Water case studies

Drought in Brazil causes

High pressure diverted moist air north so there was little rainfall in South Brazil

Drought in Brazil social impacts

Water rationing for 4 million people

Drought in Brazil economic impacts

Impacts to arabica coffee bean industry and fishing industry

Drought in Brazil environmental impacts

Trees died in the Amazon, potentially causing a positive feedback loop and more drought

Some reservoirs down to 1% capacity

Mekong Delta facts

It runs through six countries

What are the environmental consequences of the damming of the Mekong further upstream?

Saltwater incursion in Vietnam, which could reach 60 km inland. This could impact 800,000 hectares of rice in the Delta

What have been the economic impacts of the damming of the Mekong?

$2 million of damage in the rice industry, which is important in the local economy

What are the social impacts of the damming of the Mekong

The salt water incursion means that fresh drinking water needs to be sourced from non-renewable wells, leading to water shortages

What are some facts about the Sahel?

The region has been suffering from drought since the 1980s. It has alternating wet and dry seasons due to the ITCZ

What has exacerbated the drought in the Sahel?

Human activities such as over-grazing and putting too much fertiliser on soil

What is the future of the Sahel if climate change continues?

The Sahel could be just an extension of the Sahara as drought will lead to crop failure, famine and desertification. It also increases the amounts of locusts and bugs

Droughts in Australia facts

Large parts of the country are arid or semi-arid. There are now severe water restrictions across the country because of drought

What has caused/exacerbated droughts in Australia?

Unreliable rainfall has led to rivers drying up, while high temperatures have led to reservoirs evaporating

What have been some of the impacts of the droughts in Australia?

Crop yields in the Murray-Darling river basin are down as reservoirs are depleted. This is where 70% of the population lives

What has been done to mitigate the droughts in Australia?

Desalination plants have been built to use seawater for drinking water

What caused the Sheffield 2007 floods?

Heavy and prolonged rainfall, which was four times the average. The urbanisation in the area reduces the lag time and increases surface runoff. There are also lots of hills in the area. The flood defences in some areas were not strong enough

What were the impacts of the Sheffield 2007 floods?

13,000 were left without power, the floodwater was up to 6 feet high

What are the impacts of the El Nino effect?

Stronger El Nino events cause Australia wheat yields to decrease. Slash and burn logging is common in Indonesia, so El Nino can cause both droughts and wildfires.

What are some facts about the Nile basin?

11 countries share the Nile basin, and the population is set to double by 2050

What have been the sources of some of the conflict in the Nile basin?

The GERD is restricting downstream water, as is the High Aswan Dam, which is the 7th most polluting dam in the world

What has been a significant impact of the GERD and High Aswan dam?

Salt water incursion

What are the Chinese mega dam projects?

The Three Gorges Dam, South-North Water Transfer Project

What are some of the benefits of the Three Gorges Dam?

Tourism, flood avoidance and power to millions of homes

What are some of the cons of the Three Gorges Dam?

1.3 million people had to be relocated, and 100 towns and 1000 historic sites were submerged. It has also increased water-borne diseases from sewage

What is the South-North Water Transfer Project?

A project where water is moved from the Yangtze River to Northern China, where 35% of the population live in the Beijing region

What are the benefits of the South-North Water Transfer Project?

Mitigating an impeding water crisis, and equitable water distribution.

What are the costs of the South-North Water Transfer Project?

More pollution, half a million displaced people, increased landslides and the fact it is built on a fault

Colorado river basin facts

It covers seven US states and Northern Mexico, and is one of the most heavily regulated basins in the world

What are some threats facing the Colorado river basin?

There have been many projects to divert water, and allocation for each person is decreasing

Where is the Pantanal?

Central South America, in the Upper Paraguay River Basin

What happens to the Pantanal between November and April?

It changes from terrestrial to aquatic habitats

What have been the impacts of the droughts in the Pantanal on tree mortality?

It has reduced habitats for wild animals, as well as for cattle ranching and ecotourism

What have caused the wildfires in the Pantanal?

Cattle ranchers deliberately setting old grass on fire during the dry season to clear vegetation left ungrazed by their cattle