable water management
integrated drainage basin management (IWMR)
how can hard engineering schemes be used to manage water supplies?
> water transfers- these schemes involve the diversion of water form one drainage basin to another by diverting rivers or creating canals
e.g Chinas south to north transfer project
mega dams
desalinisation- process by which dissolved solids in the sea water are partially or completely removed to make it suitable for human use
what are some water transfer issues?
source area
-drop in flow of up to 60% means it can become polluted and climate change combined with lower flows can lead to scarcity
receiving area
-greater availability = greater use so greater development which promotes unsustainable irrigation and can encourage pollution
what are the main aims of water sustainability?
- minimise wastage and pollution of water resources
- ensure access to safe water at affordable price
- take into account the views of all water users
- guarantee an equitable distribution of water between countries
what are the steps towards water sustainability?
- smart irrigation: modern automised spray tech and advanced drip irrigation systems are replacing old ones
- hydrophonics: growing crops in greenhouses where co2 is controlled and nutrients/water are drip fed (no soil)
- recycling grey water for agricultural use
- rainwater harvesting
- filtration technology: so rainwater can be recycled and used
- restoration: of damaged rivers, lakes and wetlands so they can play there part in the hydrological cycle
what area has adopted a holistic approach to water management?
Singapore
-gov encouraged citizens to use water prudently and water consumption per capita has fallen from 165L per day to 150
-reuse grey water using technology
-desalinate more seawater: two desalination plants now provide 25% of the water demand
however Singapore still needs to import water from neighbouring country Malaysia
who is involved In the integrated drainage basin management?
IWMR
integrated water resources management
what does the IWMR do
emphasis the river basin as a logical geographical unit for the management of water resources. It is based on achieving a close corporation between basin users and players
how is the river basin treated holistically by the IWMR?
- ensures the environmental quality of the rivers and catchment
- ensures water is used to its maximum efficiency
- ensures an equitable distribution of water among users
