- The hydrological cycle accounts for 1% of the total water on the planet
- The hydrological cycle is a closed system because water is neither added nor lost
- Over the last 300 years the world’s population has increased x7 and demand for water has increased x40.
- Severe water stress is experienced by 1.1 billion people in 80 countries
Reliability
of rainfall
- Few homes in LEDC’s have piped water
- Few developing countries have the money or the technology to build dams to store water. If they have it was mostly like built with foreign aid
- Torrential downpours give insufficient time to infiltrate the ground. Instead surface runoff create flash floods
- The most vulnerable areas are desert margins and tropical interiors where average annual rainfall is low and rainy seasons are short
- Many countries just experience wet/ dry seasons. If rain fails one year, the result of produce can be disastrous
Clean Water
- 1.1 billion people lack clean water
- Rural areas use local rivers for drinking as well as washing and sewerage disposal
- Shanty towns lack proper drainage for sewerage which may pollute water ways
- Disease can break out
- Villagers can help themselves out though by: building wells to reach a permanent supply, lining wells with concrete, using pumps and teaching about proper hygiene
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