a stock or supply of something that has value or purpose
why is food globally significant?
a poor diet can result in diseases and illnesses
why is water globally significant?
essential for drinking, vital for crops and can be used to produce energy
why is energy globally significant?
it is needed for light heat and power
what global inequalities exist with food?
malnutrition affects 2billion and over 1billion people do not get enough calories
what global inequalities exist with energy?
richer countries consume more energy than poorer countries , the middle east is a major oil supplier yet its consumption is low
what global inequalities exist with water?
variations in climate and rainfall affect supply , LICs have a watershortage and use the most water in agriculture
why does the UK import 40% of its food?
there is availability of cheaper food from abroad, there is a demand for more exotic foods and seasonalproduce all year round and the UK's climate is unsuitable for the production of some foods
why is it a bad idea to import food?
it adds to our carbon footprint and conflict with a country which we import food from could mean that we would not have any food
the north and west of the UK have a water surplus where supply exceeds demand
the south and the east have a water deficit , where demand exceeds supply
the environment agency manages water quality by: filtering water to remove sediment, purifying water by adding chlorine , imposing strict regulations
water transfer: there is a growing need to increase water transfer to meet demand , there is opposition because of the effect on land and wildlife , highcosts and the greenhouse gases released by pumping water over long distances
what are the demands for water in the UK?
almost 50% of the UK's supply is used domestically. Demand for water is increasing because of a rapidly growing population , more houses and an increase in the use of water intensive domestic appliances
energy consumption has fallen in the UK in recent years , mainly due to the decline of heavy industry and energyconservation
why has the UK's energy mix changed?
about 75% of the UK's known oil and gas reserves have been used up , coal consumption has declined because of concerns about greenhouse gas emissions
why are fossil fuels likely to still remain important?
the UK's remaining reserves will provide energy for several decades , coal imports are cheap , shale gas deposits may be exploited in the future
why is water consumption increasing?
water is required for increasing energy production , increase in population so more water is needed , economic development results in higher consumption, changes in lifestyle and eating habits - more irrigation to produce food
how does geology affect water availability?
permeable rocks allow water to infiltrate which builds up groundwater supplies
how does overabstraction lead to a lower water table?
pumping water out of the ground quicker than it is replaced by rainfall causes wells to dry up and lowers water tables
how does poverty affect water availability?
Many poorer countries lack mains water or only have access to shared water supplies so their is lower availability
how polluted is the river Ganges?
over 1 billion litres of raw sewage enter the river Ganges daily , factories discharge 260 million litres of untreated waste water into the river each day
advantages of dams
control river flow by storing water in reservoirs , enables it to be transported and used for irrigation, used to prevent flooding
disadvantages of dams
expensive, can lead to the displacement of large numbers of people, may reduce the flow of the river downstream, in hot regions reservoirs can lose a lot of water through evaporation
what is the Lesotho highland water project?
huge water transfer scheme aiming to help solve the water shortage in South Africa , 40% of the Segu River in the Lesotho will eventually be transferred to the River Vaal in South Africa , involves the construction of dams, roads, pipelines , reservoirs
advantages of the scheme to Lesotho
provides 75% of lesothos GDP , sanitation coverage will increase from 15 - 20%
disadvantages of the scheme for Lesotho
building the first 2 dams displaced 300,000 people , corruption has prevented money reaching those affected by the construction , destruction of a unique wetland ecosystem
advantages for south africa
provides water to an area with regulardroughts, provides safe water to an extra 10% of the population
disadvantages for South Africa
costs likely to reach 4 billion US dollars , 40% of water lost through leakages