Geog Field Trip to ECP (Research + Reflection) -Jiayu

Hypothesis:

- The seawater at East Coast is polluted and is acidic.

What we need to find out:

- The clarity of the seawater

- Whether the seawater is acidic or alkaline

- Type of dirt particles or rubbish in the seawater

- Photographs evidence of polluted water

Methodology:

1. Walk along East Coast Beach and identify 4 points along the sea with different activities going on.

2. Collect a sample (1 bottle) of seawater from each sample.

3. Label point A, B, C or D on the bottles.

4. Pour out 2 beakers of 50cm3 of seawater from each sample

5. Observe the clarity of the seawater and smell it. Record down observations.

6. Pour out some seawater from each sample into different test tubes.

7. Dip red and blue litmus paper into the seawater in each test tube then record observations.

8. Drop pH paper into the test tube and record the pH.

9. Filter one of the 2 beakers of seawater from each sample then boil it in an evaporating dish until the salt is left. Record observations and time.

10. With the other beaker left, boil it straight in an evaporating dish without filtering, until the salt is left. Record observations ad time.

11. Compare the results for the different samples.

 

Findings

(1) MOST -------(4) LEAST

Samples:

Point A: Tents, Camping , a lot of ships, more people, human activities, rubbish on shore

Point B: Less human activities, more birds, hardly any rubbish

Point C: Strong waves, A lot of rubbish, Left of the jetty

Point D: Hardly any rubbish, smaller waves than left side of the jetty

Observation:

Point A: No smell, slightly cloudy

Point B: No smell, slightly cloudy

Point C: Strong fishy smell, slightly cloudy

Point D: Fishy smell, slightly cloudy

 

Observations during the boiling of the water (filtered):

Bottle A: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Bottle B: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Bottle C: Little effervescence is produced.

Bottle D: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Observations during the boiling of the water (unfiltered):

Bottle A: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Bottle B: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Bottle C: Hardly any effervescence is produced.

Bottle D: A lot of effervescence is produced.

 

Litmus paper test & pH Paper test

pH for all samples: pH 9

 

Bottle A (top left hand corner): turned red litmus paper slightly blue. Blue litmus paper remains blue.

Bottle B (bottom left hand corner): turned red litmus paper slightly blue. Blue litmus paper remains blue.

Bottle C (top right hand corner): turned red litmus paper slightly blue. Blue litmus paper remains blue.

Bottle D (bottom right hand corner): turned red litmus paper slightly blue. Blue litmus paper remains blue.

 

 

Filtration Test:

 

Amount of Residue:

Point A: (1)Most Residue

Point B: (2) Lots of Residue                              

Point C: (3) A little Residue

Point D: (4) Hardly any Residue

 

Boiling Test:

Boiling of the seawater that is not filtered

Amount of salt:

A: (3)

B: (2)

C: (4)

D: (1)

Time taken:

A: 15:11 mins

B: 12:58 mins  

C: 18:05 mins

D: 10:54 mins

Boiling of the seawater that is filtered

Amount of salt:

A: (3)

B: (2)

C: (4)

D: (1)

Time taken:

A: 11:55 mins

B: 10:57 mins

C: 13:09 mins

D: 12:33 mins 

Reflection:

Through this field trip, i have understood more about the clarity of seawater and its pH level

 

I found out that seawater is actually alkali, opposite of what we have expected. I also found out that the seawater is different at different parts of the sea due to the activities conducted there. For example, the seawater near the jetty smells like fish as fishing activities are carried out there. Another example is that the sea water does not smell fishy in areas where human activities are  kept to the minimum. The water is also much clearer at points A & B than points C & D. This is because points A & B does not allow people to swim there and points C&D are near the jetty, where there are more human activities and fishes around.

