The document discusses the global water crisis, noting that a third of the world's population lacks access to clean drinking water. Many regions face severe water stress or scarcity, including parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Rapid population growth and increased demand from agriculture and industry have led to overuse and depletion of water supplies in many places. Lack of access to clean water and sanitation is linked to poverty and disproportionately impacts developing nations. Improving sanitation could significantly boost health, well-being, and economic productivity worldwide.

1. Global Water Crisis
A2 Geography

2. Learning Objectives
• To understand that water is a global issue and not
just within certain countries
• That lack of water is not the only issue in water
insecurity and stress
• Access to sanitation is linked to poverty
• Development can hinder water quality, access and
supply

3. Where do you feel there are areas that have
issues of water Insecurity.
Jot them down

4. Asia and Pacific
• 1/3 of pop’n lacks • Agriculture accounts
access to clean for 90% of freshwater
drinking water withdrawals in S. Asia
• 500,000 infant related • Aquifer depletion in
deaths through Asia has reduced
diarrhoea water availability per
• Levels of bacteria capita by over half
from human sources • Withdrawals in W.
is 10x higher than Africa far exceed
recommended levels natural replacement
levels

5. Africa
• 25 out of the 57 countries will face either water
stress or scarcity by 2025
• Over 300 million lack access to clean water
• Sub Saharan Africa this is much worse with over
51% without safe water and 41% without adequate
sanitation
• Agriculture accounts for 88% of all groundwater
removed and has no protection

6. Europe and Central Asia
• Lack of access to clean water in E. Europe and
Central Asia
• Over half of all European cities over-exploit their
groundwater reserves
• Declining water quality in countries with
groundwater pollution (Aral Sea) – the Med and
Scandinavian Lakes

7. Latin America and the Caribbean
• Groundwater contamination and depletion from
industrial, agriculture and mining waste
• Poor sanitation on 2% of sewage is treated in Latin
America
• Economic Scarcity with conflict over access and
use

8. North America
• Aquifer depletion in increasing due to urban pop’n
growth, develp’t of industry and agriculture (Cotton
in Texas)
• Water pollution from agricultural runoff has
contaminated some surface waters. (Salton Sea)

9. Is that the whole world??

10. Evaluate what can be done about this?

11. What pattern do we see emerging?
• The balance between human demand and
availability is precarious
• Access to clean water is not always guaranteed
when it should be a fundamental right
• Pop’n growth especially in the third world mean
prospects are not good.
• UN's world water development report

12. Water Security Crisis
• 2nd world water forum in 2000 deemed water a key
issue
• Health, welfare and livelihoods depend on secure
supplies
• Demand and misuse are high
• world water forum

13. Millennium Development Goals
• In 2000 had a target to halve by 2015 the
proportion of people without access to sustainable
water supplies
• By 2005 only 12% of developing countries had
managed to do this
• In some LEDC’s fresh and waste water aren’t even
separated. (Cholera and dysentery)

14. How can Sanitation lead to better well
being
• Using a large piece of paper decide how improved
sanitation can help well being

15. International Year of Sanitation 2008
Lower
Medical
costs fewer
days off
work
Improved Improved
health and School
well being attendance
Better
Sanitation
Reduction
in
Reduced
diarrhoea
poverty
and other
diseases

16. Politics
• Often politics and war can play a role in contamination
and mass movement of people increasing the
likelihood of water stress

17. Access
• Poverty and access are inextricably linked
(Measured by GDP)
• Why?

18. Access to Sanitation
Global GDP’s

19. Access to Sanitation
Global HDI

20. Access Denied
• Rajasthan India – Have enough water but Coca
cola accused of extracting too much so farming has
suffered.
• Bolivia – Water supply company that is french
owned was deemed too expensive 200,000 did not
connect
• 40,000 in Detroit were too poor to pay their water
bills and resorted to water tapping at night

21. Quality
• Development of LEDC’s and NIC’s has lead to a
general decline in water quality
• Manufacturing chemical waste often untreated and
deposited into rivers only to be used further
downstream for irrigation, cleaning and drinking
water (R. Citarum West Java)
• 40% of world’s agriculture comes from irrigated
land – this has salinity issues

22. Activity
• What are the factors that determine access to
clean water?
• How do you think women stand to gain most from
improved sanitation?

23. What have we learnt
 That water is a global issue and not just within
certain countries
 That lack of water is not the only issue in water
insecurity and stress
 Access to sanitation is linked to poverty
 Development can hinder water quality, access and
supply

24. Interesting fact

25. Great Website
• Inequity in access to clean water and sanitation