AQA · A-Level · Geography
Course version: 7037 · Version from Sept 2018
Water security: Sources of water; components of demand, water stress.
Water security depends on balancing available sources with growing demand.
Checked against the AQA 7037 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 6
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Water security depends on balancing available sources with growing demand. Sources of water include surface water (rivers, lakes), groundwater (aquifers), and non-conventional sources like desalinated seawater or recycled wastewater. The components of demand are primarily agricultural (irrigation), industrial (manufacturing, cooling), and domestic (household use). When demand exceeds the available supply, or poor quality restricts use, water stress occurs. The United Nations defines water stress as occurring when annual water supplies drop below 1700 m³ per person.
For example: The Colorado River basin experiences severe water stress because agricultural and urban demand heavily outstrips the natural replenishment of its surface and groundwater sources.
What earns the marks
- Identify and describe various sources of water, including surface water, groundwater, and non-conventional methods like desalination.
- Categorise the components of water demand into agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors, noting their relative global proportions.
- Define water stress accurately using quantitative thresholds, such as availability falling below 1700 m³ per capita per year.
- Explain how the imbalance between water sources and components of demand leads to localized and regional water stress.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing water stress with water scarcity.
Put it right by defining water stress as dropping below 1700 m³ per person, whereas absolute scarcity is below 500 m³.
Assuming domestic use is the largest component of demand.
Put it right by stating that agriculture accounts for the vast majority of global water demand.
Overlooking groundwater as a critical source.
Put it right: Ensure you include aquifers and the risks of over-abstraction alongside visible surface water sources.
Exam tips
- Always quantify water stress in your answers using the standard metric of 1700 m³ per person per year to demonstrate precise knowledge.
- Use a specific regional case study, such as the Aral Sea or the Colorado River, to illustrate the imbalance between water sources and competing demands.
- When evaluating water security, consider how climate change affects the reliability of sources while population growth increases the components of demand.
Try the lesson
The start of the Water security: Sources of water; components of demand, water stress. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which of the following represents the largest component of global freshwater demand?
Listen
Water security depends on balancing available sources with growing demand. Sources of water include surface water (rivers, lakes), groundwater (aquifers), and non-conventional sources like desalinated seawater or recycled wastewater. The components of demand are primarily agricultural (irrigation), industrial (manufacturing, cooling), and domestic (household use). When demand exceeds the available supply, or poor quality restricts use, water stress occurs. The United Nations defines water stress as occurring when annual water supplies drop below 1700 m³ per person. For example, the Colorado River basin experiences severe water stress because agricultural and urban demand heavily outstrips the natural replenishment of its surface and groundwater sources. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identify and describe various sources of water, including surface water, groundwater, and non-conventional methods like desalination. Categorise the components of water demand into agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors, noting their relative global proportions. Define water stress accurately using quantitative thresholds, such as availability falling below 1700 m³ per capita per year. Explain how the imbalance between water sources and components of demand leads to localized and regional water stress. A common slip: Confusing water stress with water scarcity. Instead, defining water stress as dropping below 1700 m³ per person, whereas absolute scarcity is below 500 m³. Exam tip: Always quantify water stress in your answers using the standard metric of 1700 m³ per person per year to demonstrate precise knowledge.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Water stress
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Sources of water
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Components of demand
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See every definition
- Water stress
- Occurs when demand exceeds the available supply, or poor quality restricts use, with annual water supplies dropping below 1700 m³ per person.
- Sources of water
- Include surface water such as rivers and lakes, groundwater such as aquifers, and non-conventional sources like desalinated seawater or recycled wastewater.
- Components of demand
- Primarily agricultural through irrigation, industrial through manufacturing and cooling, and domestic through household use.
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