strategies

• what are strategies to increase water supply?

  • diverting supply
  • dams and resivoires
  • water transfers
  • desalination
• what is diverting water supply?

  • This is used in countries where evapouration decreases water supply due to high temps
  • they therefore divert surface water and pump it underground to be stored in aquifers
  • also used in UK where water supplies are transferred from surplus areas like mid wales to urban areas like manchester
  • uses pipes and canals to divert water
• what are dams and resivoirs?

  • through the construction of dams, water can be stored and controlled with resivoires
  • the water can be stored during periods of surplus and released in periods of deficite and when it is needed for things such as irrigaiton to support agricultural practices in times of low rainfall
• what are disadvantages of dams and resivoires?

  • costly to construct
  • lead to displacement
  • floods farmland, homes and ecosystem
  • destroys animals habitats
• what is desalination?

  • removing dissolved salts from seawater to create freshwater suitable for human useage
  • only an option in HICs as it is very expensive due to all the energy needed
  • Australia, Saudi Arabia, Israel , Spain and USA use it
• what are the disadvantages of desalination?

  • cannot be used in LICs which limits economic development
  • salt waste damages ecosystems and changes salt levels in the ocean if it is deposited back in
  • high carbon emmissions due to all the energy used
• what are methods of water conservation

  • reduce leaks in homes
  • only use dishwasher and washing machine when full
  • get more water efficient appliances ie aerated taps and dual flush toilets
  • install water meters in homes
  • more efficient irrgiation techniques - ie drip irrigation so water goes directly into the soil to reduce evapouration
• what are methods of groundwater management?

  • monitor the extraction of things such as aquifers to ensure it is having time to fill up aswell as extracting
  • we can refill aquifers when water is in surplus
  • soil covered in bark can be used to preserve groudnwater
• what is grey water?

  • wastewater from taps and showers can be reused for flushing toilets and irrigation