WATER RESOUR CES

Geography

Secondary 2 (JHSA)

What you will learn?

To explain the reasons for water constraint. To evaluate the effectiveness of different responses to increasing water supply. To examine the responses in overcoming the constraint of water supply.

Water as a scarce resources

Water is important for life on Earth. We need water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Much of the water supply is also used in industries and agriculture. The amount of water consumed by people everyday has increased, but the amount of fresh water available remains limited. This water shortage problems known as water constraint.

How we cover the chapter?

Rising demand for water Population growth
Growth of agriculture Growth of industries Change in lifestyle
Increasing the price of water

Water Constraint
Responses to rising demand for water

Uneven distribution of fresh water Water pollution

Limited supply of fresh water

Increasing the Supply of water

Conserving Water

Increase catchment areas

International agreement

Use of technology e. g: Water recycling and Desalinati

Reasons for water constraint

Limited supply of fresh water.

Uneven

distribution of fresh water. Water pollution.

Limited supply of fresh water

water cover about three-quarters of the earths surface. Salt waters in the sea make up 97%, fresh water in form of snow and ice make up to 2%. Only 1% of fresh water that is ready for human consumption. The fresh waters stored in the rivers, stream and lakes is called surface water. Some of the water kept on the ground called groundwater.

Uneven distribution

Uneven distribution of fresh water

Some countries lack of supply in fresh water. E. g: Canada has 20% of worlds fresh water supply while India only has 10%. The situation getting worst when Indias population is 30 times larger than Canada! A reason for uneven distribution is because of the differences in climate. E. g: in some countries in Africa, the frequent lack of rain led to insufficient water supply for irrigation. This affected the agriculture and led to shortage of food supply.

Water pollution
Not all fresh water is safe for drinking and other uses. This because, fresh water resources are increasingly being polluted by human activities. Many lakes and rivers are too polluted and not safe for human consumptions.

Water pollution
Waste from factories and households are often carelessly dumped into a river and lake then pollutes the water.

Rising demand for water

Population growth Growth of agriculture Growth of industries Changes in lifestyle

Population growth

Over the past 80 years, worlds population has tripled while the demand for water has increased more than 6 times. Between now and 2050 expected population is 3 billion people. This lead to the increased of demand in the supply for fresh water by the people. Some of the country may face a problem of water constraint.

Population growth

Growth for agriculture

Increasing need to grow more food to feed a growing population. Hence, three quarters from worlds fresh water is used for the watering of crops/ rearing livestock. Large scale irrigation project to be developed to channel the water from the river, lake or groundwater to the farming area that receive little rainfall.

Growth for agriculture

Growth of industries
It contribute to the rise of water consumptions because water plays an important role in daily operation in this industry. E. g: water is used for cleaning and cooling machines, and raw material in making foods, chemicals and paper.

Growth for industries

Cooling machine in industry

Change in lifestyle

When a country become more developed, people adopt modern lifestyles and afford to buy items which will provide them more convenience and greater comfort. Most home in modern country are equipped with electrical appliances; washing machine and air-conditioners. These items increased a demand for water.

Our lifestyle and water

Daily used for water

Percentage of using of water

Different people, different lifestyle