nearly half of the world population will be water vulneravle by 2025
many will expereince water stress (north africa, sub-saharan africa, southwest USA and middle east)
Two types of water scarcity : Physical ( when more than 75% of country/regions river flows are being used) , Economic ( the development of blue water sources is limited by llack of capital and technology)
many parts of the continent of africaq currently have physical availability but only access 25% of the water supplies because of high levels of poverty ( Dev gap)
with the onset of climate change and the associated deterioration of ecosystems, combined with rapid economic develeopment in asia, the number of people experienceing water stress is expected to rise ( dev gap, bio div )
some regions within developed countries ( southwest USA , mediterranean France and spain) that are also areas of concern and shortages may need to be solved by transfers or widespread desalination
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THE ARAL SEA
the extraction and use of water resources can lead to environmental damage and suplly problems for both groundwater and surface water supplies
The aral sea declines to 10% of its original size as a result of the diversion of rivers such as the Amu Darya and syr Darya to provide irrigated water for cash cropping of cotton
it is an ecological and environemtal catastrophe ( bio div)
Soviet Union originally in control of the area (sp)
following the break up of the USSR, there is potential for conflicts between newly independent states.
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Main water pressure points
Tigris-Euphrates basin - concerns from iraq and syria that turkeys GAP project will divert much of the water via a series of irrigation DAMs.
Jordon river - the use of the river has reduced the flow to a mere trickle which affects supplies to palestines west bank
Ganges-brahmaputra : india has built dams such as the Faraka, which has reduced the flow of the river into bangladesh
Colorado basin - states in USA dispute their allocation of water from the colarado, which is so great that the quantity and quality reaching mexico does not reach the standard agreed
Nile basin - while agreement exists, schemes developed in ethiopia and sudan may threaten supplie to egypt.
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water transfer schemes
Tagus - murcia transfer in spain : takes water from tagus river by canal to the drought stricken area of almeria-murcia-alicante to provide water for 700,000 new villas and the tourist industry and irrigating cash-cropping areas
snowy mountains scheme in southeast australia : water is transferred from the storage lake of Eucumbene westwards by the snowy-geehi tunnel to the head waters of the murray to irrigate farms and provide water to an increasingly drought stricken area
Melamchi project in nepal : water is diverted from the melamchi river via a 26km tunnal to water stressed areas in the kathmandu basin. in returnm the residents of melamchi are provided with improved health and education system
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