LO: To understand why water is a major worldwide issue

What are the major issues

that face the world with
regards to water?
The Millennium Development goals

Improving water and sanitation underpinned many of the goals.

Final assessment was made in 2015 - Did they achieve the goal?

No - 15% of the world’s people still do not have reliable access to safe water
and around 35% still lacked clean sanitation.
 Key definitions

When the annual supply of water per person falls below

1700m3

When the annual supply of water per person falls below

1000m3

Occurs when more than 75% of a country’s or a region’s

blue water flows are being used - this currently applies to
around 25% of the world’s population

Occurs when the development of the blue water sources is

limited by a lack of capital, technology and good
governance.

The hidden flow of water when food or other commodities

are traded

Virtual water water scarcity physical scarcity economic scarcity water stress
It is suggested by the UN, that as a world there is enough water to go around, however, this simply is
not the case.

Physical Water
distribution availability gap
What three issues do you
think stop there from
being enough water to go
around?

Gap between rising

demand and
diminishing supplies
TASK Physical distribution Gap between rising Water availability
demand and gap
diminishing supplies

For each of the factors. Use the textbook, pages 46 - 48 and make notes on
them.

Write a subheading for each one and underline it.

Cut and stick in the table/graph that relates to that section. Make sure you refer
to the table in the text and explain what it is showing, (some of you should
elaborate on this and suggest further issues related to the data)

Write appropriate notes - do not just copy everything

 Physical factors affecting water scarcity

What physical factors affect water scarcity?

Geology Climate River regimes

Under each of these titles, use page 48/49 to make notes.

 California

Stick in the diagram of California - use the information to annotate the map to
show how California is affected by the following

Geology Climate River regimes

 Human factors affecting water scarcity

Sewage disposal - Citarum River

 Human factors affecting water scarcity

Chemical fertilisers
 Human factors affecting water scarcity

Industrial pollution
 Human factors affecting water scarcity

Over abstraction of water

 Human factors affecting water scarcity

Using figure 3.6 below - carry out some research into each of the examples.
When the annual supply of water per person falls below 1700m3

When the annual supply of water per person falls below 1000m3

Occurs when more than 75% of a country’s or a region’s blue water

flows are being used - this currently applies to around 25% of the
world’s population

Occurs when the development of the blue water sources is limited by a

lack of capital, technology and good governance.

The hidden flow of water when food or other commodities are traded
When the annual supply of water per person falls below 1700m3

When the annual supply of water per person falls below 1000m3

Occurs when more than 75% of a country’s or a region’s blue water

flows are being used - this currently applies to around 25% of the
world’s population

Occurs when the development of the blue water sources is limited by a

lack of capital, technology and good governance.

The hidden flow of water when food or other commodities are traded
When the annual supply of water per person falls below 1700m3

When the annual supply of water per person falls below 1000m3

Occurs when more than 75% of a country’s or a region’s blue water

flows are being used - this currently applies to around 25% of the
world’s population

Occurs when the development of the blue water sources is limited by a

lack of capital, technology and good governance.

The hidden flow of water when food or other commodities are traded