Water

• Alaskan River regime:

  • high flow in the spring and summer
  • Low/no flow in the winter
  • Has very low human influence

  
• Amazon river regime:

  • High flow in the wet season
  • low/no flow in the drier season
  • human influence is increasing due to more dams being built and irrigation

  
• Murray-darling (Aus) river regime:

  • high flow in the wet season
  • low/no flow in the dry season
  • high seasonal variability
  • high human influence

  
• 2014/15 Brazilian drought:

  • water rationing for 4Mn people
  • Halting of HEP, leading to frequent power cuts
  • Depltetion of Brazils 17 largest reseviour supply to dangerously low levels
  • increased groundwater abstraction, leading to aquifers becoming low
• Pantanal drought:

  • Usually a wetland environment with flooding covering 80% of pantanal
  • But, less water causes the trees mortality to increase leading to reduced habitats for animals.
  • Wildfires became a major threat
• Storm Desmond (UK):

  • Storms and the jet stream caused major flooding in places like Cumbria and across Northwest England.
  • Caused major disruption in farming
• Isreal V Palestine (water conflict):

  • Isreal controls 2 water aquifers in Palestine and the collection of rain water
  • 80% of Palestines water supply is bought from Isreal (Mountain and coastal aquifer) which is sold at a higher rate
  • 1 in 4 Children suffer from Diahrol disease
  • Extensive military act
• California V Mexico (water conflict):

  • Only 0.5 cubic metres of river flow in Mexico from the Colorado river
  • river supports $26Mn in tourism and recreational industries
  • Farmers face demand to reduce their pumping but don't want to
  • Spacial imbalance
  • Agreement reached in 2019 amongst the 9 states and Mexico to plan and manage the river accordingly
• Australia (Water conflict):

  • Water consumption is expected to rise by 73%
  • Been protests VIA farmers against the linkage of the 'Victoria' water system to facilitate the privatisation of water in the region
  • Grazing and irrigation interests compete for water flow
  • Murray darling agreement reached in 1914 but slightly changed in 2007 common wealth act
  • Agreed treaty but still some protests
• Nile basin (Water conflict):

  • Ethiopia VS Egypt
  • Egypt and Sudan have 100% rights to the rivers water
  • Ethiopia secretly built the renaissance dam which as a result cause 1/3 of Egypts farmland to go.
  • Caused assassination of the planner of the dam and created a hostile environment.
  • nile basin agreement in 1999 but compromised in 2010 by the corporative framework agreement.
  • but still in a conflict/military act