WHY IS FRESH WATER SCARCE?

WHY IS FRESH WATER SCARCE?

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1. 
   
   List the main reasons for water scarcity.The main reasons of water scarcity are Variations in climate, water pollution, land degradation and population growth.


2. 
   
   What is a drought? What type of hardships do you think that a drought could cause if you were living in a poor country such as Ethiopia? A drought is a period of time when there is scarce amounts of water. It would be bad in countries such as ethiopia because it would result to hunger and low amounts of water.


3. 
   
   How does land degradation affect the supply of fresh water? It affects the fresh water supply because of salt water intrusion.


4. 
   
   (a) What is El Nino? Every 3-5 years in the pacific ocean and the coast of Peru, it is caused by reversal of the wind.hy does el nino often cause drought in Australia?


5. 
   
   Observe the map showing the global effects of El Nino in 1982-1983. (a) What effects does El Nino havo on the availability of fresh water? (b) Name the countries and describe the problems that arose from decreased rainall caused by El Nino. Africa: Reduced corn crop in sub-Saharan region.
   Indonesia: high air pollution levels, following forest fires.
   China: Agricultural land under threat from drought in northern regions and flooding in southern regions.
   Philippines: Lower rice harvest following drought.
   United States: Rainfall above normal in north-western states (double the historical averages.)
   Colombia: Fishing operators affected by lower catch (down 20%.)
   Peru: Flooding (also in Chile), fishing operators affected by lower catch as anchovy and Pacific sardine move offshore to escape warm currents (5 degrees Celsius above normal temperatures)
   Australia: Wheat exports threatened by drought conditions across grain-growing areas, particularly New South Wales.
   Papua New Guinea: Drought-related failure of food crops, leading to famine conditions requiring food aid.