Water Flashcards
Surface water
From river and lakes
River water can often be variable so these are often dammed to create reservoirs so often dammed to create reservoirs which can store water for dry period
Ground water
Is water in the spaces between porous rocks. Layers of rock underground that contain water are called aquifers. Water is extracted by either digging wells or the more modern method of boreholes drilling. Electric pump then bring the water to the surface
Desalination
Removing salt and other minerals to create fresh,drinkable water. Desalination is used where fresh water supplies are short
- seawater intake
- filtration
3.reverse osmosis
—> seawater is forced through a membrane that lets through water molecules but not salt particles
- chlorination
- Storage
Factors affecting water supply
Climate- water deficits-> low level rainfall and high temperature
Water surpluses-> rainfall is high and Temperature lower
Geology- rainfall flows down to the rock beneath the ground . Some rocks are permeable and allow water to flow through them. Permeable rocks lead to less surface water
Population-big urban area use large amount of water, especially in MEDCs this is often for dosmestic use
More people but fixed amount of water
—>more water will be used for domestic use likely to have water deficit
Pollution-some places have plenty of water but pollution has made it unsafe to use. Untreated sewage and waste waste form factories cause problems groundwater is usually cleaner although pollutants can travel down into the ground
Level of economic development- large amounts of water are used by factories or for cooling water in nuclear or thermal power station
—>countries develop, water use increases
—> high income countries
—> water footprint is higher HIC than LIC
-> a lot of water is used in industry
Meaning that is is likelier for there to be a water deficit in dry MEDC
Importance of agriculture-> irrigation uses water-higher chance of there being water deficit-especially if the country relies on surface water
Proximate of rivers
- > river transport water to dry area from wet areas
- > if it rains a lot in a place or if a major river flows through it , it is likelier for there to be a water source
Industry example of using water
Fabricating
Processing
Washing
Diluting
Cooling
Domestic use of water
MEDC- showers bath,washing machine, swimming pools
LEDC-don’t have access to piped water and use it more sparingly . Water is brought from wells or stream
Household things
Drinking
Preparing food
Bathing
Washing clothes
Agricultural use for water
To grow fruits
Vegetable
Raise livestock
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Irrigation
Pesticides
Fertiliser
Crop cooling
Water used in agriculture
IN MEDC , irrigation is mechanized . Using sprinklers
LEDC, irrigation channels are prone to losing water through evaporation
Water used in industrial use
Industries in MEDC can be a large scale and so demand a lot of water
—>steel industry for manufacturing purposes
LEDC have smaller scale cottage industry
They demand less water in the production of items
However as more multinational companies locate in LEDC there more demand on water
Wells
Dug by hand are common way of accessing water but the supply can be unreliable and sometimes as well itself can be source of disease
Positive
Low cost
Can do it themselves
Low maintenance
Won’t take long
Negative
Not hygienic
Dangerous to young children
Stagnant water
Will not provide water all the time
Boreholes
Can require more equipment to dig but can be dug quickly and usually safely. They require a hand or diesel pump to bring the water to the surface
Positive
Clean water
Won’t dry up
People are experts
Mechanisation
Negative
Expensive high maintenance
Cost of electricity
Power cuts
Dams and reservoirs
River transport water to sea. Dams block river So that reservoirs of water build up behind, rather than drain away .
This provides large supplies of drinking water all year round and reduces water insecurity especially where precipitation maybe seasonal
Dams and reservoirs can also prevent flooding as the flow of the river is controlled and they can generate electricity through HEP
Impacts of water security
Lack of clean piped water
Waterborne diseases
—: malaria, diarrhea
Food production
-> water insecurity can lead to lower level of food production
—> not enough water to irrigate the crops
Conflicts
->source Of conflict in some parts of the world. Seizing dams is a powerful way of controlling water and HEP
Problems supplying water in MEDC there are
- quality of availability water
- distribution
- seasonal changes in supply
- broken pipes when transporting water
Managing water demand
Having a shower instead of a bath
Collecting rainwater to use on the garden rather than tap water
Recycling bath water to flush the toilet with
Installing more efficient version of appliances such as washing machines