The reason why there are more rubbish at the left side of the jetty than the right side of the jetty is because waves move from right to left. When the waves high  the jetty walls, it loses energy thus resulting in the rubbish depositing at the left side of the jetty. However, as the water continues to move on to the right side of the jetty, a process called erosion is taken place there. This is why there are more rubbish at the left side of the jetty and the shore seem to be higher and cleaner at the right side of the jetty.

Points C&D are most likely to be more chemically polluted than physically polluted as the samples from those 2 points took the longest to evaporate. When the sample from point C was boiling, hardly any effervescence was found. With the filtration test,  the residues found on the filter paper is the least therefore this shows that the seawater at points C&D Is not suitable for swimming as it may cause skin diseases.

Overall, the seawater at East coast park is quite polluted.

-Jiayu

East Coast Beach Research and Reflection

Research:

- Water Pollution

Hypothesis:

- The seawater at East Coast is polluted and is acidic.

What we need to find out:

- The clarity of the seawater

- Whether the seawater is acidic or alkaline

- Type of dirt particles or rubbish in the seawater

- Photographs evidence of polluted water

Methodology:

1. Walk along East Coast Beach and identify 4 points along the sea with different activities going on.

2. Collect a sample (1 bottle) of seawater from each sample.

3. Label point A, B, C or D on the bottles.

4. POur out 2 beakers of 50cm3 of seawater from each sample

5. Observe the clarity of the seawater and smell it. Record down observations.

6. Pour out some seawater from each sample into different test tubes.

7. Dip red and blue litmus paper into the seawater in each test tube then record observations.

8. Drop pH paper into the test tube and record the pH.

9. Filter one of the 2 beakers of seawater from each sample then boil it in an evaporating dish until the salt is left. Record observations and time.

10. With the other beaker left, boil it straight in an evaporating dish without filtering, until the salt is left. Record observations ad time.

11. Compare the results for the different samples.

Findings:

Bottle A - breakwall (camping, a lot of ships, more people and activity)

Bottle B - control (no human activities, more birds. No rubbish on shore)

Bottle C - left side of jetty (jetty fishing, water is black(ish), a lot of rubbish, washed-up seaweed, strong waves)

Bottle D - right side of jetty (no rubbish, smaller waves)

Smell:

Bottle A - no smell

Bottle B - no smell

Bottle C - strong fishy smell

Bottle D - mild fishy smell

Clarity: (1) clearest ------ (4) least clear

Bottle A: (3)

Bottle B: (4)

Bottle C: (2)

Bottle D: (1)

pH paper test:

Bottle A: turned blue (pH 8-9) (1st test tube)

Bottle B: turned blue (pH 8-9) (2nd test tube)

Bottle C: turned blue (pH 8-9) (3rd test tube)

Bottle D: turned blue (pH 8-9) (4th test tube)

Litmus paper test:

Bottle A (top left hand corner): turned red litmus paper slightly blue. Blue litmus paper remains blue.

Bottle B (bottom left hand corner): turned red litmus paper slightly blue. Blue litmus paper remains blue.

Bottle C (top right hand corner): turned red litmus paper slightly blue. Blue litmus paper remains blue.

Bottle D (bottom right hand corner): turned red litmus paper slightly blue. Blue litmus paper remains blue.

Residue (dirt) for filtered seawater: (1) most residue ----- (4) least residue

Bottle A: (1)

Bottle B: (2)

Bottle C: (3)

Bottle D: (4)

Residue (salt) for filtered seawater: (1) most residue ---- (4) least residue

Bottle A: (3)

Bottle B: (2)

Bottle C: (1)

Bottle D: (4)

Residue (salt) for unfiltered seawater: (1) most residue ----- (4) least residue

Bottle A: (3)

Bottle B: (2)

Bottle C: (4)

Bottle D: (1)

Observations during the boiling of the water (filtered):

Bottle A: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Bottle B: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Bottle C: Little effervescence is produced.

Bottle D: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Observations during the boiling of the water (unfiltered):

Bottle A: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Bottle B: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Bottle C: Hardly any effervescence is produced.

