Water shortage in South Africa
Although Australia is the driest inhabited
continent on Earth, virtually all its people have
access to safe fresh water. This is because
Australia is a developed nation with the wealth
and expertise needed to construct the facilities
needed to ensure this. It is also because
Australia has fewer people to share its water
resources than continents such as Asia and
Africa.
Of the 1.1 billion people in the world who
currently do not have access to a safe fresh
water supply, some 300 million of them are in
Africa. (Some 500 million are in Asia.) The
situation shows little sign of improving and, as
the graph on the right shows, is forecast to get
much worse.
Use the information in this
worksheet and in the relevant
reference listed below to
complete the following activities.
1.
How many of the African countries listed in
the graph had water availability levels
below the vulnerable level in 1990?
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2.
How many of these countries are predicted
to have water levels below the vulnerable
level in 2025?
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Water availability in selected African countries
Graph taken from Vital Climate Graphics Africa first published by the
United Nations Environment Programme in 2002. It is also available on
the following website: www.grida.no/climate/vitalafrica/english/15.htm
3.
Why do you think this trend is occurring?
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4.
Each Australian currently has access to approximately 25 000 cubic metres (m )of water per year. How does this
compare with South Africa, both in 1990 and as predicted for 2025?
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© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2005
2004-11-africa.pdf
(Page 1 of 2)
5.
Compare water availability in South Africa (both in 1990 and in 2025) with that in Sudan, Mauritius and Kenya. What
conclusions can you draw?
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6.
Look at the three climographs (on the next page of this worksheet) for the three South African towns/cities of Cape
Town, Kimberley and Upington.
(a) Describe in general terms the climate of each place.
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(b) Use an atlas to help you draw lines to connect each of these three places and the river closest to them.
Upington
Liesbeek River
Cape Town
Vaal River
Kimberley
Orange River
(c) Which of these three centres is likely to be most dependent on river water to boost its water supplies? Explain.
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What issues are likely to be significant in a country whose people become increasingly dependent for their
survival on the waters of a particular river. You might like to brainstorm this question as a class or respond to it
by drawing a mind map.
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References: SOSE Alive 3, pp. 178–9 ▪ SOSE Alive Geography 2, pp. 82–3
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2005
2004-11-africa.pdf
(Page 2 of 2)
ºC
Cape Town, South Africa
Kimberley, South Africa
Average monthly temperature
and rainfall
Average monthly temperature
and rainfall
40
mm
ºC
400
40
Upington, South Africa
mm
ºC
200
40
Average monthly temperature
and rainfall
mm
200
max.
max.
30
300
30
200
20
150
30
100
20
50
10
0
0
150
max.
20
min.
100
10
0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
0
min.
10
0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
min.
100
50
J F M A M J J A S O N D
0