Water scarcity

Economic water scarcity

Where a country physically has sufficient water to meet its needs, but requires additional storage and transport facilities due to lack of technology to draw water from water sources

Physical water scarcity

Where water consumption exceeds 60 percent of the usable supply, making it become inaccessible to a particular portion of a population.

Drought

an extended period of dry weather leading to conditions of extreme dryness.

Absolute drought

a period of at least 15 consecutive days with less than 0.2 mm rainfall

Partial drought

a period of at least 29 consecutive days during which the average daily rainfall does not exceed 0.2 mm.

What issues cause water scarcity

• Overpopulation

• Climate change

• Poor water infrastructure

Consequence of excessive groundwater extraction

Sinking city

Desalination

the process of removing salt from seawater to produce drinking water.

Water stress

When per capita water supply is less than 1700 cubic meters per year, an area suffers from water stress. Water stress is when water resources start to get scarce and hard to access. 

Eutrophication

Eutrophication occurs when increased amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus are carried in streams, lakes and groundwater. This causes nutrient enrichment, which leads to an increase blooms as plants respond to increased nutrient availability. This increases in algae and plankton → cuts off light supply.

Irrigation

the watering of land by artificial means to foster plant growth.

Impacts of water scarcity

• economic

• social

• environmental

Convectional rainfall

occurs when the sun's energy heats the surface of the Earth, causing water to evaporate to form water vapour. When the land heats up, it warms the air above it, causing it to expand and rise. As the air rises, it cools and condenses.

Relief rainfall

Is formed when air rises over relief/elevated features such as mountains and hills. Moist air is blown from the sea, and goes up/rises the slope of the mountains, where it will cool as it enters colder atmosphere and condenses, and forms clouds, air then descends from the elevation and warms.

Frontal rainfall

colder air meets warmer air in a weather front The heavier cold air sinks to the ground and the warm air rises above it. When the warm air rises, it cools. The cooler air condenses and forms clouds. The clouds bring heavy rain.

Brackish

When saltwater meets freshwater

The percentage of water used for agriculture

70 percent

The percentage of water used for personal use

8 percent 

The percentage of water used for industry

22 percent

Effects of eutrophication

• Decrease biodiversity

• he water loses its transparency and develops a bad smell and colour. The treatment of this water becomes difficult.

• Animals lose their habitats

Irrigation process

The water used for irrigation can come from various sources such as rivers, lakes, wells, reservoirs, or can be treated wastewater. This water is transported through pipelines or pumpts to the irrigation system. Then, the water is trasported to the plants through different types of irrigation.

Surface Irrigation

Water is applied directly to the soil surface and allowed to infiltrate.

Sprinkler Irrigation

Water is distributed through pressurized sprinklers that spray water over the crops.

salinization in terms of irrigation

When water is applied to the soil through irrigation, some of it evaporates, leaving behind salts dissolved in the water. Over time, these salts accumulate in the soil as the water evaporates, leading to an increase in soil salinity.

aquifer

a body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater

water footprint

the total volume of freshwater used to produce goods and services

Water conservation

the practice of using water efficiently to reduce wastage

Grey water

recyled water from sinks, showers and washing machines that can be reused for irrigation or other non-potable uses

Salination

The accumulation of soluble salts in soil or water, often as a result of irrigation practices.

Causes of salination

overuse of irrigation without proper drainage, evaporation leaving salt behind

Lack of drainage

If excess irrigation water is not properly drained or if the soil lacks natural drainage pathways, salts can accumulate in the root zone of plants, impacting their growth and health.

Meteorological Drought

Lack of precipitation.

Hydrological drought

Reduced streamflow and groundwater level

agricultural drought

Insufficient soil moisture affecting crop yield

socialeconomic drought

Water shortages that impact human activity and economies