Section C - Water Managment

Question 1

how do water surplus and deficit vary around the world

Answer 1

regions with water surplus have a supply of water which exceeds demand. Other regions have a water deficit where demand exceeds supply. Areas of water defivit may have: low rainfall, high densities of population and/or industry, increasing demand

Question 2

what is water security

Answer 2

water security means having acess to enough clean water to sustain well-being, good health and economic development

Question 3

what is water insecurity

Answer 3

water insecurity describes the situation where regions do not have access to sufficient water supplies

Question 4

when do countries experience water stress

Answer 4

countries begin to experience water stress when less than 1700metres cubed is availabed per person each year. Regions with high water stress include several Caribbean islands and the Middle Easr

Question 5

why is water consumption increasing

Answer 5

the growth of the world’s population means more water is needed. Economic development redults in higher consumption. Changes in lifestyle and eating habits. Water is required for increasing energy production

Question 6

what factors affect water availability

Answer 6

geology, climate, over-abstraction, pollution, limited infrastruture, poverty

Question 7

what is over-abstraction

Answer 7

pumping water out of the ground faster than it is replaced

Question 8

what are some impacts of water insecurity

Answer 8

waterbourne disease, water pollution, food production, industrial output and conflict

Question 9

how does water pollution and waterboune disease cause water insecurity

Answer 9

contaminated drinking water can cause diseases such as chlorea. Queuing to clean water wastes time and levels of productivity, and reduces time spent at school

Question 10

how is the River Ganges in India being polluted

Answer 10

over one billion litres of raw sewages enter the River Ganges each day. Factories discharge 260 million litres of untreated wastewater into the river daily. Toxic chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers leak into the river

Question 11

how does food production cause water insecurity

Answer 11

Agriculture uses 70% of global water supply and suffers the most from water insecurity. The River Nile is Egypt’s primary source of water. Climate change and the demands of countries upstream are expected to reduce its flow by 90% by 2100. Egypt currently has to import 60%of its food

Question 12

how does industrial output cause water insecurity

Answer 12

Growth of manufacturing industry, particularly in NEEs, is making increasing demands on water supplies. Water shortages cost China US$40 billion is lower industrial production

Question 13

how does water conflict cause water insecurity

Answer 13

water sources cross national and political borders, Issues such as reservoir construction and pollution can impact on more than one country and create conflict. Turkey built dams, causing anger in Iraq and Syria

Question 14

how does diverting water supply and increasing storage increase water supply

Answer 14

water supplies can be artificially diverted and stored for use over longer periods. In Oklahoma, rainfall is infrequent and heavy. Surface water wuickly evaporates so it is collected and diverted and stored in undelying alluvial soils

Question 15

how do dams and reservoirs increase water supply

Answer 15

dams bring advantages: they control river flow by storing water in reservoirs, the control of water flow enables it to be transported and used for irrigation, they help to prevent flooding. Large dams: are expensive, can lead to the displacement of large numbers of people, may reduce the flow of water downstream. In hot and arid regions, reservoirs can lose a lot of water through evaporation

Question 16

how does water transfer increase water supply

Answer 16

schemes move water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit. China is building three canal systems to transfer water from the Yangtze River in the south to the Yellow River Basin in the arid north. The controversial wester route involves building dams and tunnels through the Bayankela Mountains

Question 17

how does desalination increase water supply

Answer 17

Desalinations means removing salt from seawater to produce fresh water. This is a very expensive process. It is used only when there is a serious shortage of water with few alternatives to increase water supply. Saudi Arabia and UAE have developed desalination plants

Question 18

what is the Lesotho Highland Water Project

Answer 18

It is a huge water transfer scheme aimed to help solve the water shortage in South Africa. 40% of the water from the Segu Riverwill eventually be transferred to the River Vaal in South Africa. It involves the construction of dams, reservoirs and pipelines as well as roadsm bridges and other infrastructure

