Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Water resources and usage (Freshwater availability Distribution of…
Water resources and usage
Freshwater availability
Distribution of Earth's water
Freshwater is a scarce resource
only 0.024% of water is available for us to use
the hydrologic cycle recycles, purifies and distributes water
Ground water
water table
ground water and aquifers
an aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock
unconified and conified aquifers
unconfined - water seeps from the ground surface directly into the aquifer
conified - seeps from permeable rock
artesian well doesn't need a pump, the pressure forces the water to the surface
Freshwater use
freshwater is being used unsustainably
freshwater begins to fail because of pollutants, and overexploitation
freshwater = natural capital
problems caused by unsustainable use
economic
environmental
national and global security
global health
equality and poverty
virtual water / embedded water
freshwater that is not directly consumed but is used to produce food and other products
virtual water = water footprints
freshwater supply is getting smaller due to climate change
more evaporation
wet places become wetter
dry places become drier
water use in the US
the US sucks
the US has a lot of resources, but they are distributed unevenly
climate regions
water hotspots
higher freshwater use compared to freshwater availability = more freshwater scarcity stress
groundwater and aquifers
aquifers are renewable unless they are contaminated or it is removed faster than it is replenished
advantages and disadvantages
water tables are falling
problems caused by over pumping aquifers
increasing poverty and civil unrest
inequality
saltwater seeping
land subsidence
solutions
increase freshwater availability: water transfers
aqueducts
from water rich areas to water poor areas
water transfers are expensive though
besides, a lot of water is lost
ecosystems are degraded
communities may have to leave :cry:
increase freshwater availability: dams
daniel - capture and store water - control floods - electricity - irrigation
dams are everywhere
the dam problems
decrease in water
upriver gets flooded
not useful for long
increased freshwater availability: desalinization
removing dissolved salt from salt water
distillation and reserve osmosis
how can we solve our problems? :v
reduce water waste in industries and at home (stop showering)
reduce water waste in irrigation
hydroponics
drip irrigation is expensive though
industry
stop water subsidies for environmentally damaging practices
preventing flooding
floodplain