resource management

Question 1

globally who produces most soil and agriculture

Answer 1

south and east Asia, north and south america
lots of rain and sun
the lots of veg and warm wet climate means rapid decomposition –> fertile soils and high crop yields

Question 2

factors causing decreased supply

Answer 2

over-abstraction - aquifer and groundwater supply decrease bc water is used faster than it can be replaced

pollution - chemicals have polluted water and made it unsafe for use

climate change - unreliable rain

Question 3

what do developed countries use water for??

Answer 3

mainly domestic use - 71% of the uk’s water use is domestic

agricultural and domestic are similar

Question 4

water use in developing and emerging countries

Answer 4

mostly for agriculture, then domestic

industrial can be minuscule, or they might have growing industry

Question 5

which areas are in water surplus/deficit in the uk

Answer 5

north and west - good rainfall, water surplus

south east and midlands - high population densities, in a water deficit

Question 6

issues with transporting water in the uk

Answer 6

ageing infrastructure - old sewage pipes and water systems can’t handle the higher water volumes

infrastructure is inefficient - in 2016-17 around 3.1 billion L were lost DAILY through leaky pipes

Question 7

causes of water supply issues in emerging/developing countries

Answer 7

• don’t have enough water treatment facilities - UN 2015 estimated that 255mil people didn’t have a safe water source within a 30 minute round trip from their home
• greater risk of water becoming polluted because of lack of infrastructure for treating waste water and sewage
• laws protecting the environment are less strict - so things like mining can pollute water
• low rainfall/high frequency of droughts

Question 8

individual’s ideas about sustainable water management

Answer 8

cheap, reliable and convenient future water access

they may want to be able to choose how it’s managed , eg. lake/pump

community-based water management is common where many don’t have a private water supply and the gov doesn’t have resources to check for sustainable water use

Question 9

organisation’s views on sustainable water management

Answer 9

• environmental organisations (Waterwise) - campaign sustainable use + enough for wildlife
• industrial organisations - promote use of technology to increase efficiency + create alternative water supplies, it helps them save money on production
• private water companies - say they can manage water cheaper and more sustainable than gov, but if their contracts are just short term they may not be into long term infrastructure investment

Question 10

government views on sustainable water management

Answer 10

government regulation agencies eg. uk’s Ofwat - ensures water companies don’t overcharge or harm the environment

sign international water management agreements - 1997 UN Convention on International Watercourses

Question 11

how has china sustainably managed water

Answer 11

wastewater recycling - Beijing recycles 85% of it’s water weekly

storing rainwater

water-saving devices - on taps and toilets

alternative farming methods - drought resistant crops + straw in soil for water retention

tech - micro sprinklers ensure water is used directly on plants and not wasted