Water scarcity and security
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Question
Define water security.
Answer
Water security is having reliable access to sufficient quantities of clean water for health, livelihoods, ecosystems, and production.
💡 Hint
Reliable enough clean water.
Question
Water security in one short phrase?
Answer
Reliable access to enough clean water.
💡 Hint
Reliable + clean + enough.
Question
Define water scarcity.
Answer
Water scarcity occurs when water demand exceeds the available supply in a region (quantity and/or quality).
💡 Hint
Demand > supply.
Question
Physical scarcity vs economic scarcity (two phrases).
Answer
Physical: not enough water exists. Economic: water exists but access is limited.
💡 Hint
Exists vs access.
Question
Name four drivers that increase water stress.
Answer
Population growth, economic development, climate change, pollution, and urbanisation all increase water stress.
💡 Hint
More people, more use, less supply.
Question
Name three major drivers of rising water stress.
Answer
Population growth, economic development, and climate change (also pollution and urbanisation).
💡 Hint
People + development + climate.
Question
Why can pollution increase water scarcity?
Answer
It reduces usable supply by contaminating water so it becomes unsafe or costly to treat.
💡 Hint
Less usable water.
Question
Give one solution for physical scarcity and one for economic scarcity.
Answer
Physical: desalination, water transfer, efficiency. Economic: infrastructure investment, improved governance, access and affordability programs.
💡 Hint
Different scarcity, different fix.
Question
Strong essay structure for water scarcity questions (in one line).
Answer
Define water security and scarcity, compare physical vs economic scarcity, add drivers (population, development, climate, pollution), then evaluate conflict vs cooperation with a balanced conclusion.
💡 Hint
Define → compare → drivers → evaluate.
Question
What is one headline scale fact about water stress?
Answer
Water stress affects billions of people globally (over 2 billion is commonly cited).
💡 Hint
Huge global issue.
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Topic 4.2 hub
Water access, use and security
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