Availability & Consumption of Resources (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Availability & Consumption of Water
Earth's water
Freshwater makes up just 2.5% of all Earth's water
Approximately 1.6% of the freshwater is locked away:
The cryosphere holds 68.6% of freshwater as ice
The remaining 30.1% is groundwater
In total, just 0.9% of the Earth's total freshwater is accessible to humans
Availability of freshwater
Water is unevenly distributed around the globe because of physical and human factors
Physical and Human Factors Affecting Global Water Distribution
Physical Factors | Human Factors |
---|---|
The uneven spread of land to sea Geology, which enable aquifers to form Climatic differences: temperature and rate of precipitation Altitude and latitude—ice and glaciers Wetlands, lakes and river size Soil type: groundwater store | Level of economic development Rate of abstraction Use of water Embedded water Population numbers Affordability Contaminated water |
This means that people's access to water is uneven and dependent on where they live
Global availability of freshwater
Global climate differences create varying amounts of groundwater, surface water, and precipitation levels
Availability may also be affected by population levels and wealth
The distribution of the human population does not match the distribution of water
This creates areas that do not have adequate local water supplies
Patterns and trends
Since 2000, 1.8 billion people have gained access to basic drinking water services
Inequalities in access remain
According to the World Bank, inequality in access to water is the greatest threat to:
Economic progress
The eradication of poverty
Sustainable development
It is the poorest and most vulnerable that suffer the most
Increasing demand for water
Demand for safe water is increasing due to:
Economic development
Population growth
Increased use of renewable energy
At present, HICs have some of the highest levels of consumption due to:
Modern appliances
Swimming pools
Internal bathrooms
Production of food and manufactured goods
MICs are increasing their consumption and demand for water; much of this increase is due to industrialisation
LICs have the smallest water footprint
Agriculture
Agricultural production of food, fibres, livestock and industrial crops accounts for 70% of global groundwater withdrawals
This figure is even higher in arid and semi-arid regions
By 2050, there will be an estimated 50% increase in demand for food, adding extra stress on groundwater abstraction
Much of this growth will be in LICs, which already experience water stress
Industry
Approximately 17% of total water withdrawals are used for industrial purposes
Freshwater use in industry includes:
Dilution
Steam generation
Washing and cooling of manufacturing equipment and goods
Industrial water is also used as a cooling agent for energy generation in fossil fuel and nuclear power plants (hydropower generation is not included in this category), or as wastewater from certain industrial processes
At over 300 billion m³, the U.S. is the largest consumer of industrial water
China is the second largest consumer at 140 billion m³
Other regions use approximately one billion m³ of industrial water per year, with Sub-Saharan Africa and some parts of South Asia using less than 500 million m³ of industrial water per year
Domestic
The remaining 13% is used for domestic, household or public services (cooking, cleaning, washing and drinking)
The three countries with the highest domestic use of water are China, USA and India
Future demands for freshwater include:
Population growth
Growth of middle class - affluence leads to increased water consumption
Growth in tourism and leisure
Growth in urbanisation requires investment in water and sanitation infrastructure
Climate change and increased climatic variability of precipitation rates
Embedded, hidden or virtual water
This refers to water transported from one place to another through the export of foods, flowers, manufactured products, drinks, etc.
It allows countries to reduce their water consumption by importing goods
However, it can also lead to further water stress through exporting goods
The Ica Valley is in the dry, coastal region of Peru and is one of the few places in the world, where high-quality asparagus can grow all year round
Over 317 million cubic metres of water is needed from the aquifer to grow the exported asparagus
This has reduced available water in the aquifer by over 60% and at its current rate, the aquifer will run dry within the next 20 years
Availability & Consumption of Land/Food
The world population is now over 8 billion people
The growth of population leads to an increasing demand for food
It is estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation that 60% more food will be needed to feed the world population by 2050
Development leads to nutrition transition, which also increases consumption of food
The lower calorie intake in many countries in Africa is due to:
Less food being available
Lower meat consumption
In HICs and increasingly in emerging countries, the high calorie intake is the result of increasing meat intake and more 'fast food'
Meat consumption in Vietnam increased from 28.6kg per person (2002) to 63.34kg per person (2020)
The growth of the new global middle class (NGMC) means that people have more disposable income
People are able to afford a more varied diet, which increases the consumption of imported foods
Increased calorie intake has also led to a growth in obesity and diet related diseases
What are the challenges of nutrient transition?
