IB ESS HL 4.2.6 Domestic Water Conservation Questions
Evaluate household and community strategies for conserving water.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Course
- ESS HL
- Level
- HL
Evaluate household and community strategies for conserving water.
Figure:Dam storage, urban and agricultural water use, and rainfall in the Western Cape, 2014-2018
Outline two strategies that may have been used to reduce urban water use, as shown in Figure 5.
a. campaigns to educate public to reduce water use e.g. by encouraging change in individual behavior to reduce water use;
b. promotion/use of water saving appliances/devices;
c. replacing lawns/yards/grass with drought-tolerant gardens/dry-land gardening;
d. recycling/reuse of water/grey water;
e. use of rainwater capture/water butts/barrels to collect rainwater;
f. improvements in infrastructure to reduce water leakage/losses;
g. imposing water usage quotas/water restrictions;
h. installation/use of water meters to encourage less water usage / water tariff rates that increase as use increases / increase in water prices;
i. change from water intensive industries to non-water intensive industries e.g. service-based businesses (within urban areas);
j. promote the use of public swimming pools instead of private/domestic pools;
Note: Do not accept 'decrease in population'.
Do not accept only examples without reference to strategy.
Do not accept methods that increase main supply of water e.g. use of desalinisation plants'.
Accept other reasonable responses.