THE GEOGRAPHER ONLINE

Water

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water.pdf
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The earths water supply

Key Words
  • Water Surplus: There is more fresh usable water that is needed for the needs of the area (population and activities).
  • Water Deficit: There is not enough fresh usable water to meed the needs of the area
In this Unit we will be examining the Fresh Water Supply.
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Using the graphs to examine where the Earth's water supply is found and determine what percentage is usable for People and Agriculture and where it comes from. 
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The distribution of the Earth's Fresh water reserves
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The distribution of the earths water supply
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Using the data in the table create a graph showing the percentage (%) of water usage in the USA. 
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Uses of Water 
Quantity in million of litres a day
Public use
167,960
Domestic 
4,554
Irrigation
486,400
Thermoelectric
543,400
Industry
72,600
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​
Do all countries use water in the same way? Discuss? 

Water Uses

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Access to safe drinking water
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Fresh water availability per person
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  1. Describe the maps above.
  2. Why do you think they are different? Explain you answer.
  3. Looking at the images below discuss some of the issues arising  from water shortages.

Whole class discus the factors that affect water shortages (create a mind map)
• supply (e.g. precipitation, temperature, evaporation rates, rivers, pollution and infrastructure, etc.) and
• demand (e.g. economic activities, population distribution and country’s level of development, etc.)

Access and Demand for water

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Group Project:
Create a presentation (use microsoft SWAY) explaining the following areas.
  1. What factors influence how much water an area has? 
  2. What is water demanded for? (use examples of quantity)
  3. Where do we get our water from? (give as many sources as possible & briefly explain them)
  4. What is being done to improve water supply for the poor and vulnerable - give examples.
  5. Water facts from around the world
Sources of information
Water facts - Health and disease
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Water facts- Water and sanitation
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Water facts - Women and Children
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Water Scarcity or Surplus?
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Picture

​E
xtended writing activity: Why do water shortages occur in some parts of the world and not others? 

Water Supply & Conservation

Supply Method
Advantages
Disadvantages
River, lakes and other natural bodies of water
Water is naturally available and it is easy to access it and distribute it to users. Dams and reservoirs can be build to further increase water storage. 
In LEDCs these sources can become easily polluted and if water is not treated it can carry diseases such as cholera. 
Wells and bore holes
Water is naturally purified by filtration through bedrock and can exist in  arid areas where there is limited surface water eg. Great Artesian Basin in Australia
Constructing wells costs money as does extracting the water through pumps. It is usually limited in quantity and can not sustain large populations or agriculture.
Desalinisation plants
Supply is virtually unlimited (sea water)
It is extremely expensive and uses a lot of energy (Global Warming)
Rainwater harvesting
Water is usually very pure and can be consumed with limited treatment
Rain is unpredictable and storage of water can be difficult.
Water condensing
Water is very pure and does not require any treatment. Technology is inexpensive and simple.
Can only provide small quantities of water. 
Appropriate technology: technology that is suitable to the social and economic conditions of the geographic area in which it is to be applied, is environmentally sound, and promotes self-sufficiency on the part of those using it.
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Discuss if all the above methods of water supply would be considered  'appropriate technology' in all parts  of the world? How can we make drinking water 'safer' for vulnerable populations? 

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​Research and create a poster or leaflet explaining how we could conserve water.

Case Study

 Water supply in Lesotho and South Western USA:
  1. Locate the area using a map and describe the location.
  2. Outline the distribution of water sources (include place names)
  3. Discuss issues of water management (what is being done?)
  4. How is this likely to affect the future of the country?

