Resource Management

• Advantages of importing food

  • We get produce all year round (seasonal products)
  • UK is unable to feed population without imports
  • Exotic foods can be purchased
• Disadvantages of importing food

  • Carbon footprint - transport to UK releases greenhouse gases
  • Further food travels = higher food miles
  • Farmers are underpaid as they aren't protected by UK laws
• Agribusiness

  • More intensive farming strategies to increase crop yield
  • All about maximising profits
• Farm shops

  • Farmers can increase profits by running an on-site shop
  • They can control the prices and don't rely on supermarkets
• Fairtrade

  • Ensures that foreign farmers are treated fairly and paid a fair wage
  • Protects farmer's rights and improves communities in developing countries
  • UK consumers have to pay for fairtrade goods
• Water surplus

  Supply of water exceeds demand
• Water deficit

  Supply of water is less than demand
• Water stress

  Not enough clean, good quality water available
• Water security

  Clean, reliable supply of water that meets demand
• Water insecurity

  No reliable access to clean water
• Impacts of water insecurity

  • Water-borne diseases occur in polluted water (especially sewage pollution)
  • Shortages can cause a lack of food due to drought
  • Conflict can occur over water supplies - for example Egypt and Ethiopia fight over who can use the river nile as a water source
• Underground storage

  • Water is pumped underground and stored in aquifers
  • Reduces water loss, works for infrequent rainfall
  • Expensive to construct and run, environmental issues with forcing water underground (tremors etc)
• Dams and reservoirs

  • Naturally occurring valleys are dammed, so river floods valley and water is stored until needed
  • Dams control river flow and reduce risk of flooding, hydroelectric power can be generated
  • Villages/towns flooded to create reservoir, can lose water due to evaporation
• Water transfer schemes

  • Water transported from areas of large supply -> areas of large demand
  • Supplies large urban cities where there's no room to build dams and reservoirs, water trade can be profitable (e.g Lesotho)
  • Expensive to construct, risk of leakages which wastes water and money (and difficult to find where leak is)
• Desalination

  • Salt water is converted into fresh water by reverse osmosis
  • Increases volume of freshwater available
  • Requires energy which adds cost
• Lesotho is a country in Africa surrounded by South Africa (landlocked). It has few resources and high levels of poverty. However, has water surplus due to high rainfall and low demand of water due to low economic development.
• Lesotho highland water project

  • Transfer 40% of water from Lesotho to South Africa
  • Lesotho - provides 75% of GDP, money helps development, provides hydroelectricity, sanitation will increase
  • South Africa - provides water to areas with drought/without safe water, fresh water helps reduce impacts of industry on Vaal river
  • Lesotho - corruption means those affected may not get compensation/money earnt isn't invested properly, construction will reduce home and farmland
  • South Africa - cost will be at least US$4 billion, 40% of water lost through leakages, increased costs of water means poorest can't afford it
• Groundwater management

  • Using laws to manage the numbers of water pumps to reduce risk of over extraction from aquifers
  • Reduces risk of water being consumed and not replaced naturally, reduces risk of contamination
  • Some people ignore laws, too few pumps means water could be sold at an unfair price
• Recycling

  • Reusing domestic or industrial water (after treatment)
  • Alternatively, sewage can be used in agriculture and farming
  • Can save many gallons of fresh water, sewage in fish farming boosts algae which feeds the fish and increases the yield
  • Some industries don't feel obligated to be sustainable, treating water increases prices
• Food supply in UK

  • Not all food we consume can be grown here
  • Limited space in farming and agriculture (space lost due to urban sprawl)
  • UK is not self sufficient for food - lots imported from elsewhere