Question 19

what is Lesotho

Answer 19

Lesotho is a highland country, surrounded by South Africa. It is heavily dependent economically on South Africa. Despite food insecurity, Lesotho has a water surplus mainly due to high rainfall in its mountainous regions

Question 20

What are some advantages for Lesotho (Lesotho highland water project)

Answer 20

Provides 75% of Lesotho’s GDP, supplies all of Lesotho’s hydro electric requirements, sanitation coverage will increase from 15% to 20%

Question 21

What are some disadvantages for Lesotho (Lesotho highland water project)

Answer 21

Building the first two dams displaced 30,000 people, destruction of a unique wetland ecosystem, corruption has prevented money reaching those affected by the construction

Question 22

What are some advantages for South Africa (Lesotho highland water project)

Answer 22

Provides water to an area with regular droughts, fresh water reduces the acidity of the Vaal River Reservoir, provides safe water to an extra 10% of the population

Question 23

What are some disadvantages for South Africa (Lesotho highland water project)

Answer 23

Costs are likely to reach US$4 billion, 40% of water is lost through leakages, corruption has plagued the whole project

Question 24

what is sustainable water supply

Answer 24

sustainable approaches to water supply focus on: managment of water resources, reducing waste and excessive demand

Question 25

how does groundwater managment help to create sustainable water supplies

Answer 25

groundwater is stored in underground aquifers. To ensure sustainability, water abstraction must be balanced by recharge. If groundwater levels fall, water can become contaminated, making expensive water treatment necessary

Question 26

what is the Participatory Groundwater Managment scheme in India

Answer 26

The Participatory Groundwater Managment scheme in india trains people to monitor rainfall and groundwater levels, help farmers prepare how much water to use for irrigation, encourage farmers to plant crops to fit in with periods when water is available. Through PGM, rural communities have balanced water supply and demand using sustainable practices

Question 27

how does recycling help to create sustainable water supplies

Answer 27

water recycling involves re-using trated wastewater for purposes like irrigation and industry. In Kolkata, India, sweage water is re-used for fish farming and ariculture. Some nuclear power plants-such as in Arizona USA, use recycled water for cooling

Question 28

how does grey water help to create sustainable water supplies

Answer 28

grey water is taken from bathrooms and washing machines. It is recycled domestic waste water. If used within 24 hours it contains fertiliser for plants. Water from toilets cannot be used in this way. In Jordan, 70% of the water used for irrigation and gardens is waste water

Question 29

what are some ways to conserve water

Answer 29

reduce leakages, improve public awareness of the importance of saving water, water meters, prevent polllution, turn off tap when brushing teeth

Question 30

what is the Wakel River Basin Project

Answer 30

The Wakel River Basin Project is a project in north west India - in the south of Rajasthan - the driest and poorest part of India. The rainfall is less than 250mm per year so it quickly soaks or evaporates

Question 31

what are the issues with water supply in Rajasthan

Answer 31

water managment in the region has been poor. Over use of water for irrigation has led to waterlogging and salinisation. Over abstraction from unregulated pumps has resulted in falling water tables in aquifers. Some wells have dried up

Question 32

How does the wakel basin project increase sustainable supplies of water

Answer 32

The United States Agency for international development has been working with people in the wakel river basin. The project aims to improve water security and overcome the problems of water shortages by encouraging greater use of rainwater harvesting techniques such as taankas, Johed and pats

Question 33

What are taankas

Answer 33

Underground storage systems which collect surface water from roofs

Question 34

What is a Johed

Answer 34

Small earth dams that capture rainwater

Question 35

What are pats

Answer 35

Irrigation channels that transfer water to the fields

Question 36

How does the pat system work for the wakel river basin project

Answer 36

A small dam called a bun diverts water from the stream towards the fields. Villages take turns to irrigate their fields in this way. Maintenance is done by the villager whose turn it is to receive the Water

Question 37

How has increasing public awareness helped in water security to increase in the wakel river basin

Answer 37

Education is used to increase awareness for the need for communities to work together to conserve water