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4.2 Access to Fresh Water - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Areas close to large rivers, lakes, or underground aquifers have better & more access to freshwater.
        Areas in deserts or dry regions face challenges in sourcing enough water.
        Geography also determines how easy or hard it is to build infrastructure like dams and pipelines to move water where it’s needed.
    - - MEDC affords to invest in technologies like desalination plants, reservoirs, & so on. Can also afford to treat water to make it safe for drinking, solve polluted freshwater source.
        LEDC lack the funds for those investments, leading to water scarcity for their citizens.
    - - Industrial waste, agricultural runoff, & untreated sewage contaminate freshwater sources, making them unsafe for consumption & significantly reduce the amount of available freshwater.
        Especially potent to LEDC (difficulties treating it) or Water stress countries (limited freshwater sources).
- - - - The Nile River flows through 11 countries, crucial for agriculture, drinking water, and hydropower.
      - Egypt and Sudan rely heavily on the Nile, with growing demand across basin countries due to population growth and agriculture.
      - Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)
        Ethiopia’s GERD project has raised tensions, with Egypt fearing reduced water flow, while Ethiopia views it as essential for economic growth.
      - Outdated colonial-era treaties (1929, 1959) favor Egypt and Sudan, leading to disputes with upstream countries seeking fairer allocations.
      - The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) and African Union aim to foster cooperation and equitable water-sharing solutions.
- - - - Pros:
        
        During very rainy times or when mountain snow is melting, the water in a river rises and sometimes overflows its banks. Thus, by controlling the amount of water that is allowed to flow into the river, it can prevent flooding.
        
        During droughts, or extended dry periods, the water level in a river may be very low. Under these conditions, more water is released from the reservoir so farmers can water their crops and homes and businesses can function normally.
        
        can offer jobs
      - Cons:
        
        Life cycles of habitats living in the water (like fish) get affected due to the construction of dams. Their life cycles are adapted to natural river habitat and flow regimes. By altering the flow, the physical surroundings are altered.
        
        Nutrients are unable to proceed downstream
        
        A large area gets submerged due to the rise in the water levels and turned into a reservoir. The owners of those lands have to be relocated, adequately compensated, and well settled somewhere else. This requires an extra budget for planning a dam construction.
    - - Adv:
        
        Improved water scarcity: Water desalination plants increase water security by providing sustainable and available water supplies
        
        Reduced pressure on natural resources:
        
        Overcoming water shortages: Water desalination plants are a means of overcoming water shortages in areas lacking traditional water sources
      - Dis:
        
        Consumed a large amount of energy: The distillation process requires millions of gallons of saltwater to be boiled at high temperatures before it is potable
        
        High costs to build and operate: These costs can run from R30 to R240 million to build and operate which may not include equipment and worker training.
        
        The environmental impact can be high: Chlorine and other chemical are often added to the water during processing and left behind with the brine. If dumped back into the ocean will bring many harmful substances with it. It can also cause stress and damage to animals who are not used to highly saline water.
    - - Adv:
        
        Enhance groundwater supply: Artificial recharge helps to replenish aquifers, providing a stable water source during times of drought or reduced rainfall.
        
        High-quality drinking water: The natural filtration through the dunes (sand hill) produces exceptionally clean water, which requires relatively low levels of chemical treatment compared to surface water directly taken from rivers or lakes.
        
        Preventing land subsidence (sinking): The Netherlands is already prone to land subsidence due to its soft soils and heavy groundwater use. Artificial recharge can help counter this issue by maintaining groundwater levels, thus preventing further subsidence and protecting infrastructure.
      - Dis:
        
        High cost: Implementing artificial recharge systems requires significant investments in infrastructure, such as infiltration basins, injection wells, and treatment facilities. Ongoing monitoring and management of recharge systems are essential to ensure their effectiveness and prevent negative impacts. This can be costly and time-consuming.
        
        Contamination: If the recharged water is not adequately treated, it can introduce contaminants into the aquifer. injected surface water runoff especially from agricultural fields and road surfaces which may not yet be treated
        
        Soil Salinity: In coastal areas, excessive recharge can lead to increased soil salinity, affecting agricultural productivity and ecosystem health.
    - - Adv:
        
        Reduces groundwater depletion: India heavily relies on groundwater for drinking and irrigation. Rainwater harvesting helps recharge aquifers, reducing the strain on over-exploited groundwater resources.
        
        Addresses Urban Water Shortages: Rapid urbanization causes water shortages in cities.
        (eg Chennai Bangalore and Delhi) - Reduce burden on municipal water apply - Help prevent flood as excess rainwater is diverted into storage systems.
        
        Reduce Soil Erosion: During heavy rains, rainwater harvest slows down the flow of water running over the land - Reduces its ability to carry soil particle away - Allow more water to percolate into the ground
      - Dis:
        
        High Initial Installation Cost: RWH can save money over time, however the initial setup costs, are high for individual households or small businesses (especially for larger systems with extensive storage and filtration)
        
        Storage Capacity:
        In areas with high rainfall variability, storing enough water become a challenge as for it require the storage tanks to be large, which can be expensive and require more space
    - - Pros:
        
        Water and energy savings: Less demand for freshwater by reusing greywater, as water is limited resource - less water needs to be treated & pumped & from homes
        
        Reduce water bills: Household & businesses that recycle greywater are able to reduce water consumption - reduce utility bills
        
        Reduce Pressure on sewage system: reusing greywater diverts water from sewers - reduce volume of wastewater that needs to be treated - lower the risk of overflooding sewage
      - Cons:
        
        Limited use: usually only for irrigation & toilet flushing - can't for drinking, cooking & bathing
        
        Soil degradation: If the greywater contain too much salt, soap or chemicals will damage soil structure & harm plants life over time
        
        Health risk: Greywater may contain bacteria/ pathogens that can lead to contamination
    - - Pros:
        
        Address water scarcity: Regions suffering from chronic droughts or seasonal water shortage - can support agriculture and food security - mitigate the overuse of groundwater
      - Cons:
        
        Environmental degradation: Depletion of rivers and lakes disrupt habitat, affect biodiversity which lead to shrinking of sea, loss of fish
        
        High cost: Infrastructure needed: pipelines, canals, dams especially in areas with high cost of living
        
        over reliance in external water sources: regions that relies heavily on redistributed water may have issue if the external source have problems - lead to water crisis when the infrastructure fails
- - - - stiffer competition between domestic use & other users
      - growing incidence and severity of droughts (climate change)
      - growing population leads to more demand of food
      - water contamination (chemical waste, fertilizer)