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Resource Management - Water Part 1 - Coggle Diagram
Resource Management - Water Part 1
Water "Terms"
Water Surplus: Regions with a water surplus have a supply of water that exceeds demand (more than they need).
Water Deficit: Regions with a water deficit have a supply of water that does not fulfil demand (demand exceeds supply).
Water Security: having access to enough clean water to sustain well-being, good health and economic development.
Water Insecurity: describes the situation where regions do not have access to sufficient water supplies to sustain well-being, good health and economic development.
Countries start to experience water stress when less than 1700 meters cubed is available per person each year.
Why is Water Consumption increasing?
Worldwide population growth, so more water is needed.
Economic development results in higher consumption.
Changes in lifestyle and eating habits - like more irrigation needed to produce specific foods
water is required for increasing energy production
factors affecting water availability
Geology - infiltration of water through permeable rock builds up groundwater supplies
Climate - regions with high rainfall usually have surplus water
Over Abstraction - pumping water out of the ground faster than it is replaced by rainfall. this causes wells to dry up and lowers water tables.
pollution - increased levels of pollution due to growing use of chemicals in farming.
limited infrastructure - poorer countries may lack piping stations and pumps for transporting water to areas of need.
how can water supply be increased
water transfer: schemes to transfer water from areas of water surplus to areas of water deficit.
Desalination: removing salt from sea water to make potable water. this is a very expensive process. used as last resort.
diverting water and increasing storage: water supplies can be artificially diverted and stored for use. if rainfall is infrequent but heavy, like in Oklahoma, USA, before the surface water evaporates, it is collected and stored in underlying alluvial soils. This is essentially a man-made aquifer.
dams and reservoirs:
advantages: allow control of river, enables water to be transported and used for irrigation, helps to prevent flooding.
disadvantages: expensive, can lead to displacement of large numbers of people, may reduce flow of water downstream, destroy habitats, reservoirs lose lots of water through evaporation.