gcse geography : the challenge of resource management

dosnt contain : - local scheme in an lic increase sustainable supplies of water - example of large scale water transfer scheme

what 3 resources are fundamental to human development

1. food

2. water

3. energy

whats a resource

• something from the natural world that people make use of

• many resources are used for economic gain

whats economic wellbeing

a persons families or countries standard of living based primarily on their financial situation

whats social wellbeing

access to items which improve a person or family's quality of life.

why is water an important recourse

• for individual well being in terms of hydration, washing and cooking

• needed to produce food, clothes and other products which can be sold for profit

why is food an important recourse

• is a vital source of income for many like farmers, restaurant owners etc meaning it can increase our national income

• it improves our health if nutritious which can improve our life expectancy and increase it.

• people who dont have enough food to eat may find it difficult to work - negatively impact wealth of the country

how is energy an important recourse

• is required to produce, transport and distribute food as well as to pump and treat water

• countries can trade energy supplies for income

what is the distribution of water like globally

• HICs have access to more water

• poorer country’s has less access to water and are stuck in a cycle of poverty

what is the distribution of energy like globally

• uneven energy supplies as not all countries have their own energy reserves meaning they rely on importing energy

• HICs consume the highest amount of energy whereas LICs use much less

• developing countries they have increasing demands for energy to power industry

what is the distribution of food like globally

• unequal

• LICs may not be able to afford to import food from abroad

• HICs enjoy all year round access to exotic foods as incomes are higher

• many people in LICs (e.g. asia) are undernourished

whats an inequality

differences between poverty and wealth, as well as peoples well being and access to things like jobs, resources, housing and education

what 3 types of food are growing increasingly popular in the uk

1. high value foods

2. non seasonal products

3. organic produce

what are high value foods

• foods that make a higher profit per item than bulk produce

• they include processed foods (instant coffee), semi processed foods (flour and oil) and horticultural products ( fresh fruit and veg)

why is there more demand in the uk for imports of food from LICs

• cheaper

• more produce

• you cant grow everything here

why are high value food products becoming more popular in the uk

as peoples incomes have increased in the uk, they can afford to eat a wider range of foods including more expensive imported foods

why is the demand for organic food increasing in the uk

• increasing health awareness amongst customers

• longer shelf life

• antibiotics in livestock cause poor immune response in humans

what are food miles

how far food has travelled from its place of production to where its consumed

whats a carbon footprint

measures how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular person, business or community

how are some people responding to increasing food miles and carbon footprints

• becoming aware of environmental issues

• leading people to look for local sources of food like farmers markets, farm shops and locally produced vegetable boxes

what is agribusiness

large scale industrial farming thats controlled by big companies

how might the farms be becoming more industrialised

• farm sizes increased as farms owned by many farmers have been merged to maximise the amount of food production

• use of artificial fertilisers and chemicals have increased to improve crop yields

whats a water defecit

when the demand for water is greater than the supply

what areas in the uk have a water surplus

north and west of the uk as they have higher rainfall

what areas in the uk have a water defecit

the siuth east and midlands as they have high population densities

why is the demand for water increasing in the uk overall

• increase in household water use as people have more appliances (e.g. dishwashers)

• increase in the uks population

• changes in population densities as lots of new homes built in areas in the south east where theres already a water defecit

why does water pollution need to be managed in the uk

polluted / low quality water reduces the amount of water available for use putting more pressure on water resources

what 3 main things cause water pollution in the uk

1. crop fertilisers are washed into rivers and groundwater

2. pollutants from vehicles are washed into water sources from runoff when it rains

3. chemicals and oil spills from factories pollute local water sources and groundwater supplies

the uk government advises farmers to avoid applying fertilisers before heavy rain. How could this improve water quality

means fewer agricultural chemicals will get washed into water courses by surface runoff

what do water transfers do

transfer water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit e,g, Birmingham (area of deficit) receives water from wales (area of surplus)

what are the problems with water transfers

• dams and aqueducts needed are expensive to build

• can affect wildlife in the rivers e.g. fish migration disrupted by dams

• there might be political issues e.g. people may not want their water transferred to another area

what is an energy mix

what are the energy sources that can be used

• coal

• natural gas

• nuclear

• wind

• biomass

• tidal

• solar

his has the uks energy mix changed

• traditionally UK has relied on fossil fuels to supply energy

• renewable energy sources are all steadily increasing

• coals usage has steadily decreased

why is there declining use of domestic coal in the uk

• increasingly expensive as coal left is difficult to mine

• sustaiable sources are cheaper than coal

• envriomental concerns as produced hugh amounts of co2 emmisions

• cheaper coal is imported

why have supplies of oil in the uk decrerased

• operating costs are high due to high labour costs and stricter health/safety rules

• UK oil companies have decommissioned their oil rigs due to declining prices. 

why have the supplies of gas in the uk decreased

• gas reserves are running out so the little amount of gas we have left is expensive to extract

• UK imports more gas than it exports as it is cheaper. 

whats fracking

the process of extracting shale gas from underground

what are the economic problems with exploiting energy resources

• extracting fossil fuels is expensive

• north sea oil = expensive to produce as it may cost more to produce than can be sold for

• researching alternative supplies of energy is expensive

• renewable energy dont provide a reliable supply so uk has to import energy

how can exploiting energy sources cause pollution

fracking can pollute groundwater and oil spills or nuclear accidents can release toxic chemicals into water sources, soils and the atmosphere

what are the social problems with exploiting energy sources

• the burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases

• fracking may pollute groundwater

• accidents can leak toxic chemicals into water, soils or atmosphere

• natural ecosystems can be damaged by renewable energy generations (wind farms/ tidal power projects)

• power stations + wind farms can be ugly

how is the world population rising increasing water consumption

• people need to shower, drink ect

• food production increasing and agriculture uses up 70% of world freshwater

why is water demand increasing as countries become richer

• Rising Living Standards – people in countries that have become richer have more money to spend on items that consume water such as dishwashers, washing machines, flushing toilets and showers. 

