Methods of Water Supply
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​Water is a scarce and limited resource. Water scarcity is a growing problem in many places of the world and is likely to only get worse as a result of climate change. With growing population and growing wealth in countries like China and India increasing pressures are placed on water reserves. In developing countries population pressure, agriculture and the emerging tourism industry all combine to increase the stress on water supply.

The world's freshwater is limited in its supply. Of all water on the planet, 97 percent is saltwater and found in the ocean, 3 percent is freshwater, of which 77 percent is locked in glaciers and ice sheets and 22 percent is deep underground in aquifers. That leaves only 1 percent that is easily accessible in rivers, wetlands and lakes. (source) 

The main reason for the growth in demand for water is because of  population growth. Future growth to 2050 is only expected to come from developing countries. Unfortunately these regions are also the regions with greatest water shortage. The graph below which shows a slightly different projection for population growth shows how water demand grows at almost twice the rate of population growth.


Methods of water supply - Part 1 Groundwater                       
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Watch the video above and complete the tasks on your worksheet. 

The two videos below explain how we access water that is stored underground. Watch both videos and complete the note taking activity on your worksheet. 

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The two videos below explain how we access water that is stored on the surface. Watch both videos and complete the note taking activity on your worksheet. ​


How Water is Used


Study the image above (or download it by clicking on the grey tab above) and then complete the questions on the worksheet. 

Water  Shortage - (refer back to Sahel)


​There is no new case study work to complete here. We have already covered this section in the Deserts work in the Natural Environments unit where we looked at water shortage (drought) in the Sahel region of Africa. Your revision for that will also come in handy for this unit of work too. Click on the image below to be taken back to the work on drought (you need to scroll down towards the bottom of the page). 


​Water Issues & Supply In Tanzania  
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Women generally carry the burden of providing water for their families and spend large amounts of time in their day searching for it, often at risk to their safety. Girls are affected too, co-opted by their mothers to help. They lose valuable time for school. Bringing water closer to communities frees up women’s time to engage in income-generating initiatives that can help secure their children’s future and their country’s human capital.
“We used to walk up to nine kilometers to the shallow springs, and it was dark and scary. There are some people who never returned from these trips. Hippos tend to stray far out of the park at night and they are a common threat here, together with hyenas. In the past, you were lucky if you got five buckets of water, and these were strictly for cooking and drinking. Now we don’t have to wake up so early to wait endlessly for water, and we also get enough water to cover all our needs. I can afford to meet my children’s needs comfortably, and I can also afford extra help, with two workers here at the restaurant, and five farmworkers.”

​ Janet Robert, a wife and mother of three. She lives in Mtisi village, which borders Katavi National Park in western Tanzania.

Source & further information - here

​Objective: To find out what water issues arise in Tanzania and how improved water supply can impact on the health and well-being of the population. 

To complete this task, please use the work booklet above. Use the videos above, together with this link from the World Bank. 

Exam Corner - How does this look in the examination? (Paper 1).

​Complete the exam question on the back page referring to the mark scheme for guidance. 
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