The big idea: Resource security means having a reliable, affordable supply of a resource that meets a country's needs. This micro is about two of them.
Water security
- Enough safe, affordable water
- for health, farming and industry
Energy security
- A reliable, affordable energy supply
- that is not easily cut off
They are linked: The two are linked: producing energy uses water, and supplying clean water uses energy.
Key terms
- Water security — reliable access to enough safe and affordable water for a population's needs.
- Energy security — a reliable, affordable and uninterrupted supply of energy.
- Energy mix — the combination of sources (gas, coal, hydro, solar, nuclear) a country uses.
- Geopolitical issue — a problem caused by relations between countries (a conflict, a pipeline dispute, sanctions).
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What can reduce water security
- Drought and climate change — less rainfall and shrinking glaciers cut river and reservoir supplies.
- Pollution — farm and factory waste contaminate water, so less of it is safe.
- Over-abstraction — pumping groundwater faster than it refills lowers the water table.
- Shared rivers — an upstream country's dam can reduce the flow reaching a downstream one.
What can reduce energy security
- Import dependence — relying on imported gas or oil leaves a country exposed to price spikes and cut-offs.
- Environmental events — droughts dry up reservoirs behind dams, cutting hydropower output.
- Geopolitical conflict — war, sanctions or a pipeline dispute can interrupt supply.
- Ageing infrastructure — old grids and power stations fail and waste energy.
Suggest two ways that falling water availability could undermine a country's energy security.
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Case studies for this topic: Use a named place and figures for top marks — generic answers cap low.
Cape Town, South Africa — water security
Three dry years pushed dams below 20%; the city neared a planned shut-off (Day Zero, 2018). Rationing and demand cuts avoided it, showing how drought plus a growing city threatens water security.
A gas-import-dependent country — energy security
A country buying much of its gas through one pipeline saw bills spike when supply was cut during a regional dispute, a geopolitical shock to energy security.
Nuclear after Fukushima, 2011
After the Japanese reactor accident, several countries slowed or cancelled nuclear plans over safety, cost and waste worries.
What improves water and energy security
- Diversify sources and suppliers — several fuels, several supplier countries, several water sources.
- Domestic supply — renewables, recycled water, desalination: sources no one else controls.
- Infrastructure — grid links with neighbours, storage, fixing leaks.
- Reducing poverty — households afford connections; governments can invest in networks.
Named examples — improving security: Water — Singapore: recycled NEWater and desalination add to rainwater and imports from Malaysia (its “four national taps”), so supply does not depend on one source.
Energy — Denmark: wind provides around half of its electricity, and grid links with Norway, Sweden and Germany balance supply when the wind drops.
Why a country might NOT use nuclear energy
- Safety fears — a rare accident (e.g. Fukushima) can release radiation and is hard to reverse.
- High cost and long build time — plants are expensive and take a decade to build.
- Radioactive waste — spent fuel stays dangerous for thousands of years and is hard to store.
- Public opposition — communities often resist a plant near their homes.
For one named country, explain two factors that reduce its water security.
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How this is tested: A line graph of monthly sunshine hours for a candidate solar site is a classic resources stimulus, often paired with a photo of a solar farm.
What the data part tests
Read the value
The data part usually tests State or Estimate — read a value with its units.
Explain the pattern
Link the high-sunshine, low-cloud pattern to why the site suits solar power.
Read the axis units first. About how many hours of sunshine does the site get in July?
Interactive diagram
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Using the graph, estimate the mean daily sunshine in July at this site.
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Daily sunshine hours at a candidate desert solar site
| Month | Mean daily sunshine (hours) | Mean rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 8.5 | 5 |
| April | 10.2 | 2 |
| July | 11.8 | 0 |
| October | 9.4 | 3 |
| Annual mean | 10.0 | 30 |
IB-style question — read the figure
Using the table above: (a) state two physical conditions that make the site well suited to solar power [2]; (b) estimate the annual mean daily sunshine [1].
How to answer each part
- (a) State two conditions. Read the figures: very high sunshine (about 8.5 to 11.8 hours a day) and very low rainfall (0 to 5 mm a month) mean many clear, sunny days — ideal for solar panels.
- (b) Estimate annual mean. Read the 'Annual mean' row → about 10 hours of sunshine a day.
Final answer
(a) High daily sunshine (about 10 hours) and low rainfall/cloud — many clear sunny days; (b) about 10 hours.
Evaluate the claim that the expanding global middle class endangers water availability more than any other factor.
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