4.2 Water access, use and security

Objective notes

19 learning objectives

4.2.1Water security definition

• Access to sufficient safe drinking water

• Component of sustainable societies

4.2.2Factors affecting water availability

• Social, cultural, economic, political factors

• Impact availability and equitable access

4.2.3Water supply increase needs

• Population growth or economic development

• Uses: domestic, irrigation, livestock, industry

4.2.4Increasing water supplies

• Dams, reservoirs, rainwater catchment, desalination plants

• Natural wetland enhancement

4.2.5Water scarcity types

• Physical scarcity: limited abundance

• Economic scarcity: limited storage/transport systems

4.2.6Domestic water conservation

• Metering, rationing, grey-water recycling

• Low-flush toilets, rainwater harvesting

4.2.7Industrial water conservation

• Food production systems

• Greenhouses, aquaponics, drip irrigation, drought-resistant crops

4.2.8Water scarcity mitigation strategies

• Country-specific management strategies

4.2.9(HL)—Freshwater planetary boundary

• Increasing demand causing water stress

• Risk of abrupt/irreversible hydrological system changes

4.2.10(HL)—Governance for sustainability

• Local and global governance needed

• Examples: local regulations, international agreements

4.2.11(HL)—Water footprints

• Measure of water use by individuals/nations/products

• Informs decision-making about water security

4.2.12(HL)—Citizen science role

• Monitoring and managing water resources

4.2.13(HL)—Water stress definition

• Considers scarcity, quality, environmental flows, accessibility

4.2.14(HL)—Water stress threshold

• < 1,700 m³ per year per capita

4.2.15(HL)—Water stress causes

• Depend on socio-economic context

4.2.16(HL)—Transboundary disputes

• Water sources crossing regional boundaries

4.2.17(HL)—Industrial-level water stress solutions

• Dams, pipelines, desalination, water treatment plants

• Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR)

4.2.18(HL)—Freshwater production impacts

• Negative environmental impacts

• Brine discharges, noise, air pollution, aquifer impacts

4.2.19(HL)—Inequitable access impacts

• Negatively impacts health and sustainable development

• Affects marginalized groups