Environmental Management
Q) What Is Water Crisis?
R) A General term for a situation where the available water within a region is
less than the regions demand
Q) What is an increasingly strategic resource (of water crisis)?
R) The world population is increasing by 80 million people a year, implying fresh-water
demand of about 64 billion cubic metres a year
2) By 2025, 1.8 Billion Or 1/4th of the world Will be living in countries or regions with
absolute water scarcity and two thirds of the world population could be under stress
condition
Scarcity: The state of being scarce or in short supply; shortage demand is greater than
the availability
Major Aspects Of Water Crisis:-
- Overall Scarcity/shortage of usable water
- Water Pollution
- Demand Increasing (More Needs of water)
- Supply decreasing (Less availability of water)
Dams:-
- A Barrier that impounds water or underground streams
- Primary purpose of retaining water
- Other structures like floodgates are used to manage or prevent water flow
into specific land regions
Purpose:-
- Power Generation: Hydrochloric-power
- Water Supply
- Stabilize water flow irrigation
- Flood prevention
- Water diversion
- Recreation and aquatie/aquatic beauty
Advantages: Disadvantage
-Generates Energy in Hydroelectric Power -Relocating People
Generation. -Big Flood Risk (If Dam Breaks)
-Flood control -Disrupts life cycle of sea creatures
-Creation of habitat for wetland species -might become redundant because of
-Renewable source of energy sediment buildup.
-No greenhouse gases being produced -very expensive to build
-Reduces fossil fuel consumption -Requires maintainance
-Tourism increases -Reduces jobs for farmers
- Provision of water -Water less in certain regions
*How To Choose a Site For Dam:-
- High precipitation area: Must have rain often//Less chances of lake drying up.
- Low temperature:- Little Evaporation & Water Loss is less.
- Deep River:- Good Potential For H.E.P (Hydroelectric power) // More Electricity
- Rocks should be impermeable to water (Don’t absorb water)
- Must be near lake and a river
- Away from developing areas so less population Thus less pollution
Sustainability of Dams:-
- Alternative For Fossil fuels As No Greenhouse Gases are produced.
Unsustainability of Dams:-
- Affects Food Chain Because some organism migrate
- Negative effects on environment & the fish population
- Under a lot of pressure can obliterate/detoriate the dam
- Resoirver Can Get Silted due to material carried into it by rivers
The Distribution Of Water On Earth:-
- About 70%/75% of the earths surface is covered with water.
- (96.5) 97% Of Water is Salt Water.
- 2% Of Water is Produced By Glaciers At North & South Pole
- Less than 1% Of Water is fresh water which we can actually use
- This Small Percentage of water is used for drinking, transportation, heating, cooling,
industry & many other purposes.
Sanitations Conditions necessary for health such as:
- Providing clean drinking water
- Safe Disposal of sewage
- 3% Of Fresh Water = 42 Million km3 Of Fresh Water
- 1.5 Million Liters of Water is used for Washing and drinking
- Half Of The Fresh Water Is Found In 6 Countries: Brazil, Russia, Colombia, China,
Canada & Indonesia
- China & Colombian water isn’t safe for drinking
- Worldwide, Women suffer from collecting
- Women Walk in average of 6 hours/days to collect water (in Africa & Asia)
Water Cycle:-
- The cycle of water movement from the atmosphere to the earth and back to the
atmosphere through condensation, precipitation, evaporation & transpiration is called
WATER CYCLE
- Water Cycle is Also Known as the Hydrologic Cycle
- Describes the water movement of water on, above and below the surface of the earth
Evaporation:-
- The First stage of the water Cycle
- The Sun Rays heat the water on the surface, ocean and rivers
- This makes water change into water vapours
Condensation:-
- After Evaporation, Condensation Occurs.
- This Happens When water vapour in the air turns cold and changes back into liquid,
forming clouds
- The process causing these changes is called condensation
Precipitation:-
- Precipitation Occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it
anymore.
- The Cloud gets heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain
Collection:-
- After precipitation, Comes the stage of collection.
- The Raindrops fall back into lakes, rivers, oceans and are absorbed by the land.
- This Process by which rainwater gathers on earth is called collection (and then it
evaporates)
Definitions:-
Precipitation means any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches earth’s surface.
Surface Run Off means precipitation that flows over the ground surface, eventually finding its
way into rivers and streams
Interception means the precipitation that doesn’t reach the earths surface due to being
obstructed by trees and plants
Infiltration is the process by which the water on the ground surface enters the soil
Through-flow means the movement of water downslope within the soil layer
Surface water means water in lake, river & swamps
Ground water means water held underground in the soil or in pores & crevices in rock.
Domestic: Fresh water is used in households for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing
clothes, cleaning, and gardening. It is also essential for sanitation purposes, such as flushing
toilets.
Industrial: In industries, fresh water is used in processes like cooling machinery,
generating steam for power, cleaning equipment, and manufacturing goods such as paper,
textiles, and food products. Many industries rely on water as a solvent or raw material.
Agricultural: Fresh water is crucial for irrigation, which helps grow crops and sustain
livestock. It’s also used in aquaculture and for maintaining soil moisture levels in farming
areas.
Different Sources of Fresh Water:-
Aquafers stores Water When water infiltrates and accumulate in porous rocks such as
sandstone & limestone. (30% Of Fresh Water Is Stored In Aquafers) Water Obtained From The
Ground.
1) Wells Can Be Dug In from the ground by hand (lowering down a bucket) in LEDC’s or
bored by machinery (motor driven pumps) in MEDC’s. Water Obtained from the
ground.
