4.2 - Access to Freshwater

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What is water used for?

Domestic Purposes - drinking, washing, cleaning

Agriculture - irrigation, for animals to drink

Industry - manufacturing, mining

Hydroelectric power generation

Transportation - on lakes and rivers

Marking the boundaries between nations (rivers/lakes)

Surface freshwater

rivers, streams, reservoirs, lakes

Underground Aquifer

A layer of porous rock sandwiched between two layers of impermeable rock. They have a slow water flow. Fossil aquifers are impossible to be used sustainably

What’s the problem?

• 97% of all the water on Earth is saline

• Most living organisms cannot use salt water

• Desalination is expensive, fossil fuel dependent and produces salt as a waste product

Water Security

Capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability.

Portable Water

Water that is free from impurities, pollution and bacteria, and is thus safe to drink.

Water stress

When there are shortages of water supplies, so they’re drying up or we’re exploiting them

Water scarcity

A lack of water due to two reasons - Economic and Physical

Physical Water Scarcity

Shortage occur when demand exceeds supply

Economic Water Scarcity

When a population does not have the necessary monetary means to access an adequate source of water.

Water Pollution

Contamination of a source of water making it unsuitable for use

Water Supply

The provision of water by public utilities, commercial organizations or community endeavors.

Desalination

Conversion of salt water into fresh water by the extraction of dissolved solids.

Cloud Seeding

Any technique of adding material to a cloud to alter its natural development, usually to increase or obtain precipitation.