LESSON 9.14 Review 9.14.1
Key knowledge summary Use this dot-point summary to review the content covered in this topic. 9.2 What type of resource is water? • People depend on the Earth’s environmental resources for survival. • Australia has an abundance of environmental resources, both renewable and non-renewable. These include minerals, soils, forests and natural scenery. • Water is a renewable resource in most forms. • The water cycle is a process that cycles water in different forms and connects people and places. 9.3 How does groundwater connect people and place? • Groundwater is water stored underground and is important in dry areas. • If more groundwater is used than replaced, aquifers can dry up, making groundwater a limited resource. • Many groundwater sources in Australia have been used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and shared through Dreaming stories and songs. • Many springs and soaks have cultural significance for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, whose ancestors relied on the springs for survival. 9.4 Why is water supply variable? • Only a small fraction of global water is available for use by people. • Rainfall varies widely across the world. Climate change is affecting the availability of water. • Green water, blue water and potential water sources are found in places around the world. • Australia is the driest permanently inhabited continent in the world. • Australia’s rainfall is highly variable even at a global level. 9.5 Investigating topographic maps: The value of water in Noosa • The environment around Noosa is valued for economic, aesthetic and cultural reasons. • Management strategies help to ensure the demands of tourist and locals are met. 9.6 Does everyone have enough water? • Globally, water is mainly used for agriculture, but this varies from region to region. • Australia uses 70 per cent of its water for agriculture. • Virtual water includes the water used to manufacture food and goods. • Some foods and goods require very large amounts of water to be produced. • Countries that export these high-water-use products are virtually exporting their water; countries importing these goods are virtually importing water. • Australia’s rainfall patterns are influenced by El Niño and La Niña. El Niño causes drought in Australia and rain in South America. For some countries, water accessibility is a greater concern than water availability . 9.7 How do we overcome water scarcity? • Access to adequate clean water and sanitation is vital to maintain health but varies across the world. • Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth and, although it has several large rivers, the availability of fresh water is scarce. Weather events such as El Niño produce extended periods of drought. • A drought is a prolonged period of below-average rainfall, when not enough water is available to supply our normal needs. • Africa has the worst data related to water and sanitation provisions. • Women are over-represented in the task of fetching and carrying water.
334 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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