PAPER 2 - The Challenge Of Resource Management

Question 1

What is a resource?

Answer 1

A stock or supply of something that has a value or purpose

Question 2

How is food significant for our wellbeing?

Answer 2

Nutrients, vitamins & minerals - keep you healthy
Calories - fuel for our bodies
We need them to work & enjoy ourselves

Question 3

How is water significant for our wellbeing?

Answer 3

Drink for survival
Wash & dispose waste
Grow & process food
Wash clothes

Question 4

How is energy significant for our wellbeing?

Answer 4

Make bricks
Heat homes
Transport us
Power machinery
Process food

Question 5

What is the global distribution of food?

Answer 5

Disparity between average calorie consumption in HICs and LICs

UK - 3200 per person
Somalia - 1580 per person

Question 6

What is the global distribution of water?

Answer 6

Global average water footprint - 1240 litres

USA - 2483 litres
Bangladesh - 896 litres

Question 7

What is the global distribution of energy?

Answer 7

Richest 1 billion in the world consume 50% of the world’s energy

Poorest 1 billion consume only 4%

Question 8

How has the demand and supply of food in the UK changed?

Answer 8

Before supermarkets - food was seasonal & sourced in the uk

We now eat exotic fruit & veg year round

We import food via sea & air (even if it can be grown in the uk) because it is cheaper

This impacts food miles & carbon footprint

Question 9

What are Food miles?

What is Carbon footprint?

Answer 9

Food miles
= how far food has travelled, from where it was grown to where it is consumed.

Carbon footprint
= the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Question 10

What is Agribusiness?

What is Organic Produce?

Answer 10

Agribusiness
= intensive farming aimed at maximising the amount of food produced using modern technology and chemicals.

Organic Produce
= local and seasonal foods grown without the use of chemicals.

Question 11

Agribusiness - Lynford House Farm

Answer 11

570 hectares

Intensely farmed to maximise productivity & profitability

Main crops produced - Wheat, Sugar beet, & Potatoes

Employ a small number of workers

Chemicals are widely used as Pesticides & fertilisers

Addressed frequent water shortages by investing in a 54 million litre reservoir

Question 12

Riverford Organic Farms

Answer 12

Regional farms in Devon, Yorkshire, Peterborough, & Hampshire

+ Reduce food miles
+ Support local farmers
+ Provide local employment
+ Build a strong link between grower & consumer

• Expensive
• Less output or food
• Seasonal food only

Question 13

How has the demand and supply of water in the UK changed?

Answer 13

Increased because:
• growing population
• more houses being built
• increase in the use of water intensive domestic (e.g. washing machines)

Question 14

How is water supply distributed in the uk?

Answer 14

North & west of UK = water surplus
High rainfall & relatively low population density

South & east of UK = water deficit
Low rainfall & high population density

Question 15

How can we save water?

Answer 15

• using domestic water meters to keep track of water usage
• increase the use of recycled water
• use efficient domestic appliances which use less water
• grey water (waste from people’s homes) can be used to irrigate crops

Question 16

How can we transfer water?

Answer 16

• water is transferred from areas of water surplus to areas of water deficit

There is opposition to large scale schemes due to:
• high costs
• destroying habitats
• pollution from greenhouse gases needed to pump water

Question 17

How can we prevent water pollution?

Answer 17

Legislation:
• laws can prevent factories & farms from polluting water sources
• through giving penalties & fines

Education:
• the public can be informed about the damage water pollution causes

Green roofs/walls:
• help to filter out the pollutants in rainwater

Waste water treatment plants:
• removes sodium & pollutants for clean water

Question 18

How has the demand and supply of energy in the UK changed? Why?

Answer 18

• The population has increased by 6.5 million since 1970
• We consume less energy today:
- Average household consumes 12% less
- Industry consumes 60% less

This is due to:
• energy efficient devices (e.g. lightbulbs & washing machines)
• increasing awareness of the public to save energy
• increased cost of energy leading to lower consumption

Question 19

What is an energy mix?

