Water as a Resource
This term describes a situation where there is not enough available water to meet people's needs.
Water scarcity
A long period of unusually low rainfall is known as this.
Drought
This Western Australian capital city uses dams, groundwater, desalination and recycled water to help meet its water needs.
Perth
This process removes salt from seawater to produce freshwater.
Desalination
Which part of Australia generally receives less rainfall: the coast or the centre?
The centre
Fresh water is an example of this type of environmental resource because it can be naturally replaced through the water cycle.
Renewable Resource
An increasing number of people can contribute to water scarcity by increasing this.
Water Demand
Perth has traditionally obtained a large amount of its water from underground water stored in these formations.
Aquifiers
Treating wastewater so that it can be used again is known as this.
Water recycling
If a place receives very little rainfall, is it more or less likely to experience water scarcity?
More likely
Name one place where freshwater can be found.
Rivers, lakes or groundwater
This global process can alter rainfall patterns and increase evaporation, placing pressure on water supplies.
Climate Change
Declining rainfall in south-west Western Australia has reduced the amount of water flowing into these structures.
Dams or Reservoirs
Collecting water that runs off roads, roofs and other surfaces for later use is known as this.
Stormwater harvesting
A town’s population is growing. What is likely to happen to its demand for water?
It will increase
Most of Earth’s water cannot be easily used for drinking because it contains this.
Removing groundwater faster than it can naturally recharge can cause this problem.
Groundwater Depletion
Perth has increasingly used desalination because rainfall-dependent water sources have become less ______.
Reliable
Give one disadvantage of desalination.
High energy use / cost / environmental impacts
A graph shows rainfall getting lower each year. What could happen to the amount of water available?
It will decrease
Explain why Australia can experience water scarcity even though it has significant water resources.
Water is unevenly distributed and rainfall is highly variable
Explain why water scarcity cannot simply be described as “not enough rainfall.”
It can also be caused by population, demand, pollution, infrastructure, access and water management
Explain why using several different water sources can improve Perth’s water security.
It reduces reliance on one source and makes the water supply more resilient
Explain why combining conservation, recycling, groundwater and desalination may provide better long-term water security than relying on one source.
It spreads risk and makes the water supply more resilient when one source becomes less available
Perth has less rainfall but more people than it did in the past. Why can this increase water scarcity?
There is less water available while demand for water is increasing