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4.2 Access to Fresh Water - Coggle Diagram
4.2 Access to Fresh Water
Human Uses
Domestic Purposes- Water used at home for drinking, washing, cleaning
Agriculture- animals and farms
Industry- Manufacturing and mining
Hydroelectric Power Generation
Transportation- Ships on lakes and rivers
Marking the boundaries between nation states
Sustainability of freshwater resource usage
Issues
Climate change disrupts rainfall patterns, changing monsoon rains causes inequality of supplies
Low water levels in rivers and streams
Slow water flow in the lower courses of rivers results in sedimentation
Underground aquifers are being exhausted
Pumping rates from the aquifers are too fast
Freshwater becomes contaminated and so unusable
Irrigation results in soil degradation, Salinization
Fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture often pollutes streams and rivers
Industries release pollutants into surface water bodies
Industries and electricity plants release warm water into rivers
Soutions
Increase freshwater supplies:
Reservoirs
Redistribution
Desalination plants removing salt from seawater
Rainwater harvesting systems
Artificially recharging aquifers
Reduce domestic use of freshwater by using more water-efficient
Wash cars in car washes with a closed water system, reduces pollution by oil
Grey-water recycling- from showers, baths, household laundry, kitchen sinks
Irrigation: selecting drought resistant crops can reduce the need for irrigation
Reduce the amount of pesticide and fertilizer used
Prevent over-spray, spraying pesticide
Use highly selective pesticides instead of generic pesticide or use biological control
Industries can remove pollutants from wastewater
Regulate maximum temperatures of release cooling water
Water Scarcity- Tragedy of the Commons