The water problem in south-western USA
State:

  1. The percentage land area, population and precipitation of the USA in the western states.
  2. The year of the Reclamation Act.
  3. The area of irrigated land in California.
  4. Two areas of irrigated farmland in the state.
  5.  The percentage of California’s water used by agriculture.
  6.  The population depending on the Colorado river for water.
  7.  A major dam on the Colorado river.
  8.  The last major scheme diverting water from the Colorado river.
  9.  The main cities bene ting from this water.
  10. Two resource management strategies to improve the water supply situation. 


case_study_usa.pdf
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water_source_case_study.pdf
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  • Home
    • How to make a website: Tools and experiences
    • Maps and Regions
    • Travel Photographs and Videos
    • Live: Global Hazards and Disasters
    • Geography in the news
    • The Big Geography Challenge
  • New IB Geography 2017 onwards
    • IB Geography Introduction
    • Part 1: Geographical Themes >
      • Option B: Oceans and coastal margins >
        • 1. Ocean–atmosphere interactions
        • 2. Interactions between oceans and coastal places
        • 3. Managing coastal margins
        • 4. Ocean management futures
      • Option D: Geophysical Hazards >
        • 1. Geophysical systems
        • 2. Geophysical hazard risks
        • 3. Hazard risk and vulnerability
        • 4. Future resilience and adaptation
    • Part 2: Core Units (SL&HL) >
      • Unit 1: Changing Population >
        • 1. Population and economic development patterns
        • 2. Changing Populations and Places
        • 3. Challenges and opportunities
      • Unit 2: Global climate—vulnerability and resilience >
        • 1. Causes of global climate change
        • 2. Consequences of global climate change
        • 3. Responding to global climate change
      • Unit 3: Global resource consumption and security >
        • 1: Global trends in consumption
        • 2: Impacts of changing trends in resource consumption
        • 3: Resource stewardship
    • Part 3: HL Core Extensions >
      • Unit 4: Power, places and networks >
        • 1. Global interactions and global power
      • Unit 5: Human development and diversity
      • Unit 6: Global risks and resilience
    • Internal Assessment
    • Why should I study IB Geography?
  • IB Geography (Old Syllabus)
    • IB Core >
      • 1. Populations in Transition
      • 2. Disparities in Wealth and Development
      • 3. Patterns in Environmental Quality and Sustainability
      • 4. Patterns in Resource Consumption
    • Part 1: Geographical Themes >
      • Oceans and their Coastal Margins
      • Hazards and disasters - risk assessment and response
      • Freshwater - issues and conflicts
      • Urban Environments
    • Global Interactions - HL >
      • Measuring Global Interactions
      • Changing Space - The Shrinking world
      • Economic Interactions and Flows
      • Environmental Change
      • Sociocultural Exchanges
      • Political Outcomes
      • Global Interactions at the Local Level
    • IB Guidance >
      • Syllabus Guidance
      • IB Examination Guidance
    • Extended Essay
  • IGCSE Geography
    • Theme 1: Population and settlement >
      • Population Dynamics
      • Migration
      • Settlements
      • Urban Settlements
      • Urbanisation
    • Theme 2: The natural environment >
      • Plate Tectonics
      • Coasts
      • Rivers
      • Weather and Climate
      • Climate and Ecosystems
    • Theme 3: Economic development >
      • Development
      • Food Production
      • Industry
      • Energy
      • Tourism
      • Water
      • Environmental Risks of Economic development
    • GCSE Key Terms
    • GCSE Coursework
    • Alternative to Coursework
    • IGCSE Geography Examination Advice
    • IGCSE Revision Games
  • Key Stage 3
    • Year 6 >
      • My Place
      • Rivers
      • Brazil
    • Year 7 >
      • Maps and the world
      • Rocky Landscapes
      • Settlement
      • Weather & Climate
    • Year 8 >
      • Maps Introduction
      • Plate Tectonics
      • Economic Activity
      • Biomes
    • Year 9 >
      • Map Skills - review
      • Development
      • Coasts
      • Tourism
      • Paradise lost - Tourism in Thailand
  • AS Level Geography
    • World at Risk
    • Crowded Coasts
  • Geography Skills
  • Donations & Contact
  • YouTube Channel
  • Essential computer programs