Water Pollution and Unequal Distribution of Water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3LH_2ur2LE

GPS and E.Q.GPS: SS7G6a. Explain how water pollution

and the unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation and drinking water.

E.Q.: How do water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impact irrigation and drinking water?

"Many of the wars of this century were about oil, but the wars of the next century will be about water."

–Former World Bank Vice President Ismail Serageldin

VocabularyIrrigation - To supply (dry land) with water by

means of ditches, pipes, or streams; water artificially.

Underground aquifers – layers of underground rock where water runoff from rains and streams is trapped.

Fossil water – water that has been underground for centuries

Desalination – the process of removing salt and other chemicals from seawater

Hydroelectric power – electricity produced from the energy of running water

WaterWater is a natural resource that is

unequally distributed in the Middle East.Turkey and Iraq share the Tigris and

Euphrates river systems.Israel, Syria, and Jordan share the Jordan

River.Saudi Arabia has almost no water and is

made up of mostly desert.Iran has access to rivers in some areas, but

is mostly desert.Irrigation is necessary for farming.

IrrigationMethods:

water wheels,irrigation ditches and canalsanimal power to lift water from

underground wells.Israel and Saudi Arabia use drip

irrigation – the use of computers that measure out how much water each plant receives.

Desalination is expensive and complex in technology.

Water PollutionWater pollution has been a growing problem

in the Middle East.Increased demand for irrigation causes

overuse of rivers and streams.Chemical fertilizers used by farmers have

caused contaminated water supplies.Constant planting and fertilizer use have led

to the build-up of salt levels in soil, which destroys the soil.

Many cities and towns have grown rapidly, but there are not many effective ways to manage garbage and treat sewage.

ConflictAccess to water causes conflict because

countries have to share.Water is unequally distributed across the

region.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WfOya6mbmM

Fresh water losses from 2003-2009 in SW Asia – note drought In 2007.

CRCT Test Prep pages 82-83233. Which river do Syria, Israel, and Jordan

share?A. EuphratesB. JordanC. NileD. Tigris

B. Jordan

CRCT Test Prep pages 82-83234. How has the building of dams created problems

for countries sharing rivers in SW Asia?A. Dams are too expensive to build to be practical.B. Dams limit the water available to countries further downstream.C. Few countries have the technology needed to be able to build dams.D. Countries in SW Asia are not allowed to build dams along shared rivers.

B. Dams limit the water available to countries further downstream.

CRCT Test Prep pages 82-83235. What is one problem chemical fertilizers cause for

farmers?A. Chemical fertilizers make farm animals sick.B. Chemicals have led to the build-up of salt levels in the soil.C. Fertilizers are too expensive for anyone in SW Asia to use.D. Few countries in SW Asia have factories to make fertilizers.

B. Chemicals have led to the build-up of salt levels in the soil.

CRCT Test Prep pages 82-83236. How has the use of chemical fertilizers affected water

supplies in many countries in SW Asia?A. Use of chemical fertilizers means crops must be watered constantly.B. Enormous amounts of water must be used to produce chemical fertilizers.C. Water supplies have been contaminated by the chemicals through run-off from the fields.D. Chemical fertilizers have had very little effect on local water supplies in SW Asia.

C. Water supplies have been contaminated by the chemicals through run-off from the fields.

CRCT Test Prep pages 82-83237. Why aren’t desalinization and drip irrigation used

more in SW Asia?A. Most countries do not know about these technologies.B. Drip irrigation is not very effective in a hot, dry climate.C. Few countries in SW Asia have access to seawater.D. These technologies are very expensive for the countries to use.

D. These technologies are very expensive for the countries to use.

The Middle East Water CrisisCopy this Graphic Organizer

CausesDry LandDrought (Little Rainfall)

Population GrowthWater use per

PersonAgriculture (Farming

and Irrigation)Pollution

SolutionsDesalination (Removing

Salt from Seawater)Alternative Water

Sources (Storing rainwater, capturing winter thaw from mountains, etc.)

Importing Water (Buying from another country)

Conservation (Saving Water)

Treating Waste Water (Yummy!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-f4Dj_e6Ic

NATO vid on water conflicts