• as countries become more developed, they produce more goods which uses up a lot of water

whats the global pattern of the supply of water

• HICs tend to have access to a higher volume/quantity of water

• However LICs often have a poorer supply of water and are trapped in a cycle of poverty

• this is due to the natural climate and economy, water scarcity is more common.

what is water security

The reliable availability of an acceptable amount and quality of water for health, livelihoods and production.

whats water insecurity

When water availability is not enough to ensure the population of an area enjoys good health, livelihood and earnings.

what is water surplus

where supply exceeds demand

where are areas which are usually in a water surplus

in temperate and tropical wet areas with high rainfall and lower populations e.g. the amazon, north america and weatern europe

whats a water defecit

where demand is greater than supply

where are areas which are usually in a water deficit

areas with either low precipitation , high evaporation or a large population

how does climate affect water security

hot any dry climates means less water is available and it easily evaporates

how does geology affect water security

rainfall flows down to rock beneath the ground in areas where the rocks are permeable meaning rainfall is being absorbed and stored so there is less surface water

how does pollution affect water security

some places have plenty of water but it has been polluted by untreated sewage, dumped waste or chemical fertilisers decreasing the water quality making some of it unable to use

what is over abstraction

When water is being used more quickly that it is being replaced. This exists where water demand is greater than supply

why does over abstraction affect water security

when water is taken from aquifers so groundwater levels fall and more water is being taken out of our Earth than is being replaced by rain, causes water scarcity. 

how does limited infrastructure affect water security

•  pipelines are needed to safely move water from place to place.

• Sealed pipes reduce the potential for leaks and pollution.

• LICs do not have these pipes in place as they can be expensive to lay as they need to be buried underground and the density of slums makes that hard.

• Water pumps also form part of the water infrastructure.  

how does poverty affect water security

means people have poor access to water which locks them in a cycle of poverty as as they cant afford clean water so they become ill and cannot work

how are waterborne diseases caused by water insecurity

without a supply of clean water people can drink water containing untreated sewage which can lead to serious illness

why do women and girls feel the impacts of water insecurity the most

they are usually the ones responsible for collecting clean water which effects their education, work, family and their future

how is pollution an impact of water insecurity

countries with little infrastructure and lots of industrial waste end up with more polluted water as waste is dumped

what is the biggest polluter of water

agriculture because of the fertilisers and pesticides which leads to shortages of clean water, long ques and wasted time to get water from safe sources. This especially impacts girls and women

how is food production impacted by water insecurity

• agriculture uses up 70% of world water supplies which leads to droughts, water and food shortages and issues with crop growth.

• livestock affected as isnt enough water for them

• You can import food but countries who cant afford it are at risk of starvation

how is industrial output affected by water insecurity

as countries and factories develop it puts pressure on water supplies as manufacturing is very water intense especially ones manufacturing iron, steels, chemicals and textiles

how is conflict an effect of water insecurity

• ward may be fought over water supplies, reservoir construction and pollution when they cross national and international boarders

• e.g. in the Nile issues like reservoir construction can affect more than 1 country and cause conflict

what are the 4 ways of increasing water supplies

1. diverting supplies and increasing storage

2. building dams and reservoirs

3. water transfer schemes

4. desalination plants

how does diverting supplies and increasing storage increase water supplies

water is diverted using canals, pipelines, tunnels and aqueducts to be stored temporarily until needed

what are the negatives of diverting supplies and increasing storage

• expensive

• only useful in places that have infrequent but heavy rainfall

how does building dams and reservoirs increase water supplies

• building a dam ( a big wall) across a river traps water behind it creating a resovoir

• when theres a water surplus its filled for when theres a water defecit

whats one downside to reservoirs

flood land used for agriculture or settlements forcing people to relocate

whats a water transfer scheme

large scale engineering projects to move water from a river that has surplus to a river that has a shortage

what are desalination plants

when you extract salt from saltwater to drink it

whats a problem with desalination plants

expensive as it is either heated until it evaporates or is passed through membrane to remove the salt which is expensive as energy is needed

what does water sustainability mean

there is enough to meet everyone’s current needs without preventing future generations from meeting their needs

what are 3 ways to move towards sustainable water supplies

1. water conservation

2. groundwater management

3. recycling and grey water

what are methods of water conservation

• is about trying to use less water

• fixing leaky pipes, reservoirs and taps

• buying efficient washing machines and dryers

• irrigating farmland using drip pipes and sprays that direct water into where it is exactly needed

• educating people about shorter showers and to turn off taps

what is groundwater management

• the amount of groundwater being extracted monitored so its not extracted faster than is being naturally replaced

• to prevent pollution of groundwater farmers should apply less artificial fertilisers and pesticides

• when groundwater supplies cross countries, international agreements so one country dosnt take more than the other

how does recycling water help water sustainability

• means taking used water an using it again instead of returning it to a river/sea

• more sustainable as less water needs to be taken from rivers/groundwater

• is used for irrigation, industry, power plants and toilets

what is grey water

• type of recycles water where is is used immediately and not treated first

• mostly from waste water from homes

• relatively clean is used to irrigate gardens, farmland, washing machines and toilets

• conserve energy as no energy needed to treat water