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CH 4 Water & Its Management
CH 4 Water & Its Management
Inputs: Precipitation is all the moisture that reaches the surface from atmosphere e.g. rainfall
and snowfall
Stores: surface stores such as oceans, seas, lakes and underground stores such as aquifers
Flows: rivers transport water from land to sea
Transfers: Surface water is evaporated and transfer to the atmosphere as water vapor
Output: Precipitation from the atmosphere as the cycle continues
Basic terms
Evaporation is changing of water from seas and water surfaces on land into water
vapors due to heat
Transpiration. When water would be lost in the same way from plants and trees, it
would be called transpiration.
Evapotranspiration is the loss from both plants and oceans.
When water vapours are carried by air currents upwards to a great height above the
ground, they are cooled and the vapours change back to liquid. This processes is known
as condensation.
When precipitation reaches the ground, some of it is stopped by plants and trees, this is
known as interception.
Some of it flows over the ground surface and finds its ways to the rivers. This is known
as run-off.
Infiltration is the process by which water enters the soil from the ground.
Ground water flows is the water that enters the soil and seeps into underground
streams and flows there.
Surface run off rate is low as rainwater delayed stopped from reaching ground surface
by trees.
ii. Vegetation cleared and replaced by farming
Interception, evapotranspiration and infiltration processes decrease.
Run off process increases.
Water Supply
Some of best sites for water supply are above aquifers, places where favorable geological conditions
have concentrated underground water in one place within reach from the surface.
Water poor countries are the ones most likely to suffer from water stress( worries over present
and future water supplies)
Disadvantages
People forced to move from homes
Destruction of natural environment
Increase risk of earthquakes and landslide
Destruction of various ecosystems and animal habitats.
Ans. 75% of fresh water locked up in ice and snow only available when these melt,
most located in cold places where few people live anyway,
easy to reach surface sources like rivers and lakes make up only 0.4 %,
more groundwater available but more difficult/costly to obtain than surface stores,
much of the groundwater is deep and out of the reach of humans,
comment about the value of rivers as water supply for people, yet they are only 0.1%,
high costs of desalination.
Q. Why are decisions to build large dames often controversial?
Ans. Examples of objections that might be used: Economic – high costs, places the
country in debt/need to borrow from rich countries, diverts spending away from other
areas/projects.
Social – people often displaced from best land on valley floors, family disruption/loss of
communities and traditions, not always as well compensated as promised, moved on to
inferior land.
Environmental – clearances of forests/vegetation, loss of habitats, disruption of river
flown ecosystems below the dam.
Ans.
Explanation such as untreated waste, litter and toxic materials disposed of, oil/diesel
from ships’ engines or cleaning out of tanks, or disposal of waste over the sides. Other
uses can be credited for explanation provided that candidates show how they lead to
water pollution e.g. washing out nitrates/pesticides related to irrigation water for crops,
and untreated sewage for domestic uses.
Q. Explain some conflicts of interest can arise between people using rivers for
different purposes.
Q. Explain how water from the sea may return to the sea
Q. Why some rural areas of the developing world are suffering from a shortage of
groundwater from wells and boreholes.
Ans. increasing population uses greater amounts of water more taken out than can be
replenished by rainfall more droughts/less rain global warming/higher temperatures
because more evaporation therefore less water infiltrates to become groundwater
extraction for mines/industries/agriculture etc.
Q. Suggest why a full exploitation of the resources of the open oceans is unlikely.
Ans. Water depth/ pressure, distance from shore for supplies / high transport costs,
weather problems such as cold / storms / strong winds, at or beyond the limits of known
technology, Overall expense compared with obtaining resources on land.
Q. In all malarial areas, the number of cases can vary from year to year, why?
Ans. Weather / climate variations with more cases in wetter years / fewer in drier years,
related to extent of areas of surface water available for breeding, human factors such as
increasing precautions such as sleeping under nets, new net treated with insecticides,
spraying in and around homes, govt. programs to spray or drain breeding grounds,
more use of anti- malarial drugs.
Ans. Eutrophication, algal bloom, block light to other plants, algae die, plant die,
bacteria / microbes feed on dead organic matter, bacteria increase in numbers, use up
oxygen.
Ans. Osmosis draws water out of roots or water cannot enter roots