Topic 5: Water Cycle & Water Insecurity

What are the processes operating within the hydrological cycle from global to
local scale
Can you explain the reasons why the global hydrological cycle is a closed system?
Can you explain what drives the global hydrological cycles operation?
Can you explain where the global water supplies are stored?
Can you explain how residence times affect the global water budget?
Overall: Can you explain the factors which influence the behaviour of a
drainage basin?
Can you explain the process of frontal rainfall?
Can you explain the process of relief rainfall?
Can you explain the process of convectional rainfall?
Can you explain the processes of infiltration, runoff, throughflow, percolation,
evaporation, and transpiration?
Can you explain the physical factors with influence a drainage basin e.g. climate,
soils, vegetation, geology and relief?
Can you explain how humans can disrupt the drainage basin cycle through
deforestation, changing land use and abstraction?
Can you explain how humans are disrupting the Amazon drainage basin?
Can you interpret a water budget graph?
Can you explain the difference between a tropical temperate and polar water
budget?
Can you explain what a river regime is?
Can you explain the differences in the Yukon, Indus & Amazon river regime and
the reasons why?
Can you interpret a storm hydrograph?
Can you explain how the physical factors of a drainage basin will influence a
storm hydrograph?
Can you explain how humans can alter a rivers storm hydrograph?
What factors influence the hydrological system over short- and long-term
timescales?
Overall: Can you explain how deficits within the hydrological cycle can have
significant impacts?
What are the four different causes of drought?
Can you explain how the El Nino affects the Pacific?
Can you explain how human activity can cause drought?
Can you explain how the Sahel and Australia are affected by drought?
Can you explain the impacts of drought upon wetlands?
Overall: Can you explain how surpluses within the hydrological cycle can lead
to flooding?
Can you explain the three meteorological causes of flooding?
Can you explain how humans can increase flood risk within a catchment?
Can you explain how flooding can cause environmental and socio-economic
impacts? Referring to a case study
Overall: Can you explain how climate change will affect the hydrological cycle?
Can you explain how climate change will affect the inputs and outputs within the
hydrological cycle?
Can you explain how climate change will affect the stores and flows?
Can you explain how the ENSO cycles can change climates and contribute to
water insecurity?
How does water insecurity occur and why is it becoming such a global issue for
the 21st century?
Can you define the terms water stress, water scarcity and water insecurity?
Can you explain how water insecurity can be caused through physical factors?
Can you explain how water insecurity can be caused through human factors?
Can you explain how water resources can be pressured through a rising demand?
Overall: Can you explain the consequences associated with water insecurity?
Can you describe the global pattern of physical water scarcity?
Can you describe the global pattern of economic water scarcity?
Can you explain why the price of water varies globally?
Can you explain the importance of water for economic development?
Can you explain how water can cause conflict?
Can you explain the cause for conflict within the Murray-Darling Basin?
Can you explain the cause for conflict within the Nile Basin?
Overall: Can you explain the different approaches to managing water supply?
Can you explain the pros and cons with the techno-fix of hard engineering?
Can you explain the positive and negative impacts of the South-North Water
Transfer in China
Can you explain the positive and negative impacts of Israel’s desalination plant
Can you explain the positive and negative impacts of the Three Gorges Dam
Can you explain how sustainable schemes could resolve water supplies
Can you explain how two countries are using sustainable schemes?
Can you explain how integrated drainage basin management can be used for
large rivers? (Colorado & Nile)
Can you explain how water sharing treaties can be used in reducing water
conflict?