The increase in meat consumption and changes in diet resulting from nutrition transition have a number of impacts
Livestock farming:
Increases the demand for animal feed
Increases pressure on water supplies
Leads to an increase in methane production, contributing to climate change
Clearance of land for grazing and crop production increases deforestation
Availability & Consumption of Energy
The global demand for energy
The global demand for energy has increased significantly since the 1950s
Energy consumption can be measured in several ways, including:
Kilograms or tonnes of oil equivalent per year (kgoe/yr)
Terawatt hours (TWh) or Megawatt hours (MWh)
Gigajoules (GJ/yr) or exajoules per year (EJ/yr)
It is predicted that energy demand will increase by nearly 50% by 2050
What are the causes of the increase in energy consumption?
An increasing global population; the more people there are, the higher the demand for energy
The growth of the NGMC means that people have more devices, appliances and vehicles which use energy
The increasing availability of electricity means people in LICs are moving away from reliance on fuelwood for heating and cooking
Development leads to more industries, which consume increasing amounts of energy
What is energy mix?
Each country has a unique energy mix to meet their energy demand
The primary energy sources that are used to generate electricity include:
Non-renewable fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas
Renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal, hydroelectricity and solar
Recyclable fuels such as nuclear energy, biomass and general waste
Each country's energy mix will vary as a result of several factors
The energy mix of the USA is also significantly different from that of France
The USA only has 10% coming from renewable energy and 8% from nuclear
France has 10% from renewables and 41% from nuclear energy
France relies on 46% of its energy supplies being imported, as all of its natural gas and oil are imported along with the uranium required for its nuclear power
The USA only imports around 15%
Countries in Asia, including China and Indonesia, rely heavily on non-renewables, particularly coal, because it is:
Readily available
Cheaper than other energy sources
Factors Affecting the Energy Mix
Factor | Impact on the energy mix |
---|---|
Level of development | Developing countries usually use natural resources, such as firewood for cooking Emerging countries will see a rise in oil use as transport and car ownership increases As countries develop, they tend to start using more gas and nuclear power as technology advances |
Environment | Concerns about climate change have led increasing numbers of countries to reduce the use of fossil fuels |
Safety | Incidents such as the nuclear accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima mean people have concerns about the use of nuclear fuel |
Economic | The cost of energy sources can affect the choices governments make |
Technology | Some countries have greater access to technology Improvements in technology have decreased the cost of renewable energy production |
Political | The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has encouraged European countries to reduce their reliance on Russian gas supplies |
Physical | Some countries have varying amounts of non-renewable energy sources, which impacts how much of these resources they use The geographical location also affects wind speeds, sunlight availability, water access for HEP, tidal and wave power |
It is important for countries to have a balance between domestic energy sources and imported energy sources to ensure energy security
Changing importance of energy sources
Decreasing use of hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons, also known as non-renewable fossil fuels, are becoming less popular as energy sources due to concerns about the environment
Climate change
Air pollution
Destruction of habitats during mining and drilling
Hydrocarbons are finite and, at some point, will run out
Some countries have invested in fracking to increase the supplies of hydrocarbons
Increasing use of renewable energy
Renewable energy is increasingly important in the global energy mix
Countries want to reduce their reliance on imports of non-renewable energy sources and improve their energy security
Reduction in the cost of renewable energy sources
Advances in technology mean that renewable energy is more efficient
Renewable energy has less impact on the environment
Changes in nuclear energy
Nuclear energy uses nuclear fission to generate electricity
The process does not produce greenhouse gases
Some countries, such as Germany, are reducing the use of nuclear power due to concerns regarding:
Safety
Storage of nuclear waste
Other countries, such as France, rely on nuclear power for a large portion of their energy production
Many countries are researching and investing in nuclear fusion this would:
Produce significantly lower amounts of waste
Eliminate the risk of nuclear accidents
Examiner Tip
It is important not to just think in terms of individual countries. Food and energy sources are imported and exported between countries and water supply sources often cross international boundaries.
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