Learning Objectives

1
Learning Objectives

• To understand some of the issues raised by
  Inter-Basin Water Transfers.
• To see how issues can be used in an assess
  question.

2
Why?

• Assess the extent to which plentiful supplies of
  water in some parts of the world can be used to
  make up shortages elsewhere.
• (15 marks)
• Key points
• scale
• within/between countries
• ve/-ve
• winners/losers etc ASSESS!!

3
Water transfers- a quick fix?
Receiving area
Source area
Examples of existing schemes Examples of existing schemes Proposed schemes Proposed schemes
International Lesotho to South Africa Lesotho Highlands Water Project Turkey to Israel by tanker National Snowy Mountains-Australia Melamchi Nepal Tagus-Mercia Spain International Turkey to Israel undersea pipelines Austrian Alps to Spain Greece by pipeline National South-North transfer- China Ebro -Spain Ob to the Aral Sea NAWAPA Alaska to California
4
Demand from industrial centres, high population
density and intensive agriculture. Low rainfall
and over abstracted groundwater physical scarcity
Mega Tech Fixes Chinas SouthNorth water
transfer
One of the largest water transfers
globally. Aim to divert 45bn m3/year from the
water surplus river basins of the S and E to the
water deficit areas of the North, especially
Beijing and Tianjin
Central routes 1267 km diversion. May have to use
some water from 3 Gorges reservoir to help

• Externalities
• Industrial growth along routeways will exacerbate
  existing pollution problems
• Changes in water balances reduced water in
  Yangtze means less dilution and more pollution
• Displaced people especially from Dang Jiang Kou
  dam ......

Beijing
Western Routes Work starts 2010, at high
altitude, very difficult 500kms at 3-5000m above
sea level
Tianjin
Eastern Route 1,155km long diversion
Yellow River
CHINA
Shanghai
Yangtze River
0 mls 250
South China Sea
Originally planned 1952, started 2002 ,due to
finish 2050. Chief player Government sponsored
South to North Water Transfer Project Company,
with each province having a local water company.
Involves huge civil engineering works, 3 major
canals, pipelines, tunnels, pumping stations
5
Inter-Basin Water Transfers(I BT)
A multi billion Euro scheme designed to divert
water from Spain's rainy north to it's parched
south is dividing the Spanish nation.
6
Water flowing south Vicente Sicilia's company
exports 60 million kilos of tomatoes, peppers,
cucumbers and celery each year, much of which
ends up in British supermarkets. To him the
Spanish government's National Hydrological Plan
makes perfect sense. "Here in Murcia we've got a
wonderful climate, good land and hard working
people. There's just one thing missing - water".
                                
The Spanish government says the water is needed
for the agribusiness sector that covers much of
southern Spain in a sea of polytunnels and
plastic sheeting.
7
Water flowing south The idea is to siphon off
"excess water" from the River Ebro, which springs
in the Pyrenees and ends just south of Barcelona.
                                
It involves building 118 dams and more than
1000km of canals and pipelines with an estimated
price tag of 18bn Euro. One third of the money is
supposed to come from European taxpayers.
8

• The plan has been stopped!

The Spanish government's announcement is good
news for the wetlands of the Ebro Delta
"We have stopped the water transfer, but still
have threats from the basin plan" Dr Carles
Ibañez, SEO/BirdLife
9
Tasks

• Two groups one studying the Tagus-Segura IBT in
  Spain, one studying the Lesotho Highland Water
  Project in southern Africa.
• Each pair has information about the case study,
  which needs to be summarised. For example
  positive/negative impacts winners/losers - and
  then contribute to a group discussion about your
  findings.
• Each person will need an overall summary of the
  case study eg on A3.
• You will then be paired with a pair from the
  other group and you will teach each other about
  your case study.

Water Transfer scheme What is being done Positives/Negatives Winners/Losers
The Tagus Segura Transfer, Spain
The Lesotho Highland Project, Southern Africa


10
Summary

• What common issues arise with Inter-Basin Water
  Transfers?
• Are they a better solution than dams?