Resource Management Flashcards
(13 cards)
Deforestation in Cameroon
Lots of deforestation due to a high demand for vegetable oil for food and cosmetics and for timber.
This has led to less interception, more flooding, more soil erosion, nutrients leached from the soil, reduced biodiversity and food insecurity.
1% of rainforest cleared per year, 70,000 hectares cleared for palm oil plantations, 8,000 species of plants and 250 animals species at risk.
Oil extraction in Ecuador
Increased extraction due to increased demand for oil for energy and products.
It has led to oil leaks, toxic sludge polluting rivers, loss of drinking water and birth defects.
1960s - Texaco built 35 oil wells and dug 1,000 open pits.
Overfishing in the North Sea
Overfishing due to a high demand for food.
Has led to critical fish population levels - more caught than replaced in the last 100 years.
The number of cod caught has declined from 300,000 tonnes in the 1970s to 20,000 tonnes in 2006.
The global distribution of fresh water
69% of freshwater is locked up as snow and ice
30% is deep underground
Only 1% of freshwater is easily available for humans to use.
Water supply problems in developing countries
Unsafe water: 650 million people don’t have access to safe drinking water. 2,000 people die every day from diarrhoea caused by drinking polluted water.
Pollution of water courses by farming and human waste: Caused by a lack of sanitation systems. Leads to the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera. 2.3 billion people don’t have access to sanitation systems.
Low annual rainfall: Long term drought has led to chronic water shortages. Rainfall in the Sahel has reduced by 30% since the 1970s.
Las Vegas context
The population has increased from 40,000 to 580,000 in the last 50 years.
Long droughts have meant that Lake Mead’s water levels have dropped greatly over the last 10 years.
A new $800 million intake pipeline is being built near the lake bottom.
Las Vegas stakeholders
City government - Has to source water from reservoirs using long pipelines but it is looking to push sustainable water management solutions.
Business - Tourism is the main source of income in Las Vegas so businesses need the long distance pipeline to get water from groundwater reserves in Eastern Nevada. Tourists won’t care about their water usage so businesses will have to invest in water saving technology.
Farmer in Nevada - Doesn’t want a pipeline as Las Vegas will drain the water supply that is used for crops.
Environmental groups - Want sustainable water management to prevent negative impacts on local biodiversity caused by the removal of groundwater from supplies.
Resident - Concerned that water bills could rise.
Las Vegas - reducing water use at the individual level
Reduce personal consumption levels
Locals have put ‘aerators’ on shower heads which use less water.
People are installing low flush toilets which use a third less water.
Changing grass lawns to rocky soils that don’t require watering
Las Vegas - reducing water use at the organisational level
‘Toilet to tap’ involves wastewater being filtered and removed of bacteria to be used in fountains and to water golf courses.
Hotels use centralised laundry systems which use 75% less water.
Las Vegas - reducing water use at the governmental level
The government has paid a total of $3 million to get residents to change their lawns to desert gardens that don’t require water.
New gardens are banned from having more than 50% lawn in the garden.
People are fined $80 for breaking water rules.
It is illegal to water gardens in the summer between 11am and 7pm.
A pipeline is going to be built to supply 300,000 homes with water.
1600 leaks have been discovered from monitoring sewage systems for leaks.
UK’s sustainable water management
Build new reservoirs to collect more water to increase supply. However, they are very expensive so customers have to pay higher water bills.
Pump more water out of groundwater supplies to increase the supply. Can damage ecosystems and is expensive.
Treating wastewater allows it to be reused but many people object to this.
Installing water meters helps small households to save money as they only pay for the water they use.
Cutting water use by farmers increases supply but it can lead to rising food prices if crops die.
Educating people about sustainable water use is cheap but not very effective.
South-North Water Transfer Project
Taking place in China.
Northern China has 45% of the population but only 20% of the water resources.
40% of rivers are polluted and 80% of lakes are suffering from eutrophication.
300 million rural residents lack access to safe drinking water.
Pipes and canals are being used to transfer 45 million cubic metres of water from the south to the north to alleviate the problems.
However, this is very expensive, it creates lots of pollution and not all of the transported water is safe to drink.
China’s sustainable water management strategies
Rice fields are only watered when water levels drop to a certain level.
Micro-sprinklers are used to ensure water is put directly onto the crops.
Drought-resistant crops are being planted and straw is put in the soil to help it retain moisture.
Rainwater is stored in large tanks in public buildings and storm drains direct surface runoff back to groundwater supplies.
Water treatment plants are being built in Beijing each week to recycle water.
Devices on taps and showers and water-saving toilets are being introduced to use less water.
The government is introducing strict water laws, cleaning up polluted lakes and changing water prices to encourage less usage.
