Eduqas GCSE (9-1) Geography B (C112) · Spec 3.3
Water resources and management
Read the notes, then try the questions. Each one is marked the moment you press Check, and shows the right answer and why.
Key ideas
- Water insecurity is when people do not have reliable access to enough safe water. A water deficit is when demand is greater than supply. These are not the same thing.
- Supply and demand differ between places because of climate, geology, population, wealth and infrastructure such as pipes, pumps and treatment works.
- A country faces water stress when it has less than 1,700 cubic metres of renewable water per person per year.
- A water footprint is the total water used to produce the goods and services a person, place or country uses, including water hidden inside products.
- Over-abstraction is taking water from a river or aquifer faster than it is replaced.
- A water transfer scheme moves water from an area of surplus to an area of deficit. Management also includes reservoirs, grey water reuse, desalination and small local schemes such as sand dams.
Key terms
- Water insecurity
- People lack reliable access to enough safe water.
- Water deficit
- Demand for water is greater than the supply available.
- Infrastructure
- Pipes, pumps and treatment works.
- Water footprint
- The total water used to make the goods and services a person, place or country uses.
- Over-abstraction
- Taking water from a river or aquifer faster than it is replaced.
- Aquifer
- Rock underground that holds water.
- Desalination
- Removing salt from sea water to make it drinkable.
- Grey water
- Lightly used household water that can be reused, for example to flush toilets.
Common mistakes
- Thinking a water footprint is only the water you use at home. It includes the water used to make the things you buy.
- Thinking that where supply is high, demand must be low. A place can have a lot of water and a lot of demand.
- Treating Africa as one country with one water situation. Water supply varies a lot between and within countries.
- Saying over-abstraction just means using a lot of water. It means taking water faster than nature replaces it.
Exam tip
Theme 3 often closes on a judgement about water supply or a scheme. Use the resource, give environmental and economic points, and link them with chains. Say what the scheme does well, what its costs are, and then reach a view.
Free practice questions
7 questions, 11 marks. Answer, then press Check. The marking guide explains how the marks are worked out. Nothing is saved.
- Question 1 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which statement best describes water insecurity?
- Question 2 · Fill the gaps[2 marks]
A ___ stores water from wet periods for dry ones, while ___ removes salt from sea water.
Word bank: aquifer · reservoir · desalination
- Question 3 · Matching[3 marks]
Match each water term to its meaning.
- Question 4 · Choose more than one[2 marks]
Which TWO are causes of water insecurity?
Choose 2.
- Question 5 · Put in order[1 mark]
Put this chain of water insecurity impacts in order, starting with the cause.
Use the arrows to put these in the right order, first at the top.
- 1People are too ill to work or go to school
- 2Waterborne disease spreads
- 3A river is polluted by untreated sewage
- 4People drink the untreated water
- Question 6 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
What is a water transfer scheme?
- Question 7 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which statement correctly defines over-abstraction?