water case studies Flashcards
(88 cards)
1
Q
What % of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed
A
20% over last 50 years
2
Q
What human processes lead to deforestation of Amazon
A
- cattle ranching
- large scale commercial agriculture for biofuels and soya beans
- development of towns and roads
- legal and illegal logging
3
Q
What % of worlds rainforest is found in the Amazon
A
60%
4
Q
How is water regulated by the Amazon rainforest
A
75% intercepted water is returned by EVT to the atmosphere
Decreases to 25% when forest cleared !
5
Q
What are the impacts of Amazon deforestation on water
A
More surface runoff so increased risks of mudslides and floods
Aquifer depletion as less water infiltrates to recharge them
Surface runoff increases soil erosion and degradation as nutrients washed away
6
Q
What is an example of a polar region with a positive water budget
A
Barrow, Alaska
7
Q
What is an example of a desert region with a negative water budget
A
Cairo, Egypt
8
Q
Examples of countries with a positive water budget
A
Brazil
Nepal
9
Q
When does the UK see different water budgets?
A
Negative water budget in summer months may-sep as EVT> precipitation
Positive water budget rest of year as precipitation high and EVT low
10
Q
How did the Aswan dam Change the Nile regime
A
Aswan constructed in 1970
Flow below the dam reduced by 65%
Flood peaks in September greatly reduced
11
Q
What is the Sahel region
A
Vast semi arid region on the southern edge of the Sahara
Stretches across African continent
12
Q
How many people needed food assistance in the Ethiopian-Eritrean drought 1999-2000
A
10 million
13
Q
What socio economic factors exacerbated the 1999 Ethiopian Eritrean drought
A
- degradation from overgrazing
- deforestation for fuelwood
- high levels of rural poverty
- rain fed agriculture
- population explosion
14
Q
What physical reasons make Australia drought prone
A
-low and variable rainfall
- droughts vary in length and size
- close link to El Niño events
- less rainfall each year in the east
- long term climate change
15
Q
How much of australia’s agricultural output is in the Murray darling basin
A
50%
16
Q
Why is Adelaide so vulnerable to drought
A
Relied on river Murray for 40% drinking water supply
River Murray so overextracted that no water flowed to the mouth
17
Q
How much wetland has been destroyed in Europe and the USA for agriculture
A
2.5milion km2
18
Q
What schemes have led to wetland drainage
A
Jonglei canal project directed white Nile from Sudd swamp to dry South Sudan
19
Q
How are wetlands being protected now?
A
1991 Ramsay convention listed 1800 wetlands of national importance to promote conservation
20
Q
How much of earths surface is covered by wetlands
A
10%
21
Q
What was the wettest month since records began
A
February 2020
22
Q
Where do most flood deaths occur
A
90% deaths in Asia - China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam
23
Q
What was the economic damage of flooding to the Uk in December 2015
A
£1.3Bn
24
Q
What are annual flood losses worth in Australia
A
$372million
25
Give an example of infrastructure damage from flooding
Cockermouth Cumbrian key bridge connecting the town damaged
26
Give an example of an impact of businesses flooding
Carlisle mcVities biscuit factory flooded
Temporary loss of 1000+ jobs
27
Why could climate change be good for the Sahel
-small increase in precipitation predicted (use in agriculture, industry and domestic )
28
Why will climate change be bad for Australia
water shortage
Floods and drought
Extinctions
29
What happened in 1999 Bolivia with privatisation
- aqua del tunari bought control of water supply
- prices increased immediately to match 20% of a typical urban poor persons income
- 4 days of protests
- contract cancelled
30
How do water charges vary across high income countries
- Canada Water still in public sector - charges 80% less than Germany
- Ireland only began charging In 2012. 2016 water bills 75% less than Uk
- Denmark decreasing consumption through high pricing - most expensive in the world
31
Why is the Aral sea shrinking ?
Late 1950s- soviet government diverted water from rivers which fed the Aral sea for agriculture
Cotton production
32
Water was diverted from the rivers which fed the Aral Sea. What were the rivers called?
