CH 2-3

Natural Resources ARAG 220, Ali Al-Shrouf
Chapter-2
Water Resources
2.3: Water Scarcity and Management

The Water Balancing
ActSupply
• Quantity (Natural Scarcity,
Groundwater Depletion)
• Quality Degradation Demand
• Cost of Options • Increasing in all sectors
• Inefficient use
The water availability of a region depends primarily on

its climate and then on the topography and geology. Its
sufficiency depends on the demand placed upon it.
W a t e r scarcity is a serious challenge
 Today, average per capita water

availability in the region is about 1 , 2 0 0
cubic meters per year (world average
is close to 7,000).
 The annual water availability in the
region ranges from a high of about
1,800 cubic meters per person in Iran
to less than 2 0 0 cubic meters per
person in Jordan, West Bank/Gaza,
and Yemen.
 B y 2 0 2 5 , the regional average water

availability is projected to be just over
5 0 0 cubic meters/person/year.
 While conventional water availability
(within country and regionally)
remains relatively constant, the
demand is increasing sharply as a
result of
population growth, increase in
household income, and irrigation
development.
W a t e r R e s o u r c e s types
 Conventional Water Resources

1. Surface water resources
2. Ground water resources
 Non-Conventioal Water Resources
1. Saline water
2. Treated waste water
 T o meet this increasing demand,

groundwater, the main source of water
in many countries, is being extracted
well beyond the renewal rate of the
resource in parts of the region (over
pumping).
 The water resource situation in the
region is becoming progressively
bleaker due to more frequent and
longer droughtness events.
Environmental W a t e r Terminology
 Water shortage is used to describe where levels of

available water do not meet certain defined minimum
requirements.
 The actual quantity that determines a per capita
minimum may differ from place to place.
 Water stress is the symptomatic consequence of
scarcity which may clear itself as increasing conflict
over sectoral usage, a decline in service levels, crop
failure, food insecurity etc..
 This term is parallel to the common use of the
term "drought“.
 Water scarcity is a more relative concept describing
the relationship between demand for water and its
availability.
C a u s e s and Typ es of w a t e r scarcity
RegimeNatural Human Induced

Causes
Permanent Aridity Desertific
ation Temporary Drought Water
Shortage
 Aridity: is a natural environment imbalance in the water
availability characterizing the climatic conditions of a region.
 Drought: is a natural but temporary imbalance of water
availability caused mainly by low precipitation and thus resulting
in lower availability of water resources.
 Desertification: is the process of land degradation and
deterioration of its productivity, including the damage caused to
the ecosystems,
 water shortage: is mainly caused by inappropriate misuse of water
resources or due to man made changes.
W a t e r Scarcity
 The most commonly used variables

representing water availability in the various
types of water scarcity
Water Scarcity Water Availability

Meteorological Precipitation & evapotranspiration
Hydrological streamflow, water storage, water levels in

lakes, and groundwater
Agricultural Soil moisture budget, actual to potential
evapotranspiration
Socio-economic demand & supply
W a t e r stress
 The concept of water stress is relatively simple, it
applies to situations where there is not enough
water for all uses, whether agricultural,
industrial or domestic.
 Nevertheless, it has been proposed that when
annual per capita renewable freshwater
availability
 is less than 1 , 7 0 0 cubic meters, countries
begin to experience periodic or regular water
stress.
 Below 1 , 0 0 0 cubic meters, water scarcity
begins to hamper economic development and
human health and well-being.
Global Water Scarcity
T h e W a t e r Scene
 Resources are scarce

 Demands are exeeding supplies
 Environmental/Ecological issues
are serious
 Financing is poor and options
are expensive
 Decreasing per-capita availability
 Degrading water quality
Threats to fresh
water 1. Climate
 Rising change will increase
temperatures to increases in
evaporation and lead there will be
regional
precipitation,
variations
though
in rainfall.
 Both droughts and floods may become
more frequent in different regions at
different times.
Threats to fresh
water
2. Depletion of Aquifers
 This is due both for direct

human consumption due to
overpumping.
Threats to fresh water

Pollution
 Over pumping of groundwater (pumping
ground water at a faster rate than it can be
recharged) can have some negative effects on
the environment and the people.
 Sewage, sludge, garbage, and even toxic
pollutants are all dumped into the water.
 I n addition to sewage, chemicals dumped by
industries are another major source of water
pollution.
PRACTICES THAT H E LP REDUCE

WATER POLLUTION
 Save clean water

 Dispose of household products carefully
 Care for lawns, gardens and farmland
 Practice sensible pest control
 Control water runoff
 Control soil erosion
 Avoid spillage or dumping of chemicals on
the ground or in storm drains
Water Management
 Water management: is the process of

determining and controlling the
volume, frequency, and application
rate of water in a planned, efficient
manner.
 Therefore, both the quantity and
quality must be considered in the
management of water resources.
Water Management- Quantity
1- Developing Water Supplies
 Water Harvesting: the collection and
storage of rainfall runoff until the water can
be used beneficially.
 Using ot treated wastewater in agriculture
 construction of deep wells.
 development of springs.
 Methods of reducing water losses: minimize
the water losses by increase the water use
efficieny.
Water Management-Quantity
2- Conserving Water
 Supplies
Methods to r educe
evaporation, transpiration, and
seepage losses.
 covering these water bodies
 Transpiration losses from plants
can be reduced by:
 Replacing plant species that have high transpiration rates
with species that have lower transpiration rates.
 Removing unneeded weeds.
 Planting windbreaks of trees of shrubs
to reduce desiccating winds.
Water Managment
Water Quality
 P h ysical characteristics: suspended
include sediments, pollution,
turbidity, oxygen,
dissolved thermal
biochemical oxygen demand,
pH, acidity, and alkalinity.
 Streams in dry land environments frequently
transport relatively higher levels of suspended
sediment and exhibit higher turbidity than
streams in more humid regions.
Water Quality-Term
 Fresh Water
 Brackish water
Water Salinity increased
 Saline water
 Brine water
Drinking water Called Potable water

Water Management- Quality

IMPROVING WATER QUALITY
 Improvement of water quality can

be achieved by:
 Proper land management
 Careful water storage and handling
 Appropriate use of water
Assessment Quiz
 The Ocean are the largest reservoirs
of water.
 Once the water has evaporated, it forms
Cloud .
 The final part of the water cycle isGround wa.ter
 Sometimes too much water falls
on a section of land, and Flood occur.
Next Lecture- Chapter - 3
Soil Resources

CH 2-3

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Natural Resources ARAG 220, Ali Al-Shrouf

2.3: Water Scarcity and Management

The water availability of a region depends primarily on

W a t e r scarcity is a serious challenge

 Today, average per capita water

W a t e r scarcity is a serious challenge

 B y 2 0 2 5 , the regional average water

 Conventional Water Resources

W a t e r scarcity is a serious challenge

 T o meet this increasing demand,

 Water shortage is used to describe where levels of

C a u s e s and Typ es of w a t e r scarcity

RegimeNatural Human Induced

 The most commonly used variables

Water Scarcity Water Availability

Hydrological streamflow, water storage, water levels in

 Resources are scarce

 This is due both for direct

Threats to fresh water

PRACTICES THAT H E LP REDUCE

 Save clean water

 Water management: is the process of

Drinking water Called Potable water

Water Management- Quality

 Improvement of water quality can

Next Lecture- Chapter - 3

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