Types of Resources
What is a renewable resource?
A natural resource that can be replaced naturally in a short time.
What process changes liquid water into vapor?
Evaporation.
What percentage of global water use is for agriculture?
Around 70%.
What is one simple way you can reduce water use at home every day?
Taking shorter showers, turning off taps while brushing teeth, or using a water-saving shower head.
What does “water scarcity” mean?
When there isn’t enough water to meet people’s and ecosystems’ needs.
Give one example of a non-renewable resource.
Coal, oil, or natural gas.
What process turns water vapor into liquid droplets?
Condensation
What type of energy uses water stored in dams to create electricity?
Hydroelectric power.
Give one way to save water at home.
Use efficient shower heads or native plants in gardens.
What is the main difference between physical and economic water scarcity?
Physical = not enough water available; Economic = not enough money/infrastructure to access it.
What type of resource will never run out?
Continuous resource.
Name the process where water falls from the atmosphere to Earth.
Precipitation.
Which Australian region is known as the “food bowl of the nation”?
The Murray–Darling Basin.
What is desalination?
Removing salt and pollutants from seawater to make freshwater.
Around how many people live in areas of physical water scarcity worldwide? 1.2, 1.7 or 2 billion people.
About 1.2 billion people.
Explain why water is considered a renewable resource even though there’s a fixed amount of it.
Because it is constantly cycled through the water cycle.
Explain how the water cycle shows that water cannot be created or destroyed.
It continually changes form between solid, liquid, and gas, but the total amount stays the same.
Name an industry in Australia that uses a lot of water.
Farming, mining, and factories that make things like paper or metal.
Name one way water can be recycled.
From greywater (showers, sinks) or treated sewage (effluent).
Give one cause of water scarcity.
Natural: Drought; Human: Overuse for irrigation or industry.
Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of relying on continuous resources.
Advantage: Never run out; Disadvantage: Availability varies with weather or location (e.g., sunlight, wind).
Describe how human activity can interrupt or affect the natural water cycle.
Examples: Deforestation reduces transpiration; pollution contaminates rainfall; urbanisation increases runoff.
Explain how location affects water use in Australia.
Most people live near coasts/rivers where water is more available; inland areas face scarcity and rely on irrigation.
Name one advantage or disadvantage of desalination?
Advantage: Reliable supply during drought; Disadvantage: Expensive and energy intensive.
Explain why Australia is considered water poor despite being surrounded by oceans.
Most water is saltwater; rainfall is low and unevenly distributed across the continent.