Questions and Answers for Pg.229 in Geo Active1 Book

• 1. List the main reasons for water scarcity.

The main reasons for water scarcity are the changess in climate, land degradation, population growth and water pollution.



2. What is a drought?What type of hardships do you think that a draught could cause if you were living in a village in a poor country such as Ethiopia?


A drought is a period of a little amount of rainfall that falls to the Earth. The type of hardships a drought could cause is loss of human lives.



3.How does land degradation affect the supply of fresh water?


If the land is paved off the rainfall will run off to the rivers,lakes and streams. This means the water won't infiltrate in the ground and into the aquifer.



4. a) What is El Niño?


El Niño is a climate change that builds up every three to five years.

b)Why does El Niño often cause drought in Austrailia?


El Niñ0 often causes drought in Australia because of the reversal of air pressure over the Pacific Ocean, resulting in high pressure systems covering the most of Australia.

5. Observe the map showing the global effects of El Nino in 1982-83.
Show all
a)What effects does El Nino have on the availability of fresh water?
The Effects El Niño has on the availability of fresh water is....
1. Flooding
2. Drought
3.No water to grow food ( caused by droughts).


b)Name the countries and describe the problems that arose from decreased rainfall.


Africa

• There are reduced corn crops in the sub Saharan region

Indonesia

• There is pollution high up in the air which triggers forest fires.

China

• Agricultural land is under threat from drought in the northern regions and flooding in southern parts of China.

Papua New Guinea

• Drought-related failure of food crops,leading to famine conditons requiring food and aid.

Phillipenes

• There is not enough of rain to grow rice which is followed by a drought.

Austrailia

• Wheat exports threatned by drought conditions across grain-growing areas,particulary New South Wales

Peru

• Flooding(also in Chile)
• Fishing operators affected by lower catch as anchovy and Pacific sardine move offshore to escape warm currents(5Deg.C above normal temperatures.)

United States

• There is too much of rainfall in the northern-western part which doubles the historical averages.

Colombia

• Fishermen have a lower catch which decreases by 20%.