Water 2Ww3 Lecture 2

70%

95%

only 2%

13,000 years ago

Less of a nomadic culture, allowed for empires

~ 43,000 km^3/year

Americas > Asia > Europe > Africa

< 500 m^3 / person per year

< 1000 m^3 / person per year

28; Egypt

Water isn't scarce, the problem is the inequality to get the water to it's massive population

In-stream: making use of water in its source

Off-stream: taking water out to do something

Taking water out and not returning it;

Agricultural, Industrial, Domestic

Overall, worldwide. Specifically, Low and Mid Income Countries

High-Income countries

Food that gets traded away

Doubles yields.

18% of croplands irrigated

Accounts for 40% of crops

1) Focus efforts to improve soil in areas of low yields - arid and semi-arid areas

2) Reduce Evapotranspiration

3) Use biotechnology

7 died from E. coli - fecal matter in water supply after heavy rain

Decreased amount of water to make a tonne of steel, from 200 tonnes to only 2 tonnes now.

514 M m^3, 39%

Nuclear

When water temperature gets too high.

France - 2003, 2009

Brown Ferry, Memphis - 2007

As air cools, amount of water it requires to be saturated becomes less, leading to condensation, realsing water at a certain point

Interception and Reaching the Ground

1) Vegetation type: broad leaves, dense veget.

2) Land Use: presence of buildings, etc.

3) Season: snow has less of a chance of reaching the ground

4) Intensity of precip.

5) Duration of precip.

6) Initial Conditions: did it rain the day before?

1) Storage : snow or ice

2) Runoff: moving along ground surface towards stream

3) Evapotranspiration

1) Slope angle: greater angle = greater speed of runoff

2) Substrate material: how porous the substrate is i.e. Rock vs. dirt

Evaporation and transpiration

1) temperature: warmer day = more evap.

2) Initial Conditions: is air already saturated?

3) Wind: Windier = faster evap.

1) Type of vegetation

2) Season

3) Wind: pulls moisture out of air quicker

4) initial conditions: is air already saturated

Evaporation of water from plant leaves?

96 000 km^3 - 118 000 km^3 / year

Amount of heat that the earth's surface reflects back

Increasing surface temperatures decreases amount of snow, which decreases amount of albedo, which further increases surface temperatures

2003

+ 3.5 degrees C

30, 000 to 50,000 deaths

Grain yields down 20-36%

The change of Jet streams

Trade winds bring warm air to the austrialian coast, which rises and precipiatates over the land.

El Nino causes the trade winds to break down, and precipiation occurs int he middle of the ocean. Causes Australia to be colder than usual, and receive less precipitation than usual. Also causes South America to be warmer than usual, which is bad for fishing

The equatorial thermocline isn't as great

El Nino (~ every 7 years)

Dust bowl (~ every 20 years)

Temperature and precipitation vary in cycles . Eventually, high temperature and low precip. coincide, causing lots of dust, less crops, and a dust bowl.

1) Desertification - chopping down rainforests, planting crops

2) Global dimming - decreasing evaporation rates

3) Aerosols: encourage droplets, but not rain

Less rain = less water in rivers

- 50% of potable water is in rivers

Also, glaciers are impacted by less precipitation

Decreased runoff in 1991 after eruption of Mount Pinatubo

Shoot salt water into the air to make it easier to create clouds, and cause rain.

Global changes in precip.

Increase in precip. from 1996 onwards

Make Dams, modify channels

33%

W/out river water, groundwater is used

Warmer climate = more water = more intense water cycle

It causes a heavier rainful, which needs 4x the area of water that it actually rains upon.

This causes drought elsewhere

Good b/c it creates more clouds, which reflects light/heat and prevents from reaching the earth's surface.

At the same time, it' bad b/c water vapour traps more heat than carbon dioxide.

1) Modern technology

2) Under middle class

3) Little-to-no sanitation

4) Water is privatized and expensive

1.44 Billion

Deforestation; climate and precipitation

- generally enough water

- meets basic needs (drinking, sanitation, irrigation)

- typically no conflicts over water

- water is affordable or free

Water Projects are Constructed:

- divert from lakes/rivers for city use

- meets basic needs (drinking, irrigation, sanitation)

- water markets may be implemented to ensure marketability of developed supplies

- economic viability of a region is dependant on the availability of water

- distribution of water becomes expensive

1) Early cultural development

2) Construct water projects

3) Population and need for water grows

Water is essential for life, but not expensive.

Diamonds are not necessary for life, but expensive

Examining the ratio of water to diamonds: diamonds are scarce, water is not.

Underpriced water leads to wasteful practices, leading to insufficient supplies.

Mexico, Indonesia, and Egypt are examples of this.

Private Corporations.

Lack of interest lead to diseases, b/c no regulations

Control and Management of resources, services ,and utilities is done by a privately owned company.

Public-Private Partnership.

Universal access and protection of public health, with public utilities that are created by government infrastructure

Private:

- full cost: you pay for everything

- economic equity: you pay for everything that you use

Public:

- subsidized cost: everybody pays for infrastrucutre

- social equity: everyone pays, regardless of what they're able to use

Some places don't have access to the infrastructure created to give everyone water, but they still pay for it regardless

1) Well paying jobs are cut

2) Maximize profits: companies will cut corners and compromise service quality

1) Low efficiency: poor distribution of water

2) Poor cost recovery: overpay people, don't do a good job, don't streamline the process

3) Lack of money and expertise

World Bank, UN.

CUPE

The amount of water wasted is equal to the yearly consumption of several houses

1) Few incentives to conserve water

2) Utilities have insufficient funds to improve

1.1 Billion didn't have access to safe drinking water; halve this by 2015

Lower income houses

Toilet, bath/shower, washing machine

Ruhr RIver in Germany (1976)

Creating pollution became so expensive, people stopped and money was put into ways to stop pollution.

Used water that is repurified and used for drinking, bathing etc.

El Nino.

Water that is suitable for human consumption without a health risk

Treatment of wastewater to make it useable for more applications

Water soiled by washing machines, tubs, shower, and bathroom sinks.

Not human waste.

- reclamation of water from wastewater

- returning to natural water cycle, upstream of drinking water treatment plant

- wastewater entering the natural water system, eventualy extracted for drinking water

- not much awareness that the natural system contains treated wastewater

- the injection of recycled water directly downstream or upstream of the water treatment plant

1.3 M liters / person; 3rd highest in world

1) Dry Climate

2) Growing populations

3) Prolonged droughts

4) Climate Change

People wanting to not use recycled water, despite no scientific evidence showing it's bad

Occurred in Toowoomba, voted against using grey water.

Complicates ability to give or sell water, which is seen as a good.