Water

1. What is water shortage?

• • Renewable supply of water through the hydrological cycle

  • Uses of water

    • Domestic (e.g. drinking, washing, cooking)

    • Economic (e.g. irrigation in agriculture and wafer fabrication)

  • Water shortage

    • Level of water usage exceeding available water supply

2. Which locations in the world are facing water shortage? Why does water shortage occur?

• • Distribution of water on Earth

    • Oceans

    • Freshwater in underground and surface storages

  • Locations in the world facing water shortage (e.g. northern Africa due to physical factors and central China due to human factors)

  • Causes of water shortage

    • Demand

      • Population growth

      • Affluence

    • Supply

      • Seasonal rainfall

      • Water pollution

3. How does water shortage impact people and countries?

• • Impact of water shortage on people

    • Domestic

      • Increased difficulty in collecting water (e.g. Mali), water rationing (e.g. Singapore in the 1960s)

    • Economic

      • Reduced agricultural yields (e.g. India)

      • Increased cost of industrial production (e.g. USA)

    • Political

      • Conflict over water supply (e.g. Mekong)

4. How can Singapore avoid water shortage?

• • Water resource management in Singapore

    • Reduce water consumption

      • Pricing (Water consumption tax)

      • Public education

    • Increase water supply

      • Local catchment water (e.g. Marina Barrage/Resevoir)

      • Imported water (e.g. Singapore – Malaysia water agreements)

      • NEWater

      • Desalinated water

    • Conservation

      • Protection of water resources

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