What happens when demand for water exceeds supply?

Cost of water may increase where demand exceeds supply
Decrease in crop yield - reduction in food and therefore food prices increase impacting poor people more
May revert to using unclean water - increased illness and disease
import water
Could cause conflict and fighting over access to water
Overabstraction - lakes and rivers dry out e.g. Aral Sea
Case study - Aral Sea
1. water diverted to grow cotton crop in USSR
2. Loss of fishing industry as Sea dried up
3. Water in sea became toxic due to increased salt conc and run off from fertilisers
4. Out migration
5. collapse of primary industry
  1. loss of jobs & income
6. Death
Case study: Lake Chad
1. Drying up - contributing to desertification in the region
  1. Lower crop yields
    1. less money & jobs
  2. water prices increase so poorest dont have access

Resource summary

	Created by Rachael Dwight about 4 years ago