2) Artesian Aquafers are wells stored under pressure. Water from a well sunk into an
artesian Aquafer will rise to the surface without the need of a pump. Water Obtained
from the ground
3) Reservoirs are built behind a Dam by the side of a river, creating storage of water.
Water obtained from the Surface.
4) Distillation is a method of obtaining fresh water from the sea which makes saltwater
suitable to drink by humans, it desalinates the water
Process:-
- Water Is Boiled and released as a vapour
- Leaves salt behind then water vapour is condensed as liquid to be used later
Effects:-
- Desalination by distillation is 10-30% More Efficient
- Process produces large quantities of waste
- Source Of Pollution as it Requires Energy to operate and transport
- Costly
- Found in MEDC & Middle Eastern Countries.
5) Reverse Osmosis is a method of obtaining fresh water from the sea by pumping salt
water at high pressure through very fine membranes.
Effect:-
- Technique mostly used by plants
- Desalination by reverse osmosis is about 30-50% Efficient
- Salt Water is pumped at high pressure through tiny membranes
- Process needs energy but less than distillation
- Most desalination plants use the technique Of Reverse Osmosis
- Amount of Water You Receive = Water Wealthy Country
- Russia & Brazil Are the most water wealthy countries
- UAE & Kuwait are the least water wealthy countries (Poorest)
- China Has 2800 km3 of Water Available (For 1.3+ Billion People) => This Makes 2300
m3/person/year
- Singapore Has 0.60km3 of water Available, the water supply is only about 110
m3/person/year
- This means that a water rich country seems to have enough water for its people
Reasons For Lack Of Water:-
- Physical Water Scarcity:- Low Rainfall & High level of evaporation. Arid Regions
- Economic Water Scarcity:- Water Is Available But Cant extract, purify & Make it
available for the people/population. (LEDC)
Two main Principles to ensure use of water:
- Sanitation systems:- Ensures dirty water doesn’t mix with potable Water
- Water treatment processes:- Ensures water is supplied to people is safe to drink
Water Related Diseases:-
- Most Common Cause Of Death
- Water Borne Diseases are infectious diseases spread primarily through contaminated
water
- Though these diseases are spread either directly or Through Flies or filth, water is the
cause for the spreading of these diseases and hence they’re termed as water borne
diseases.
3 Types Of Water Diseases:-
- Water Borne Diseases:- Diseases that spread through water contaminated with
pathogens, often due to poor sanitation or untreated sewage. People get infected by
coming into contact with contaminated water.
- Example: Cholera, Typhoid
- Water Bred Diseases:- These are diseases caused by vectors (such as insects) that breed
in contaminated water. Anapholes Mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting these
Plasmodium parasite
- Example: Malaria, Dengue
- Water Based Diseases:- caused by organisms that live in water during a part of their
lifecycle. Humans get infected by coming into direct contact with the water or
consuming aquatic organisms harboring these parasites
- Cholera:- A Disease caused by a bacteria called Vibro Cholerae, affecting your
intestine. Born In Dirty Water.
- Bacteria can enter through sewages but not all are harmful
- Harmfull ones are called bacteria
How To Prevent Bacteria:
- Boiling of Water
- Hygiene
- Food should be properly cooked
- Avoid street foods (Because Typhoid can survive in cold temperature)
- Wash Hands Frequently
Plasmodium:
- Spreads Malaria
- Lives in the Saliva
- Only in female and anapholes Mosquitos
- Is A Parasite
- Mosquitos Contain This
Malaria:
- Water Related Disease
- To Control: Stop The Breeding of mosquitos, Drain The Water Puddles (As they’re
found near it)
- Symptoms: Can Be Fatal if Not Treated Properly, High Temp, Fever, Diarrhea, Feeling
Weak
Strategies to Control Malaria:
- Use anti malarial drugs (kills plasmodium)
- Use mosquito Nets
- Spray water with oil
- Cover your body so mosquito don’t bite you
- Removal of Contaminated/Stagnent water
- Vaccines
- Aware Other About The Situation/Let Others Know/Educate People
How It Spreads:
- Malaria Parasite is carried by female mosquitos called anopheles mosquitos
- They work as vectors.
- Infected Mosquito bites uninfected human
- uninfected mosquito bites the newly infected human
- Mosquito feeds on human Blood and can carry the plasmodium parasite that causes
malaria.
- It gets in the liver
- Multiplying and reproducing the parasite/plasmodium
- It bursts the cells by multiplying in the liver cells
Why Is It Difficult To Control?
- Remoteness Of Population
- Lack of resources to control (LEDC)
- Lack of money & healthcare (LEDC)
- No Awareness
- A lot of stagnant Water (Still Water/Sewage/Contaminated)
- People resisting to anti malarial drugs
Water Pollution:-
- Water Pollution is the contaminated water bodies.
Sources of Water Pollution:-
- Domestic Waste: Sewage from rural and urban settlements can carry pathogenic
(disease causing) micro-organisms, increasing the contents of nitrates and phosphates
in the river
- Industrial Waste: Most water is used in industries for chemical reaction and
heating/cooling purposes. The Gases From The Industries Make Acid Rain
- Agricultural Waste: Agrochemical (Pesticides, fertilizers & herbicides) are water
soluble. Pollute the water, synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides.
Industrial Agricultural
Disposing of waste directly into Common for farmers to use fertilizers and
Waterways other chemicals on their crops to grow em
Let Toxic Gases Into the air that cause Pesticides spread by aeroplanes – lead to
Acid Rain Pollution of adjacent lands, rivers or wetland
Changing temperature of water with -Irresponsible water management and
Their disposals into waterways Irrigation technology cause fertilizers and
Pesticides also commonly run off from fields
To adjacent rivers, lakes and groundwater