Amu Darya
Syr Darya
33
How many people were part of the fishing community of Aral Sea
60000
34
What % of original size was Aral Sea in 2007
10%
35
Consequence of Aral Sea drying up
- pollution of water supplies
- only half mammal and bird species remain
- temperature extremes are more severe
- water salinised
- food insecurity could cause 10 million migrants
36
How does Israel use water to control Palestine
Palestinians water dependent on Israel after Israel occupied West Bank in 60s
Israel has veto power in joint water committee- vetoes Palestinian water infrastructure development
37
Examples of water conflict within a country
Kielder transfer scheme in Northumberland causes convert over flooding of farming valley and villages
Arizona and California conflict over Colorado
Murray darling basin
38
How much land in Australia is covered by Murray darling basin
1million km2 of southeast Australia
39
How has water extraction changed since 1920 in Murray darling basin
Increased by 5 times
40
Who are the stakeholders in the Murray darling basin
Farmers
Industry
Urban drinking water use
Environmental conservation groups
Indigenous water rights
Local government
41
When did the basin plan come into effect in the Murray darling basin
2012
42
Why are farmers not happy with the Murray darling basin plan
Feel as though they don’t have enough water to irrigate crops
‘Food producers in the Murray valley remain on zero allocation’
43
What was the goal of the Murray darling basin plan
Balance access to water between communities in the basin while keeping a provision of adequate water for the environment
Limited impact on natural environment and functions of the rivers, groundwater and wetlands of the basin
44
What did the Murray darling basin plan do
Determine amount of water which can be extracted ted for consumption by users (urban, industrial and agricultural) and by state and federal governments
45
What percentage of the total river Nile flow were awarded to Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia in the 1959 treaty?
Egypt- 66%
Sudan - 22%
Ethiopia - 0%
12% lost to evaporation
46
Nile treaties timeline - 1959
Egypt and Sudan given lions share, Egypt given veto power over dams in upstream countries
Ethiopia not consulted despite blue Nile tributaries contributing most of the water
47
Nile treaties timeline - 2010
Egypt and Sudan reject deal proposed by upstream countries
Deal proposed more water for upstream countries, strips Egypt of veto power
48
Nile treaties timeline - 2011
Ethiopia starts work on Grand Renaissance dam
Biggest dam in Africa
49
Nile treaties timeline - 2015
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia sign deal on Ethiopian project to share water and not hurt each others interests
50
Egypt population, GDP and main Nile plans
Population - 108 million
GDP per capita : $3400
Plans - building new hydropower barrage, new irrigation scheme planned 0
51
Sudan population, GDP and main Nile plans
Population - 50 million
GDP- $2100
Plans -building new dams, plans to restart jonglei canal
52
Ethiopia population, GDP and main Nile plans
Population - 108 million
GDP- $1270
Plans - 33 new irrigation and HEP plants planned
53
Tanzania population, GDP and main Nile plans
Population - 67 million
GDP - $1200
Plans - new pipeline built from lake Victoria to provide drinking water 0
54
How does Israel manage water
- smart irrigation with drip systems
- recycling sewage water for agricultural use
- reducing agricultural consumption.
- piping sea water to desalination plants
55
When did the china south - north transfer project begin and when will it be complete ?
Began 2003, takes 50 years to complete
56
Cost of china south to north transfer project - where does the money come from?
$100Bn
60% from central government, rest from local authorities who pass cost to users
57
How much water will the south - north transfer project transfer
44.8 billion cubic metres per year via 1300km of canals
58
why is there a supply and demand issue in Beijing.
35% of chinas population
40% Chinese arable land
Only 7% of the water
59
Risks of South- North transfer project in china
Worsening water quality - Yangtze River extremely polluted already and yellow river undrinkable
Likelihood of significant ecological and environmental impacts
Resettlement issues
60
When did the 3 gorges dam open
2012
61
What were the aims of the three gorges dam
Control flooding of the Yangtze
Improve water supply by regulating water flow
Generate HeP
Make river navigable to increase shipping
62
How big is the three gorges reservoir
40 cubic km
63
How much HEP is generated at the three gorges dam?
