Issues Facing Global Water

SupplyCGR4M: ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Learning Expectations

Overall Expectations

analyse environmental and resource management issues and explain their global implications;

Specific Expectations

explain how growth in population and economic activity around the world increases pressure on natural resources and natural systems

evaluate the effectiveness of the efforts of individuals, groups, organizations, and agreements (e.g., United Nations, Kyoto Protocol) to implement solutions to global environmental concerns;

Water Scarcity

Two types of water scarcity: Physical scarcity: when there isn’t enough water to meet our needs.

This type of scarcity is associated with arid areas.

Economic water scarcity: when various institutes (govt., businesses, etc.) and finances limit access to available water

What Happens When Water is Scarce: Mexico City

20 million people in Mexico City

Founded on a cluster of ancient lakes (had lots of freshwater)

1800s – discovered groundwater – created wells

1930s – had to dig deeper wells = sign of problem

Groundwater supplies 80% of Mexico City’s usable water

Old, rusty, leaky pipes waste 25% of the water

Water Trucks

Arid / rural areas If no infrastructure for water delivery, then

truck delivery

Trucks also serve displaced communities (refugee camps), areas with intermittent supply

Could be public or private

In slums (unplanned neighbourhoods) Water is only supplied by privately owned

trucks

Quality varies Sometimes better quality

Sometimes the same thing

Sometimes unsafe to drink

How can Mexico City Help Itself?

What are some things Mexico City can do to mitigate (to make less severe, to alleviate) the water crisis ?

Water Uses

Naturally, as population grows, so does the need for more food – and the need for more water.

Trends

Since the dawn of irrigated agriculture at least 5000 years ago, controlling water to grow crops has been the primary motivation for human alteration of freshwater supplies.

Today, principal demands for fresh water are for irrigation.

Timeline of Human Water Use

7000 years ago: water shortages spur humans to invent irrigation

1,100 years ago: collapse of Mayan civilization due to drought

Mid 1800s: fecal contamination of surface water causes severe health problems in major North American cities (Chicago)

1858: “Year of the Great Stink” in London

1900s: The green revolution strengthens human dependency on irrigation for agriculture

The Green Revolution = 1940s – 1960s, research + technology + development = increased agricultural production worldwide

WW2: water quality impacted by industrial and agricultural chemicals

1972: Clean Water Act passed; humans recognize need to protect water

Conflict over water is likely to increase because of…

Population Growth

Economic Development

Increased Agriculture

Industrial Growth

Global Warming

Water Pollution

Groundwater Depletion

Shared Resources

Population Growth – as population increases, so does demand for water, for drinking, for bathing, for washing…

Economic Development – generally more developed countries use more water, so as countries get more developed, they will have flush toilets, showers, dishwashers…

Link to Millennium Development Goal 7 (Ensure Environment Sustainability)

Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

World has met the target 5 years ahead of schedule ! Between 1990 and 2010, more than 2 billion people gained access to improved

drinking water sources.

Despite progress, 2.5 billion still lack access to improved sanitation facilities.

Increased Agriculture – estimated that it takes 10 000 litres of water to produce 1 beef steak

Industrial Growth – demand for cars, televisions, computers…

Global Warming – affects different regions differently – some become wetter others suffer drought

Water Pollution – polluted groundwater affects supply of water

Groundwater Depletion – unsustainable extraction (removing faster than can be replenished), can cause saltwater intrusion (makes aquifer unsuitable for drinking)

Contaminated Aquifers How does an aquifer get contaminated ?

What happens if an aquifer is contaminated ?

- Landfills- Industrial waste sites- Oil storage tank leak- Septic tank leak- Accidental spills- Infiltration from farm

land with pesticides and fertilizers

Naturally Contaminated

Overabundance of naturally occurring iron, sulphides, manganedes

Seawater can seep into aquifer to make it salty

Consequences of Contaminated Aquifer

Loss of water source Aquifer may not be used for decades or ever

Risk migration of contaminants – it is, after all, a water cycle Contaminants go to nearby lakes, wetlands..

Shared Resources: as supply decreases and demand increases, countries get in conflict about who the resource belongs to

Turkey has proposed a series of dams. What does this mean? What are the effects of this?What do you know about the Nile River?

Fast Facts : The Nile River

Longest river in the world

10 countries share the basin of the Nile Burundi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Congo, Uganda

Covers about 10% of the African continent

160 million people depend on the Nile River for their livelihood

Within the next 25 years, the region’s population is expected to double…

Except for Kenya and Egypt, all of the basin countries are among the world’s 50 poorest nations (vulnerable to disease, famine)

Egypt & Sudan (technically) hold absolute rights to use 100% of the river’s water under agreements reached in 1929 between Egypt and Britain (colonial power in Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda at that time)

"Ethiopia is killing us," taxi driver Ahmed Hossam said, as he picked his way through Cairo's notoriously traffic-clogged streets. "If they build this dam, there will be no Nile. If there's no Nile, then there's no Egypt."

Conflict at the Local / National Scale

Case Study: The Nile River

Video: Troubled Waters

Conflict at the Local / National Scale

Case Study: The Colorado River

Chasing Water: The Colorado River; Flowing Through Conflict

The Colorado River – The Most Endangered River in America

Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water

Video: The Cycle of Insanity

Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water

How can wells reduce flows in nearby rivers and streams?

What are some ways communities get water?

What is the issue around agricultural water use?

Why are wetlands useful?

What have we done to them?

What is salt water intrusion and how does it happen?

Issues with Urban Development …

Current Water Management (Issues and Ways)…

What’s desalination? What’s the problem?

World Water Crisis : Conflict Zones

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2000/world_water_crisis/default.stm

‘Huge’ Groundwater supply found beneath Africa

Video: Huge Groundwater Reserves in Africa

What implications could this have on health and well-being in Sub Saharan Africa?

Think of access to freshwater, waterborne diseases, agriculture