How

many
of you
are
guilty?
 Chapter 4
Sustainable
Management
of Water
Overview of the Chapter 4
4.1 How do the variations in precipitations affect the
availability of water?
• The amount of precipitation that an area receives will determine
how much water is available.

Flood Drought
 What are floods?
A flood is an overflow of a large amount of
water onto what is normally dry land.
Floods: Flash floods
Usually caused by
exceptionally heavy rainfall
over a short period of time.
• Often occur in dry areas
where there is not enough
soil or vegetation to allow
rainwater to infiltrate the
ground.
• Rainwater that falls onto the
ground quickly becomes
surface runoff which quickly
floods low-lying areas.
Floods: River Floods
Usually caused by sustained
heavy rainfall, or meltwater
produced when snow and ice
start to melt in the spring
season.
• Large amounts of rainwater
and meltwater enters the
streams which then flows into
the rivers.
• Water levels in the river rises
rapidly and it eventually
overflows the banks, flooding
the surrounding areas.
Flash floods vs River floods
Types of flood Cause of floods
Flash Floods Caused by heavy rainfall over a short period of time
River Floods Caused by sustained period of heavy rainfall or
meltwater

Types of Process that lead to flooding

flood
Flash Floods Surface runoff that quickly floods low-lying areas
River Floods Water levels in the river rises rapidly and it eventually
overflows the banks, flooding the surrounding areas.
Droughts
A long period of time of little or
no rainfall in a specific area.
• May last for months or even
years, causing areas to be
drier than normal.
• There may not be enough
water to replenish the amount
of water used for human
activities or lost through
evaporation and transpiration.
• Reservoirs and groundwater
starts to dry up.
4.2 How Does
Water Support
River Ecosystems?
Precipitation
provides a regular
supply of water so
that organisms
can survive in it.
• Water supports
the river
ecosystem
(community of
plants and
animals found
in rivers that
interact with
one another).
4.3 How Do People Use Water?
How Do People Use Water?

Domestic Recreation

Agriculture Industry
Use of Water: Domestic
In Singapore…
• Bathing, cooking and
flushing the toilet account
for the highest percentage
use of domestic water
usage.
• In 2017, each
Singaporean consumed an
average of 143 litres of
water per day for domestic
activities.
Use of Water: Recreation
However …
These activities
are highly
dependent on:
• Water conditions
• Water quality
Use of Water: Agriculture
Agriculture
• Accounts for the
largest use of
water worldwide
• Water is used to
grow crops and
rear animals for
human
consumption.
• Many industries require water to function. It can be
used to cool equipment in factories and power plants
because they generate a lot of heat when they operate

Use of Water: Industry

Use of Water: Industry Water can also be used to
generate electricity when
they pass through turbines
installed in dams
• Water is also used as a cleaning agent in wafer
fabrication, which is the process of creating
components for the electrical circuitry found in
electrical devices.

Use of Water: Industry

4.4 How Do Human Actions Lead to Water Pollution
and Its Associated Impact?
• Human activities often cause
water pollution for various
reasons:
• Conveniently throwing
rubbish into drains
• Factories which release toxic
chemicals into the sea to
save costs
• Lack of a proper waste
disposal system.
What exactly is water pollution?
• Water pollution occurs when harmful substances enter water bodies and
cause the water quality to fall.
• One third of the rivers in Africa and Asia are already affected by water
pollution although they are a source of water for millions of people.
What are the impacts of water pollution?
Poses a threat to the
aquatic ecosystems.
• Pollutants like pesticides
and lead kills plants and
poisons animals that feed
on them.
• Excess fertilisers from
farms that get washed
into rivers by rain provide
additional nutrients for
algae to grow rapidly.
The Rhine, Western Europe
Most important river in Western
Europe.
• River has been severely polluted
since the 1950s
• A toxic spill in 1986 worsen the
situation, when large amounts of
pesticides were released into the
river.
• Many fishes died and some
species went extinct.
Given the limited amount of clean freshwater available on the earth, there
is a need for countries around the world to manage their water resources.
These management strategies help to ensure that there is adequate supply
of water for human activities both in the short-term and long-term.
Reducing Water
Improving Water Quality
Consumption

Improving Water
Importing Water
Technologies
How do countries
improve water
quality?
How do countries improve water quality?
Water quality is
determined by Countries will implement
considering laws to maintain or
factors like: improve water quality
• Temperature
• Amount of
dissolved oxygen Affects how well
• Turbidity aquatic plants and
animals can
• pH survive
Improving Water Quality: Singapore
Under the Environmental Protection and Management
(Trade Effluent) Regulations:
• Industries are not allowed to release wastewater into
water bodies without permission from the National
Environmental Agency (NEA)
Improving Water Quality: China
In January 2018, the
government
implemented a revised
version of the Water
Pollution Prevention and
Control Law.
• Officials who achieve
clean water standards
are rewarded
• Requires cities with
only one water source
to set up emergency
and back-up water
How do countries
reduce water
consumption?
Water consumption:
• The amount of water used.

Water consumption tends to

increase as a country’s economy
and population grows.
• More water is needed to
support the industries and meet
the daily needs of the people.
Reduce Water Consumption:
Singapore
PUB works closely with the
community, schools and businesses
to raise awareness and promote
water conservation.
• Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme
(WELS)
• Lower Singapore’s per capita
average water consumption to 130
litres by 2030.
Reduce Water Consumption:
South Africa’s dry climate makes it prone to droughts.
South Africa
• Led businesses to introduce new practices to reduce
water consumption while still continuing to attract
tourists to the country.
Reduce Water
Consumption: South
Africa
From 2018 to 2019, South Africa
experienced a drought.
• Restaurants used water from their
air-conditioning units to mop
floors.
• Hotels reused wastewater from
showers and basins to flush
toilets.
How do countries improve water
technologies?
Countries are increasingly using technology to develop
new ways of producing and conserving water.
Improve Water Technologies: Singapore
NEWater and desalinated
water are reliable water
sources that do not depend
on weather.
• Helps Singapore better
cope with the threat of
climate change.
• Made possible through
years of innovation and
continuous investment in
research and technology.
Improve Water Technologies: Singapore
Desalination
• PUB turns seawater into drinking water using advance membrane
technology.
• A natural choice for Singapore because it is an island surrounded by sea.
Improve Water Technologies: Singapore
As of 2020, Singapore has four desalination plants
Improve water technologies: Experimenting with the use of
United States of America artificial intelligence to determine
how polluted the wastewater is,
One of the top oil-producing countries: then suggesting the most effective
• Kern County way to treat it. Saving 1.6 million
litres of water daily.
• Produces thousands of barrels of oil
• For every barrel of oil, nearly 400 litres of wastewater is generated.
How do countries import
water?
In regions where water is
relatively scarce, countries
are likely to prioritise the
protection of water resources
and conflicts may arise.
• In other parts of the earth,
countries who have
abundance may allow their
neighbours to import from
them.
Import Water:
Singapore
To date, only two
agreements on
Singapore’s import of water
from Malaysia remain.
• These agreements will
expire by 2061
• Aims to rely on other
management strategies
to produce enough water
to meet the needs of
people.
Import Water: Kuwait
Kuwait imports water from
Serbia due to its dry climate.
• In 2017, a contract was
signed for Kuwait to receive
3 million litres of water.
• Serbia has about 300
mineral springs and 25
factories for water
processing, allowing it to
deliver quality mineral water
to Kuwait.
Improving Water Quality: China
To cope with water shortages, China has aimed to clean up
polluted rivers so that more clean water is available for
agriculture and industry.