Types of water use

• Agricultural: for use on farms; irrigation

• Industrial: for use in factories 

• Domestic: for use in homes

 

Why water is used for different purposes in different countries ​

Agricultural

• Some countries have more farmland/ rely more more on agriculture; some can import food.

• Some countries are more arid and require greater need for irrigation; some have more rainfall.

Industrial

• Some countries have more industries.

• Some countries require more water for generating HEP for use in factories.

Domestic 

• Some countries have more homes that use piped water.

• Some countries have a higher population that can afford water.

• Some countries have higher population using home appliances (eg. washing machines) that use large quantities of water.

 

Average daily water use per capita: quantity of water used per person on average per day

 

Benefits of water

• Basic need for survival/ avoids dehydration

• For cleaning/ cooking/ washing/ bathing/ toilets

• Clean water is essential for good sanitation / hygiene 

• Clean water prevents water-borne diseases like typhoid, cholera, etc.

• Increases life expectancy/ reduces death rates/IMR

• Healthy population will be more productive/ able to work harder/ earn money

• Spend less on healthcare/ Less money needed to spend on treating diseases

• Irrigation/ growing crops/ improves yields/ food supply

• Used to generate electricity / HEP

• Industries depend on water for processing/ cooling

• Therefore it encourages industrial development

• Reduce time for collecting water - especially for Children/ women

• They can use their time more productively, e.g. by going to school

 

How reliable supply of clean water increases life expectancy

• Less dehydration 

• Less malnutrition

  • Water required for cooking food

  • Water required for irrigation/ for livestock 

• Reduction of water borne diseases (eg. typhoid, cholera)

• Better sanitation/ hygiene

• Less need to carry water for large distances

 

Water crisis in LEDCs

Why water shortages cause more problems in LEDCs than in MEDCs 

• LEDCs are more likely to depend on agriculture

• Subsistence farmers in LEDCs starve if not enough food is produced

• LEDCs have invested less in water storage than MEDCs 

• LEDCs lack water storage/ fewer reservoirs

• LEDCs are less able to transfer water to areas where there are water shortages

• LEDCs cannot afford to import water

• People in LEDCs drink polluted water/ get water-borne diseases

 

Why women in LEDCs spend many hours each day carrying water

• They have no piped water supplies/ water infrastructure (eg. reservoirs)

• They have to travel a long way as there are no rivers/ wells nearby

• No means of transport, so they have to walk and carry water on their heads

• The load is heavy so the journey takes a long time

• They can only carry small amounts at a time, so many journeys are needed

• There are long queues to use the wells

• Women don’t have careers, so are expected to collect water

 

Why many people in LEDCs suffer from waterborne diseases

• Lack of water infrastructure (pipes, wells)

• Water is used to dump waste/ washing clothes/ bathing; lack of hygiene & sanitation

• People use dirty/ polluted water that carries bacteria

• Fewer treatment plants/ water not filtered or purified

• Poor healthcare/ cannot afford healthcare

• Cannot afford bottled water/ cannot afford to purify water

• Lack of education & awareness on how to keep water clean

 

How sanitation can be improved in an LEDC

• Build toilets

• Showers/sinks/baths

• Use soap/ cleaning products

• Educate people about hygiene 

• Installation of water pipes

• Sewage treatment works

 

Methods of water supply 

Water supply: the provision of water from its source to the point of usage. 

• Dams/ reservoirs

• Groundwater: Pump water from aquifers/ Wells/ Boreholes

• Use of water from springs

• Desalination plants

• Water treatment/ purification (eg. using tablets)/ filtration/ Pollution controls

• Cloud seeding 

• Rainwater harvesting

• Humidity traps

• Water transfer from wet to dry areas

• Building piped water infrastructure

• Use of water tankers

• Import water/ Bottled water supplies

 

Dams & reservoirs

Dam

• A barrier that holds back water.

• Mainly used to save, manage and prevent flow of excess water into specific regions.  

• May be used to generate HEP.

General features of a dam

• Large/long/wide/big

• Very high

• Built of concrete/stone/rock

• Large reservoir behind it

• Power station at the base of it (to produce HEP)

• Road along it

• Located in a rural/ mountainous area

 

Why dam building schemes are important for the economies of LEDCs

• Creates employment during construction phase

• Encourages economic growth/ increase in GDP

• Water supply for industry

• Generates HEP/ electricity (for use in industries)

• Water will be available for local farmers

• Increased crop yields

• Commercial production of crops/ increased exports

• Dam/ reservoir attracts tourists

• Sustainable supply of water

• Can sell water internationally

 

Reservoir

• Artificial lake behind a dam that stores water

• Man made water store

 

Where dams & reservoirs are usually located

• Large amounts of precipitation/ snow melt

• Surrounded by valleys/ on high land: they are easy to dam

• Impermeable land

• Large catchments

• Land is rural/ not built up

• No sources of industrial pollution

 

Wells & boreholes 

Groundwater: water in the rocks/ aquifer/ below the surface/ underground

Aquifers: water bearing rocks

Water table: the highest level of underground water

Wells & borewells: A means of tapping into various types of aquifers to gain access to groundwater; They are sunk directly down to the water table.

 

Well 

• Often sunk by hand

• Relatively large in diameter

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Borehole 

• Typically drilled by a machine

• Relatively small in diameter 

 

Advantages of using wells

• Low cost

• Doesn't take as much labour 

• Doesn't take as much time

• Low maintenance

 

Disadvantages of using wells

• Not hygienic

• Dangerous to young children

• Stagnant water

• Will not provide water all the time

 

Advantages of using boreholes

• clean/ safe water

• Won’t dry up

• Large amounts of water provided

• mechanised/ no need for manual pumping

 

Disadvantages of using boreholes

• Expensive 

• High maintenance

• Cost of electricity

• Power cuts

 

Water from springs
Advantages of using pipes from springs

• Low cost

• reliable/ won't dry up/ there is always water in mountains 

• Clean 

• Naturally flows downhill

 

Disadvantages of using pipes from springs

• Stagnant water in tank

• High costs 

• Pipes cross peoples’ lands

 

Desalination

Taking salt out of seawater.

 

Advantages of desalination

• It does not affect water levels in rivers

• Controversial plans for new reservoirs can be avoided

 

Cloud seeding 

• A technique used to increase rainfall/ snowfall in an area. 

• Can be used directly over an agricultural area where rainfall is required immediately OR ‘orogenic’ cloud seeding can be used for snowpack augmentation. 

• Used in ski resorts to increase snowfall.

 

How it works

• Minute amount of silver iodide is sprayed across a propane flame

• Silver iodide particles rise into the clouds

• Silver iodide causes cloud moisture to freeze and create ice crystals

• Ice crystals grow big enough to fall as snow

 

Rainwater harvesting

• Water may not be safe for drinking; not clean 

• Not a reliable source of water (eg. in summer)

• Stagnant water

• Water may evaporate

• Cost / difficulty in setting up

 

Methods to conserve water

• Pollution regulations

• Strict enforcement

• Paying for water/ water pricing/ granting licences to use water

• Ban hosepipes (use buckets instead)

• Use of drip irrigation

• Use showers instead of baths/ take shorter showers

• Turn off taps when not being used

• Mend leaking pipes

• Use roof-top tanks/ water butts (for collecting rainwater)

• Use of water metres

• Treatment of wastewater

• Reuse/ recycle water

• Forest water management

• Educate people about careful use of water