Geography: Resource Management (Water)

Global Demand for Water
1. Water Security
  1. Having a reliable and sustainable source of enough good quality water to meet everyone's needs. Depends on the amount of water available.
2. Water Insecurity
  1. Not having enough clean water for everyone to make a living or keep everyone healthy.
3. Water Surplus
  1. Having more water than is needed
4. Water Stress
  1. When demand for water is higher than the supply during a certain period of time.
Water Insecurity
1. Physical Factors
  1. Climate
    1. Most places rely on rainfall. If it's hot lots of water is also lost from lakes/rivers (evaporation).
  2. Geology
    1. When rain falls on permeable rock, it can't soak in, so flows off into rivers/lakes
2. Economic & Social Factors
  1. Pollution of Water Sources
    1. Reduces the amount of clean water. A major problem in rapidly industrialising countries.
  2. Limited Infrastrucutre
    1. Rapid urbanisation means that the water pipes and sewers can't be a built quickly enough to supply the population.
Increasing Water Supply
1. Water Transfer
  1. Large-scale engineering projects that move water from a river that has surplus water to a river that has a water shortage. Usually transferred in canals and pipes and has the potential to reduce water insecurity.
2. Dams & Reservoirs
  1. Building a dam across a river traps a large amount of water, creating a reservoir. The reservoir will be filled and the water is released when there's a water deficit (insecurity). It is a consistent flow all year round.
Desalination
1. The removal of salt from seawater so that it can be used. Two main processes that are used - either the seawater can be heated to evaporate it and then condensed to collect the freshwater or the seawater can be passed through a special membrane to remove the salt. It is expensive because energy is needed to heat the water or to force it through the membrane. Most plants are also powered by fossil fuels.
Sustainable Water Supply
1. Water conservation
  1. Trying to use less water by: buying efficient washing machines and dishwashers, fitting homes and businesses with water meters, taking shorter showers and more.
2. Groundwater Management
  1. The amount of water being extracted can be monitored to ensure it isn't extracted faster than it is naturally replaced. To prevent pollution, farmers can be encouraged to use less artificial fertiliser and pesticides to farmland.
3. Recycling
  1. Taking water that has already been used and use it again, because less water needs to be extracted from rivers. Water from homes and industries can be piped to water treatment plants where it is treated to make it safe enough to reuse.

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Geography: Resource Management (Water)

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	Created by Blerta Morina almost 5 years ago