IB HL GEOGRAPHY
Clare Cole
In this Module we will attempt to understand the basic composition of water on this planet; explore the concepts of water scarcity, water stress and water risk; explore some of the main causes of water scarcity; explore how this might impact man, societies and the environment; and finish with some understanding of what we can do to better protect our freshwater resources.
Water Usage and Change Terminology
Click on image for link to basic terminology relating to the Earth's water sources, and how human usage and consumption has had serious effects on the quality and quantity of usable water.
Video Critique: Water Facts 1 & 2
Both of these videos talk about the importance of water, and how truly scarce it really is. I knew that the meat industry uses a colossal amount of water (one burger uses 2,700 gallons), but i was unaware of other industries that use so much water, like how one cup of coffee requires 37 gallons of water to produce! We are able to use less than 3% of the water on the Earth, and at the rate we are using it, through our growing population, increasing resource consumption, and contamination of water sources due to sewage, chemical output, and garbage, this amount will not sustain us for long. These videos were short, yet effective in stating interesting and relevant facts and statistics about water scarcity in the world today, and the dire consequences of this issue.
Map Description: Water Scarcity
The map above is a comprehensive assessment of water management in agriculture, in the year 2007. I chose this map because it provides an insight into the different areas of the world experiencing water scarcity, and the different types of water scarcity (physical and economic). From this map, it is clear that the most developed regions with the wettest climates, like Canada, the North of the USA, Europe, and a large portion of South America and South East Asia (the regions with an abundance of rainforests) are coloured light blue, and therefore have little to no water scarcity, of any kind. Areas with severe economic water scarcity, which indicates mismanagement of the countries' water infrastructure system, include the vast majority of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and most of Southern Asia. Areas with physical water scarcity are the regions where, obviously, water sources are scarce, so in very arid and dry regions, like deserts in Africa, the Middle East, Australia, Central Asia, and the South of the USA.
Water Facts
Linked to the image below is a document containing various useful facts and statistics about water scarcity in the world today, and how this issue will affect/ is affecting the world.
Water Case Study: Kenya
Linked to the image below is a brief overview of the water scarcity and contamination issue in Kenya, as well as causes, consequences, and possible solutions.
