Syllabus concepts to know

• 4.2.1 Water security is having access to sufficient amounts of safe drinking water.
• 4.2.2 Social, cultural, economic and political factors all have an impact on the availability of, and equitable access to, the freshwater required for human well-being.
• 4.2.3 Human societies undergoing population growth or economic development must increase the supply of water or the efficiency of its utilization.
• 4.2.4 Water supplies can be increased by constructing dams, reservoirs, rainwater catchment systems, desalination plants and enhancement of natural wetlands.
• 4.2.5 Water scarcity refers to the limited availability of water to human societies.
• 4.2.6 Water conservation techniques can be applied at a domestic level.
• 4.2.7 Water conservation strategies can be applied at an industrial level in food production systems.
• 4.2.8 Mitigation strategies exist to address water scarcity.
• 4.2.9 Freshwater use is a planetary boundary, with increasing demand for limited freshwater resources causing increased water stress and the risk of abrupt and irreversible changes to the hydrological system.
• 4.2.10 Local and global governance is needed to maintain freshwater use at sustainable levels.
• 4.2.11 Water footprints can serve as a measure of sustainable use by societies and can inform decision-making about water security.
• 4.2.12 Citizen science is playing an increasing role in monitoring and managing water resources.
• 4.2.13 “Water stress” like “water scarcity” is another measure of the limitation of water supply; it not only takes into account the scarcity of availability but also the water quality, environmental flows and accessibility.
• 4.2.14 Water stress is defined as a clean, accessible water supply of less than 1,700 cubic metres per year per capita.
• 4.2.15 The causes of increasing water stress may depend on the socio-economic context.
• 4.2.16 Water stress can arise from transboundary disputes when water sources cross regional boundaries.
• 4.2.17 Water stress can be addressed at an industrial level.
• 4.2.18 Industrial freshwater production has negative environmental impacts that can be minimized but not usually eliminated.
• 4.2.19 Inequitable access to drinkable water and sanitation negatively impacts human health and sustainable development.