Topic Summaries

Strategies to increase water supply

IGCSE > Geography > CIE > IGCSE Geography Topic Summaries > Water supply > Strategies to increase water supply
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Weather hazards and atmospheric circulation

Tropical storm hazards

Responding to tropical storms

Hot desert ecosystems

Cold environment ecosystems

Glacial landscapes

Glacial landform processes

Water supply

Energy supply

  • Diverting supplies and increasing storage: diverting rivers or streams to areas of need and storing water in reservoirs or underground aquifers.
    • Benefits: reduces water loss and provides reliable supply in dry periods.
    • Drawbacks: can be expensive and difficult to coordinate, may necessitate diverting water to storage for long-term benefit even if there is short-term urgent need.
  • Dams and reservoirs: dams block rivers to create reservoirs, storing water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use. For example, Kielder Dam in Northumberland is the largest reservoir in the UK.
    • Benefits: provides a reliable water supply, generates hydroelectric power, and controls flooding.
    • Drawbacks: expensive, can displace communities and harm ecosystems.
  • Water transfers: moving water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit via pipelines, canals, or aqueducts.
    • Benefits: balances water supply and demand across regions.
    • Drawbacks: expensive, can cause environmental damage, and may lead to political tensions if needing to transfer water from one area in need to another more urgent one.
  • Desalination: removing salt from seawater to make it drinkable (e.g. Ras Al Khair in Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest desalination plant).
    • Benefits: provides a reliable water source in dry regions.
    • Drawbacks: high energy use, expensive, and produces brine waste that can harm marine ecosystems.

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