98 TeraWatt- hours
Record until 2016
64
How much of Israel’s domestic water supply is from desalination
85% in 2022
64
How many desalination plants opened in Israel 2013
5
65
Environmental pros of china south to north transfer scheme
Could stop over abstraction of groundwater in Beijing region
Could stop subsidence in this area
66
social Cons of china south to north transfer scheme
Displaces 300000 million
15000 prisoners sued as forced labour on the project
Taxes raised to fund project
67
Environmental cons of china south to north transfer scheme
Risk of pollution from factories along eastern route
Increases water insecurity in the south
68
Economic cons of china south to north transfer scheme
Budget multiplied by 13 (7Bn-10.Bn)
Costs Shanghai’s shipping industry 2Bn per year due to decreased river flow
69
Economic pros of the three gorges dam
Paid for itself in 3 years
Employed 26000 during construction
Generates HEP
70
Environmental pros of the three gorges dam
Prevents major downstream flooding
Produces clean energy
71
Economic cons of the three gorges dam
High maintenance costs
Pumps had to be built to clear silt buildup
72
Environmental cons of the three gorges dam
Water pollution from increased erosion
Caused tectonic activity - over 3000 quakes - during construction
Flooded a lot of land , decomposing vegetation
Extinction of river dolphin
73
Economic pros of the desalination in Israel
Managed to create more energy efficient and cost effective plant
74
Economic cons of the desalination in Israel
Expansive to run as has a high energy output
75
Environmental pros of the desalination in Israel
Provides Israel with water even in drought
76
Environmental cons of the desalination in Israel
Each plant has power station contributing to CO2 values
Not resilient if sea polluted from oil spills ( 3 temporarily closed due to spills )
Brine pollutes sea
77
Social pros of the desalination in Israel
Meets 2/ of domestic needs
More sustainable than aquifer usage
78
Social cons of the desalination in Israel
Privatisation of water supply makes less affordable
Water doesn’t contain natural minerals which increases heart attack risk
Demand rises as supply does
79
How is Saudi Arabia managing food demand
1980s - pioneered circular irrigation systems to grow enough shape at to feed itself
Used water from own aquifers
Water levels in aquifers fell sharply
Now government imports grain as wheat farms abandoned
80
Examples of holistic management in Singapore
Traditionally supplied 80% of water from Malaysia - halved by 2010
- per capita water consumption fell from 165L per day to 150L
- leakages cut to 5%
- water prices scaled to increase if usage goes overboard
- subsidies protect poor from expensive water
- whole of Singapore is water harvesting catchment
- recycles water
- desalination
81
how much wheat do saudi arabia import and where from?
3.5 million tonnes from europe and black sea
set to increase
82
describe the amazon river regime
feb and march- sun directly overhead causing convectional rainfall
june- lag in peak discharge, rainfall at lowest
june to oct- drop in rainfall as tilts away from sun
nov- lowest discharge as lag from junes low precipitation
83
describe the Yukon river regime
highest flow in spring and summer due to snow melt
least/ no flow in winter as precipitation frozen
few human influences
VERY LARGE SEASONAL VARIABILITY
84
describe indus river regime
initial peak in april due to himalayan melt
4 month monsoon from june - peak discharge july
- dry season after, ice reforms in himalayas, regime v low
85
what caused flooding in Cumbria 2025
plume of moisture from caribbean above for 48h
400m of orograhic rainfall in 38h
severe flooding of river eden in carlisle
drains blocked by sediment, saturated ground
86
socio-economic impact of cumbrian flooding
elderly at risk in houses w/out power or water
houses flooded so people displaced
3-4ft water in houses
£500mil damage
87
environmental impact of cumbrian flooding
tonnes of sediment deposited in flood plain
landslides
trees destroyed so veg gone
ground eroded and soils washed away
deceased water quality