How has the UK’s energy mix shifted fr0m 1990 to 2007?

Answer 19

Energy mix
= the different sources of energy used by people

• In 1990 the majority of energy was from coal, followed by nuclear. The minority was gas.
• In 2007 the majority was gas. Coal and nuclear were close seconds and the minority was renewables.

Question 20

What are the opportunities & challenges of fossil fuels as an energy source?

(Environmental & economic)

Answer 20

Environmental opportunity: carbon capture is efficient & reverses the impacts of burning fossil fuels.

Economic opportunity: the creation of jobs brings money to the local area & leads to the multiplier effect.

Environmental challenge: burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, leading to climate change.

Economic challenge: coal is expensive to mine.

Question 21

What are the opportunities & challenges of nuclear as an energy source?

(Environmental & economic)

Answer 21

Environmental opportunity: cleaner & less polluting than fossil fuels.

Economic opportunity: creates jobs especially in research & development.

Environmental challenge: waste from nuclear power stations can cause contamination.

Economic challenge: building nuclear power plants is very expensive.

Question 22

What are the opportunities & challenges of renewables as an energy source?

(Environmental & economic)

Answer 22

Environmental opportunity: produce much lower carbon emissions than fossil fuels.

Economic opportunity: jobs in manufacturing, research, & development of new technology.

Environmental challenge: can be noisy, disruptive, & ruin the landscape.

Economic challenge: high set up costs of renewable energy like wind turbines & solar panels.

Question 23

What are the opportunities & challenges of fracking as an energy source?

Answer 23

Opportunities:
Better than using coal
Access to more natural gas (, ?)
Helps with gas demand

Challenges:
Water contamination
Small earthquakes
Releases methane

Question 24

What is an aquifer?

What is abstraction?

Answer 24

Aquifer
= an underground store of water

Abstraction
= removing water from rivers or underground sources

Question 25

What factors affect water availability?

Answer 25

**Geology** **Climate:** • Regions with high rain fall=water surplus • Drier climate = less water available **Water pollution:** water born diseases, LICS, open sewers **Limited infrastructure:** pumping stations & pipes **Poverty:** no mains water supply OR only shared supplies

Question 26

Why might water insecurity occur? What problems does water insecurity cause?

Answer 26

Landlocked Poverty Climate & seasons Water from rivers is drifted Natural disasters Conflict Over abstraction Reduction in crop growth Lack of food Malnutrition Poor hygiene Disease & death Life expectancy decreases Uneven development

Question 27

What are the strategies of increasing water supply?

Answer 27

Diverting supplies & increasing storage Dams & reservoirs Water transfer schemes

Question 28

How is dams & reservoirs a strategy to increase water supply? What are the advantages & disadvantages?

Answer 28

*Moving water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit* *& Storing water after heavy rainfall* **Advantages:** • can relieve water shirt ages in some areas • stops water from being evaporated in hot places **Disadvantages:** • often expensive • encourages unsustainable & wasteful use of water • environmental impacts (e.g. damaging fish stocks & increased pollution)

Question 29

How is diverting supplies & increasing storage a strategy to increase water supply? What are the advantages & disadvantages?

Answer 29

*Concrete structures that control flow of water* **Advantages:** • rainfall is collected during periods of heavy rain & released during drier periods (sustainable) • hydroelectric popper can be generated • can help prevent flooding in some areas • water can be transferred & used for irrigation when needed **Disadvantages:** • expensive to build & maintain • people displaced • increased flooding destroys habitats • may reduce water flow downstream • in both places water may be lost by evaporation

Question 30

How is water transfer schemes a strategy to increase water supply? What are the advantages & disadvantages?

