What Affects the Availability of Water?
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 6.3.3
Which Factors Affect Water Availability?
The climate of an area, geology, pollution, over-abstraction, poverty, and infrastructure can all affect water availability.
How does climate affect water availability?
- Desert biomes usually have very low amounts of rainfall.
- Hot climates lose a lot of water because of evaporation.
- Areas with low rainfall and high temperatures are likely to have less water than other areas.
- Climate change could worsen the risk of drought over time.
- Mexico has a water deficit. It has high temperatures and low rainfall.
How does geology affect water availability?
- Water can flow through permeable rocks. Rainwater can flow through permeable rock and collect underneath the rock. This water is hard to access because it can be under hundreds of metres of rock.
- Water cannot pass through impermeable rock. So having impermeable rock close to the Earth's surface means that water is more accessible.
- Groundwater collects in aquifers on top of impermeable rock.
Pollution of water supplies
- Water that has become polluted often cannot be drunk by humans.
- So making sure that water supplies are not polluted is very important.
How does over-abstraction affect water availability?
- Over-abstraction means a similar thing to unsustainable.
- Water is being over-abstracted if more water is consumed than is being generated by natural processes.
- A rising regional population and rising demand for water can cause over-abstraction.
How does infrastructure affect water availability?
- If a nation has bad aqueducts, dams, and reservoirs, then water availability is likely to be lower.
- Similarly, if a nation does not have water treatment facilities or desalination plants, then the amount of available water will be lower.
How does poverty affect water availability?
- People living in poverty often do not have access to clean running water.
- In the UK, to get access to clean running water, you have to live in a house and you have to pay an average of £415 per year.
Test yourself on What Affects the Availability of Water?
Which of the following is not a factor affecting water availability?
What are the main factors affecting water availability?