Bottle D: A lot of effervescence is produced.

Time taken for the water to evaporate (filtered):

Bottle A: 11.55 minutes

Bottle B: 10.57 minutes

Bottle C: 13.09 minutes

Bottle D: 12.33 minutes

Time taken for the water to evaporate (unfiltered):

Bottle A: 15.11 minutes

Bottle B: 12.58 minutes

Bottle C: 18.50 minutes

Bottle D: 10.54 minutes

Conclusion:

Based on the time the unfiltered water took to boil, the water from Bottle C is the most polluted as it took the longest time for the water to evaporate. Also, when the water was evaporating, there was hardly any effervescence at all. This shows that the water in Bottle C could be more chemically polluted than physically polluted.

As the water in the other bottles were being evaporated, a lot of effervescence was produced. Hence, the water in Bottles A, B, and D were more physically polluted as compared to the water in Bottle C.

According to the pH paper test, the seawater that we collected is alkaline instead of acidic. Also, the seawater is polluted because of the photo evidences that the rocks and breakwalls have eroded.

The water in Bottle A is the most physically polluted as there was the most amount of dirt found on the filter paper. Thus, it proves that the human activity occurring at Point A (where we got the water in Bottle A from) is affecting the cleanliness of the water.

Reflection:

Through the research, I found out that seawater is actually alkaline instead of acidic.

This can be proven in the photos of the breakwalls. There is algae growing on the bottom of it, where it is in constant contact with the waves. This is because there are phosphates and nitrates present in the seawater, which causes it to turn alkaline and promote algae growth. As the beach receives daylight every day, the light also fuels the algae growth.

Also, I learnt that the activities that were carried out near the shore can also affect the cleanliness of the water.

At Point C, there were people fishing on the sand (near the jetty) and on the jetty. The water collected from Point C smelled fishy and it was very dirty. Some parts of the water was black and there was rubbish floating in the water as well as lying on the shore. There were also tons of washed-up seaweed. As the unfiltered seawater collected from Point C took the longest to evaporate, it was the most polluted water among the 4 samples that we collected. Also, due to the large amounts of rubbish found in the water, the water could be chemically polluted as well as physically polluted.

Whereas for the other points where we collected the water, the water was not as polluted as the water from Point C. This is because there was lesser human activity being carried out.

At Point A, even though there were people camping, the water was not that polluted as the people camped on the ground. Hence, they did not really affect the water cleanliness. However, they might have affected the cleanliness of the land around that area. The rubbish found in the sand could be washed into the sea when the tide is high, thus polluting the water.

Therefore, from this research and "field trip", I learned about the cleanliness and the alkalinity of the seawater at East Coast Beach.

~Kimberley Lim~

Geography Field-trip to East Coast

(pH paper experiment)

(Filtration. Boiling and Litmus Paper experiment) Point A is on the top left, B bottom left, C top right and D bottom right.

(Boiling of seawater- Point D)

(Boiling of seawater - Point C)

(Boiling of seawater- Point B)

(Boiling of seawater- Point A)

Point C

Point C

(The first part- hypothesis, is in Gracia's blog)

Findings:
(By Nicole Mui)

When my group- Gracia, Kimberley, Jia Yu and I- were in East Coast, we decided to collect seawater from 4 different points of the beach. At each point, different activities were taking place, though at all points, many ships could be seen.

(Point A & B were in between 2 breakwalls)

Point A- people were playing in the water, tents, quite a number of people

Point B- no activities were taking place, many birds

(Point C & D had a jetty dividing them, with Point C being left-side and Point D being the right) - shown in the pictures above -

Point C- people were fishing, even though there was much sediments (rubbish) on the seashore too. There were also stronger waves as I got wetter than the other points while trying to collect the seawater.