Answer 30

*Redistribute water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit* **Advantages:** • provides water for areas experiencing water shortages • can reduce risk of drought in drier places **Disadvantages:** • very expensive (e.g. China is spending US $79 billion on a water transfer scheme) • can take many years to complete • pipelines can disrupt wildlife & migration

Question 31

Large scale water transfer scheme: **The Lesotho highland water project** What were the reasons behind it?

Answer 31

Lesotho was in **water surplus** (due to high rainfall) but **low demand for water** Lesotho also had **food insecurity** which South Africa helped with.

Question 32

**The Lesotho highland water project:** What are the advantages for Lesotho? What are the disadvantages for Lesotho?

Answer 32

**Advantages:** • provides 75% of its GDP • income from the scheme helps development • supplies all hydro electric power requirements • improvements to transport infrastructure **Disadvantages:** • 30,000 people forced to move from their land to build the first 2 dams • destruction of unique wetland ecosystem

Question 33

**The Lesotho highland water project:** What are the advantages for South Africa? What are the disadvantages for South Africa?

Answer 33

**Advantages:** • provides water to an area with regular droughts & uneven rainfall • provides safe water (10% of the population do not have access to safe water) • fresh water reduces acidity of the Vaal River reservoir (water pollution from industry, gold mines, etc) **Disadvantages:** • 40% of water is lost through leakages • costs likely to reach US $4 billion

Question 34

What are the strategies of managing water sustainably?

Answer 34

Water conservation Water recycling Groundwater management Using grey water

Question 35

How is water conservation a strategy to manage water sustainably? What are the advantages & disadvantages?

Answer 35

*Reducing waste & unnecessary use* - *Includes strategies like: improving public awareness, putting tariffs on water use, & installing low flow shower heads.* **Advantages:** • not expensive • everyone can participate **Disadvantages:** • not everyone will participate

Question 36

How is water recycling a strategy to manage water sustainably? What are the advantages & disadvantages?

Answer 36

*Reusing treated water from homes for things like irrigation* - *(e.g. in India sewage water is used for fish farming & agriculture)* **Advantages:** • reduces amount of freshwater being used **Disadvantages:** • can’t be used for everything (e.g. drinking)

Question 37

How is groundwater management a strategy to manage water sustainably? What are the advantages & disadvantages?

Answer 37

*Stopping over abstraction & pollution of underground water sources* **Advantages:** • increases amount of clean drinking water available • communities do not run out of water **Disadvantages:** • national laws are often ineffective & people do not listen to them

Question 38

How is using grey water conservation a strategy to manage water sustainably? What are the advantages & disadvantages?

Answer 38

*Using water from sinks & washing machines to water gardens, irrigate crops, etc.* **Advantages:** • reduces the amount of freshwater being used **Disadvantages:** • can’t use it for everything (e.g. drinking)

Question 39

Local scheme in a LIC to increase sustainable supply of water - *Hitosa Project* Why was the scheme needed?

Answer 39

• Hitosa is a rural area 160km south of the capital city • located in one of the poorest countries in the world • hot & very dry plains that have been extensively farmed (wheat, barley, etc) • people collected water from a few shallow, largely seasonal rivers & one spring

Question 40

Hitosa Project: What was the scheme?

Answer 40

• gravity fed water scheme • 100 public water points • 100 private water points • water from the mountain in transferred to taps through pipes

Question 41

What were the successes of Hitosa Project?

Answer 41

• construction completed on time & within cost • WaterAid provided funding & designed/supervised the project • 20 years later, it is a reliable supply of water • over 65,000 people are supplied with 25 litres of water every day • completely managed by local communities • no misuse of funds (people are charged a small amount which is needed to maintain the physical)

Question 42

What were the problems of Hitosa Project?

Answer 42

• pipeline from the UK may be too costly to replace after 30 year lifetime • no education about sanitation & hygiene • hygiene has been neglected - risk of disease • agriculture uses too much of the water • people living close to the spring felt their water was being taken away • availability of water has encouraged more migration