Learning Objectives
1. The water system The hydrological cycle
2. Drainage basins and flooding Drainage basins
3. Management issues and strategies Dams and reservoirs
4. Competing demands for water Conflicts at the local or national scale
Conflicts at the international scale
- Examine the inputs, outputs, stores and transfers of the hydrological cycle. Discuss the causes and consequences of the changing balance between water stored in oceans and ice.
- Explain the concept of maximum sustainable yield of freshwater in terms of a balance between inputs and outputs.
2. Drainage basins and flooding Drainage basins
- Analyse the functioning of a drainage basin as an open system with inputs, outputs, transfers, stores and feedback loops.
- Define stream discharge. Examine its relationship to stream flow and channel shape.
- Describe the characteristics of a hydrograph. Analyse the reasons for spatial and temporal (short term and long term) variations in hydrographs.
- Examine the role of hydrographs in forecasting the magnitude, spatial extent and timing of floods.
- Discuss the natural and human causes and consequences of a specific river flood.
3. Management issues and strategies Dams and reservoirs
- Analyse the hydrological changes resulting from the construction of dams and reservoirs. Examine the costs and benefits of dams and reservoirs as part of multi-purpose schemes.
- Explain the stream channel processes (erosion, transport, deposition) and explain the resultant landforms found on floodplains.
- Examine the human modifications of a floodplain and their effect on the size and probability of floods.
- Evaluate the costs and benefits of alternative stream management strategies.
- Explain the functioning and management of artesian basins and aquifers, distinguishing between natural and artificial recharge. Examine the environmental impacts of ground water abstraction.
- Describe the role of wetlands as a water resource. Evaluate the effectiveness of the management strategies that have been adopted in a major wetland.
- Examine the environmental impacts of agriculture and irrigation on water quality: salinization, agro-chemical runoff, the pollution of ground water, the eutrophication of lakes, rivers and wetlands.
4. Competing demands for water Conflicts at the local or national scale
Conflicts at the international scale
- Examine the competing demands for water in a specific river basin. Evaluate the strategies that have been adopted to meet these demands.
- Discuss an example of an international conflict related to freshwater
Revisit previous learning
Introduction to the unit
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groundwater.pdf | |
File Size: | 3419 kb |
File Type: |
The water System
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water_mining.docx | |
File Size: | 30 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Online Resources
Best content in IB Geography Freshwater
- Report on Renaissance Dam notes concerns for Egypt, Sudan - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East Apr 12, 2014Comments:According to the report — whose 48 pages are each signed by all 10 experts on the panel — the panel noted a number of general concerns about their assessment of the studies submitted by Ethiopia. Most of those studies were completed after...
- Ethiopian dam's ecological and and human fallout could echo Aral Sea disaster Mar 6, 2014Tags: Management issues and strategies, dams, ethiopia, Freshwaterby: Kathleen Noreisch
- The American Nile: saving the Colorado river Feb 8, 2014Tags: ib_geog2009, Competing demands for water, water_scarcity, agriculture, irrigationby: Kathleen Noreisch
- https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/327371/report-warns-that-water-shortages-could-threaten.pdf Nov 7, 2013Comments:Global Water Security - Conflict and Management - Matt PodburyTags: ib_geog2009, water_conflicts, geography, Management issues and strategies, Competing demands for waterby: Matt Podbury
- Water: All dried up | The Economist Oct 28, 2013Comments:"All dried upNorthern China is running out of water, but the government’s remedies are potentially disastrous" - Ian GabrielsonTags: water, china, economist, ib_geog2009, Freshwater, The water system, Competing demands for water, Manageme...
- Water in China: Desperate measures | The Economist Oct 28, 2013Tags: water, china, economist, ib_geog2009, Freshwater, The water system, Management issues and strategies, Competing demands for water, Drainage basins and floodingby: Ian Gabrielson
- The Promise and Threat of Ethiopia’s Dam on the Nile: 21st century Water Conflicts – Significant Figures by Peter Gleick Oct 14, 2013Tags: ib_geog2009, Competing demands for waterby: Matt Podbury
- River management in the UK Oct 13, 2013Tags: Freshwater, Management issues and strategiesby: Ann Smith
- Water in China: Desperate measures | The Economist Oct 13, 2013Comments:China has 20% of the world’s population but only 7% of its fresh water - Matt PodburyTags: Freshwater, ib_geog2009, management, geography, river, basin, china, Management issues and strategiesby: Matt Podbury
- BBC - Future - Technology - How to water crops with a mobile phone Jun 18, 2013Comments:Farmers in LEDC's using mobile phone technology to aid them in irrigating their fields - Timothy SwanTags: future, technology, water, crops, mobile phoneby: Timothy Swan
- BBC News - Dresden braces for flood as German rivers burst banks Jun 9, 2013Tags: ib_geog2009, Drainage basins and flooding, Management issues and strategies, europe, danube, floods, dresden, rivers, Germanyby: Gemma Archer
- BBC News - Europe floods: Hungary Danube set for record high Jun 9, 2013Tags: ib_geog2009, Drainage basins and flooding, Management issues and strategies, europe, hungary, danube, floodsby: Gemma Archer
- World's tallest dam approved by Chinese environmental officials | Environment | guardian.co.uk May 25, 2013Tags: ib_geog2009, Management issues and strategies, dam, china, Dadu River, rivers, river_managementby: Gemma Archer
- Our Effect On Earth’s Water Cycle Is Both Fascinating And Terrifying | Gizmodo Australia May 21, 2013Tags: effect, earth, water, cycle, Freshwater, Competing demands for waterby: Timothy Swan
- Saving the Ganga: Kanpur's leather industry a bane for the river - YouTube Apr 17, 2013Comments:A short CNN documentary about pollution in the Ganges River. - Timothy SwanTags: industry, river, Freshwater, Management issues and strategies, pollutionby: Timothy Swan
- The British Geographer - The British Geographer Mar 26, 2013Comments:[Submitted by: Paul Christmas]"The following site has a detailed section on freshwater and many other topics. It will be useful for the options section of the IB and in future will develop sections for the core. A key highlight are some o...
- Rains or Not, India Is Falling Short on Drinkable Water - NYTimes.com Mar 13, 2013Tags: Management issues and strategiesby: Roger Groenink
- Drought Fuels Water War Between Texas and New Mexico – News Watch Feb 27, 2013Tags: Competing demands for water, ib_geog2009, Freshwaterby: Matt Podbury
- Where we get our fresh water - Christiana Z. Peppard - YouTube Feb 27, 2013Comments:Fresh water accounts for only 2.5% of Earth's water, yet it is vital for human civilization. What are our sources of fresh water? In the first of a two part series on fresh water, Christiana Z. Peppard breaks the numbers down and discusse...
- How the The Great Artesian Basin works - YouTube Oct 3, 2010Comments:Artesian Basin Formation - Australia Case Study - Matt PodburyA short video about the creation of the great artesian basin... - Timothy SwanTags: great, basin, works, youtube, Freshwater, Drainage basins and flooding, The water systemby: ...