Water Management (SL IB Geography)

• According to the World Bank, there are nearly 2 billion people who do not have access to clean water
• Increasing numbers of people are gaining access to clean water
• Between 1990 and 2008, half of the people who gained access to clean water lived in India and China
• To increase access to clean water, sustainable management is needed
• There are various approaches to water management

Approaches to water management

Method	How it works
Water saving	Reduce bath water usage Turn off taps when not in use and promptly fix dripping taps  Dishwashers and washing machines should only be operated when full  Use taps with push-down mechanisms that automatically turn off after a short time
Customer pricing	In many places, people pay for water and in some places, water is subsidized Water can be wasted in areas where it may be subsidized Domestic water can be charged through the use of meters In the UK, a regulating authority exists to allow competition between water providers so that water monopolies do not exist
Water purification	Removes harmful chemicals, suspended solids and gases Water is disinfected so that it can be used for human consumption Processes like light filtration and sand filters can distil the infected water The most common type of disinfectant is chlorine, which has been used since 1854 in London
Zoning	Protecting areas from development to allow the safeguarding of water quality Reduces the risk of subsidence due to over-abstraction Organisations such as the European Union have set up directives and legislation to control water pollution levels
Rainwater harvesting	Water harvesting captures water In Bermuda, the people collect their water through the rain as there are no rivers on the island Constructing dams across stream waters Using gravel-filled reservoirs to store water
New technologies	Nanotechnology infiltration Membrane Chemistry Seawater desalinisation Biomimicry  Smart monitoring Precision irrigation systems Highly mobile water treatment

Water management in Somalia

Location of Somalia a low-income country

• Somalia is a low-income country in Africa 
• The average income is around US$2 a day 
• Only 52 percent of the population have access to a basic water supply
• According to UNICEF:
  • Approximately 28% of the population defecate in open spaces
  • Over the last 3 years, more than 900 people have died from cholera
  • Collecting water is often the responsibility of women and girls
  • Many women and girls have faced sexual abuse at water-collecting points
• For Somalians who do not live along the Jubba or Shebelle rivers water is provided through groundwater
• The main sources of groundwater supplies in Somalia are shallow wells, springs and boreholes
• Boreholes are a significant supply of water 
  • Most have a water supply throughout the year
• Boreholes range from 90-250 metres, but in some locations are as deep as 450 metres
• The majority of shallow wells in Somalia are less than 20 metres deep, and water availability varies from one area to another
• Somalia is known for its poor water quality due to the salinity of the water
• Many shallow wells suffer from contamination due to animal waste 
• Somalia experiences river floods and flash flooding

Improvements in water management

• Somalia Water And Land Information Management (SWALIM) was established to improve water quality and access
• The organisation works with the UN WASH programme and the Somalian government; it has completed:
  • A hydrological survey of selected areas in Somaliland was completed 
  • Helped to assess how to provide more efficient and sustainable groundwater supplies
  • Prepared a GIS Database of groundwater supplies
  • Identified areas for future groundwater supplies
  • Provided education for people living along the Juba and Shabelle rivers, where flooding can occur
• Somalia relies on international aid to support its water management
• USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance provided solar technology, which enabled renewable energy for boreholes in villages such as Adaroosh in northern Somaliland 
• Solar energy can reduce or eliminate the costs of extracting and pumping water
• Borama town has around 20 households living in the village and a limited water supply
• The town had to rely on diesel-powered generators for the extraction and pumping of water, which was costly to run
• UNICEF worked with the government and other aid agencies to provide solar power to increase water sustainability for the village

Water management in Peru

• Peru is a Middle country, according to the World Bank (2023)
• Nearly 4% of the world’s freshwater resources can be found in Peru
• The majority of Peru’s water reserves can be found in the Amazon Rainforest but fewer than 5% of Peruvians live there
• Lima is the capital of Peru and the second-largest desert city
• In Greater Lima, 1.5 million residents lack access to running water and use expensive water delivery trucks
• In Mantaro Basin, Lake Titicaca and Lake Junín, the mining industry has contaminated some water supplies
• The Ica Valley, is a popular area for agriculture
  • Water has been diverted to this industry and locals have faced shortages
• Farming in the Ica Valley extracts 90% of groundwater supplies for products like asparagus, which means residents only receive a few hours of water per week
• The government implemented a 2015-2035 National Water Plan:
  • Plans to increase crop area under mechanised irrigation from 2% to 24%
  • Install water meters in homes
  • In upstream watersheds, implement reforestation to avoid sedimentation in reservoirs
  • Double the use of treated urban wastewater for irrigation 
  • In the Moyobamba region, a pilot programme of payment for environmental services has been implemented and the money collected is used for reforestation programmes
  • The plan states that desalinisation should be a last resort because of the cost involved with regard to technology, transport and management of the tanks