1. Water transfers- a quick fix?
Source area
Receiving area

2. Video: China’s Parched North Water crisis
Major Water Transfer Schemes
Examples of existing schemes
Proposed schemes
International
Lesotho to South Africa: Lesotho Highlands Water Project
Turkey to Israel by tanker
National:
Snowy Mountains-Australia
Melamchi Nepal
Tagus-Mercia Spain
Turkey to Israel undersea pipelines
Austrian Alps to Spain + Greece by pipeline
South-North transfer- China
Ebro -Spain
Ob to the Aral Sea
NAWAPA Alaska to California
Video: China’s Parched North Water crisis
What has led to some of China’s water scarcity problems?

3. Water Transfer projects in China
Demand from industrial centres, high population density and intensive agriculture. Low rainfall and over abstracted groundwater: physical scarcity
Originally planned 1952, started 2002, due to finish Chief player: Government sponsored ‘South to North Water Transfer Project Company, with each province having a local water company. Involves huge civil engineering works, 3 major canals, pipelines, tunnels, pumping stations

4. China: the North/South water divide
VIDEO: Great Chinese Drought continuing
What are some of the causes and consequences of the drought problems in Northern China mentioned in the report?

5. Water Management Spain Case Study
Local water resources are intensively exploited
70% of land surface in Spain semi-arid climate zone
Recurring droughts
Strong seasonal variability of rainfall
Agriculture
Tourism
The expansion of water supply by construction of dams has come to an end
1,300 dams in Spain
Spain is the country with the 4th largest number of dams
Some aquifers are overexploited
Climate change will further lower the natural supply of water
Low water prices hold back the development of unconventional supply sources

6. Water Management Spain Case Study

7. The Colorado River: A Case Study
Video: The Colorado: a river in peril? 0’52
Video: Colorado River: America’s Most Endangered River 2013

9. The Colorado River Most endangered river in the U.S.
Most dams,
supplies the largest portion of the population
Irrigates the most crops
Increasing water supply problems in California
Climate change
Less run-off from melted snowcaps
Longer and more severe droughts
Population growth
Mostly in arid south
Immigrant populations looking for farm work
Infrastructure
Ageing pumps and aqueducts = environmental havoc
Region contains richest farmland in the country
Major food supplier of the U.S.
Agriculture Accounts for % of employment

10. Colorado River Basin

11. Water Security: a definition
“The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability.”

12. The risks of water insecurity
What are the potential implications of an increasingly ‘water insecure’ world?
Water supply problems
Increasing water shortages may be more important than energy shortages- because there is no alternative!
Water conflicts
Where demand exceeds supply and no effective management operates, then there will be conflicts between the various players involved
Water geopolitics
The conflicts between nation states, despite the international agreement called the Helsinki Rules designed to create more equitable use of water extending across boundaries
Water transfers
Of this precious resource by either diverting the actual river, or using canals . Long carried out at a small scale but increasingly over larger distances, and even transboundary

13. NPR : Water the Epic Struggle
Water Scarcity
NPR : Water the Epic Struggle

14. Water Food Energy A Delicate Balance Water is needed to grow food
Energy is needed to clean and transport water
Food transports (virtual) water
Water is needed to generate energy
Energy is needed to produce food
Food can be used to produce energy

15. Water-Energy Interdependence
Energy and Water: Solving Both Crises Together:
Water and energy are the two most fundamental ingredients of modern civilization
We consume massive quantities of water to generate energy, and we consume massive quantities of energy to deliver clean water
There are tensions between the two:
water restrictions are hampering solutions for generating more energy
energy problems, particularly rising prices, are curtailing efforts to supply more clean water

16. Reading Homework IB Geography text (pp. 1-3 on California)
EU spotlight turns on Spain