Human causes of water insecurity and flooding

Question 1

Casues - insecurity

Answer 1

Over abstraction

Water contamination = river wye - runoff from agricultural land

Industrial pollution = 80% china polluted = 70% rivers and lakes unsafe

HEP plants = holds back water - downstream water stress

Question 2

What is gripping/channelisation?

Answer 2

Adds a liner to a straightened river channel (usually concrete) to reduce friction which aims to improve flow rate and therefore, reduce silting

However, the method displaces the river flow downstream (increased silting or flooding) overwhelming locations during peak discharge

EXAMPLE = The River Hodder

Question 3

Casues - flooding

Answer 3

Floodplain use = when changed to impermeable surfaces it increases the risk of flooding

Land use changes = deforestation, construction of new buildings, farming all increases flood risk due to impermeable surfaces due to concrete or saturated soil

Hard engineering = mismanagement of rivers, dredging rivers

Question 4

Affects of flooding

Answer 4

Economic

Infrastructure

Settlement

Question 5

Why is global water demand increasing?

Answer 5

Population growth

Industrialisation

Living standards

Agriculture