3.2.2 - The Hydrosphere (KQ2): Cases of Human Impact on Water Supply

In section 3.1.2,we looked at the ways agriculture, industrial activity, and domestic use impact water supply.  Here, we will look at different countries as specific cases where these human activities have caused water shortages, and what solutions (if any) have been successful in remediation or stopping the problem.  We will do this through case studies, and you will want to take notes as you view or read to be able to use/study the specific examples.  There will be case studies presented from MEDCs and one from a LEDCs. As always, compare and contrast impacts in both.

Agriculture

MEDC- Australian Artesian Basin:  Remember in 2.4.2 of the Lithosphere Unit when we discussed soil salinisation using Australia as a case study?  Well, much of the same factors come in to play in the decrease of the huge aquifer under Australia, which provides the country/continent with their freshwater as you will see in the video below.  If you need a refreshed, go back to that blog to see how the Artesian Basin was formed.  The short video here gives a great overview why agriculture has been such a problem leading to water shortages, contributing to a major drought.  This article from Scientific American shows how Melbourne has set an example for the rest of the world on how to deal with water shortages.


LEDC- Aral Sea:  One of the largest-scale visible examples of agriculture draining a water source, is the almost complete loss of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan.  Looks at these parts of a documentary by the BBC to see the full scale of what happened there...the ships in the middle of a new desert are a very strange and sobering image.  While the sea has partially come back, it has no where near the resources to rectify the problem as quickly as Australia.

Industrial/Domestic/Urban

Agricultural use of water, as explained previously, is the biggest user of water and cause to water shortage, so I gave that it's own section above.  Industrial and Domestic use often go hand in hand with areas of large population (Urban Areas), so we can combine them in the two examples below.

MEDC- London Basin:  Like Australia, parts of England are provided water by an aquifer.  This page has a great explanation what's happening there, due to domestic, industrial, and commercial withdrawal, alongside some natural conditions.  There's some background info on droughts, but about 1/3 of the way down, you really want to start reading/taking notes starting with the heading 'Aquifer Distribution in Britain.'  Read from there to the end of the page, where they give great management tools for the population to save on water usage.

LEDC- Mexico City:  Mexico City is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.  It also gets its water from an aquifer, and it has been drained so much that the city has actually sunk in some places about 10 meters in the past 100 years, damaging and destroying infrastructure, roads, homes, etc.  This video explains the problem and a potential solution. While the solution is innovative, think of how different it is than the London suggestions.