GUIDE FORMAT – SIMONU

UNITED KINGDOM 2023

GENERAL ASSEMBLY (GA)

WEB SITE: http://www.un.org/es/sc/
ELABORATED BY: Kevin Medina
ksmedinaa@upn.edu.co

 TOPIC: Water
FULL TOPIC:
Approaches:
A. What is a drought?
B. Making every drop matter
C. Drought in England

PRESENTATION OF THE TOPIC:

Recently in the UK it has taken place the driest summer since 1995 which led to temperatures over
40° for the first time in the history of the country this situation has made people increment their water
requirements. The hot weather led people to use more water, with peak demand increasing by 40% in
some areas. This meant water companies had to supply hundreds of millions of liters of extra water each
day – the equivalent of adding whole new towns to the network.

EXPECTATIONS TOWARDS THE TOPIC:

By 2040 summers will be hotter and drier, and as our population continues to grow, we need to start
using less water now. Authorities are raising awareness of the many simple things we can do to
conserve water at home; for instance, fixing a dripping tap can save as much as a litre of water a day.

The Environment Agency recommends we cut our water use at home by roughly a third. One step we
can take to save up to 24 litres of water is to stop pre-rinsing dishes before loading them into the
dishwasher. Such simple water-saving actions will be increasingly important as the UK climate
becomes hotter and drier.

KEY CONCEPTS:

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1. Water.
2. Drought.
3. Saving Water.
4. Climate Change.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

During this year’s record-breaking summer, comparisons were often made, particularly by the media
and commentators, with the drought of 1976. People who lived through this period recall standpipes in
the street, collecting water for drinking and washing by the bucket. This year such scenes were not
repeated, thanks in part to more resilient supplies.   

Across the industry, tackling leakage is already a top priority, having fallen by 11% in England in the last
few years. Companies have steep reduction targets to meet, including an ambitious target to cut
leakage by 50% by 2050.

Efforts to repair leaks have been redoubled, with leakage teams increasingly using advanced
technology. Anglian Water has been using drones to detect leaks, and Cambridge Water has deployed
ground penetrating radar.

This is directly reported to repair teams, so they can respond rapidly, keeping customers supplied, and
reducing the amount of water lost.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM (RESEARCH QUESTIONS)

 How to prepare for a drought?

 How to stay safe in a drought?
 What are you doing for saving water?
 How can this affect agriculture?

SOURCES AND RESOURCES TO CONSULT

 BritishRedCross (https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/heatwaves-uk/
drought#Xpdrought)
 Met Office (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/understanding-climate/uk-and-global-
extreme-events-drought)
 Norther Ireland Water (https://www.niwater.com/droughtorder/)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Shelvin, C. (10 de noviembre de 2022). Why are we still in drought? Water in UK. Retrieved from:
https://www.water.org.uk/blog-post/why-are-we-still-in-drought/
- Heggie, J. (2022). United Kingdom Water Crisis. National Geographic. Retrieved from:
https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/united-kingdom-water-crisis

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