Water scarcity

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/water-scarcity

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the physical scarcity regions?Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa
2. What is the economic scarcity regions?Sub-Saharan Africa
3. Why do some places have less water than others?Some places, like deserts, get very little rain and lose water fast, so they have physical water scarcity. Other places have enough water but lack pipes or pumps, so they have economic water scarcity.
4. How does climate change affect water scarcity?Climate change can make droughts and floods more common, which changes how much water is available and when it is available.

Green water: The portion of rainfall stored in the soil that is available for plants to use.
Virtual water trade: The hidden water used to produce goods and services that are then traded internationally.
Environmental flow requirements: The quantity, timing, and quality of water flows needed to sustain freshwater ecosystems.