Point D- no activities were taking place, no rubbish, smaller waves

What could be the reason that the sediments were only deposited on the leftside of the jetty? It is because the waves were moving from left to right, hence, the waves crashed into the jetty wall, lost most of its energy and travelled towards the seashore after being rebounded. As the waves were 'carrying' the sediments, this caused those sediments to be deposited onto the seashore. This only happened to the left-side because the waves that managed to travel to the right-side of the jetty were already weak and sediment-free. Therefore, only the left-side of the jetty was polluted on the seashore.

When we went back to school 2 days later, we did the following experiments on the seawater:
-Checking the clarity and smell of the saewater

-Filtration and boiling

-Boiling

-Litmus paper (blue & red)

-pH paper

Clarity & Smell

Point A: No smell, slightly cloudy

Point B: No smell,slightly cloudy

Point C: Strong fishy smell, slightly cloudy

Point D: Fishy smell, slightly cloudy

Ranking the seawater based on its clarity in descending order- D,C,A,B

Filtration & Boiling

When we filtered the seawater, we recorded in descending order which seawater left the most amount of residue- A,B,C,D was the order.

We also recorded how long the filtered seawater took to evaporate completely.

Point A- 11.55mins

Point B- 10.57mins

Point C- 13.09mins

Point D- 12.33mins

with the fastest being the seawater collected from Point B, then A, followed by D and C.

Boiling

This experiment was exactly the same as the one before except that we did not filtrate it.

The timings taken for the seawater to boil were-

Point A-15.11mins

Point B- 12.58mins

Point C- 18.05mins

Point D- 10.54mins

The seawater that evaporated the fastest was from Point D, then B, followed by A and C. This order is exactly the same as to which seawater left the most amount of residue (salt) for this experiment.

Litmus Paper

All the seawater were not acidic but slighly alkaline.

pH paper

All the seawater were of pH 9 (blue in colour).

Therefore I know that the seawater is not the same throughout.

Reflection:

Before the trip, I had a lot of questions about the seawater. However, after doing all these experiments, most of my questions have been answered, though I still have one that I'm still thinking about.

Why are the fishes found at Point C? Point C is supposedly the most polluted area out of all the 4 points. Futhermore, why did the man fish there, of all places? Then I thought. Perhaps it is due to the fact that more fishes thrive there as they feed on the 'rubbish'. It could have also been due to the waves being strong. The fishes might have been swept there by the waves, but this is just my hypothesis. I might go to East Coast again one day and try to investigate further.

*Sorry I couldn't insert the pictures in the middle of the post. It kept appearing at the top when i uploaded it.

~Nicole Mui~

Water Supply

Water as a scarce resource

-Important for life

-Need water for drinking and for other uses

-Used in industries and in agriculture

-The water consumed by people all over the world is increasing

-Amount of fresh water is limited

-Water shortage referred to as water constraint

-One third of the worlds population live in countries that are facing water constraints

Reasons for Water Constraint

-Limited supply of fresh water

-Rising demand for water

Limited supply of fresh water

-Only one percent of the total amount of water on the Earth is fresh water that is readily available for human consumption. (Surface water and groundwater)

-Some countries experience a more serious problem of water constraint than others.

            =>Why?

                        -Uneven distribution of fresh water

                        -Water pollution

Uneven distribution of fresh water

-While some countries have an abundant supply of fresh water, others suffer from a lack of it

-Because of the of the differences in climate
-affect agriculture

-Lead to shortage of food for the people.

Water pollution

-Not all water is safe for drinking and other uses even if there is an abundant supply of fresh water in a country.

-Fresh water is polluted by human activities

-Many of world’s akes and rivers are polluted

-Water is polluted by waste from factories and households (carelessly dumped into rivers)

Rising demand for water

-further contributed to the problem of water constraint.

-Causing problems for many countries

-Reasons :

            -Population growth

            -Growth of agriculture

            -Growth of industries

            -Changes in lifestyle

Population growth

-Total supply of fresh water on Earth will have to be shared among more people

-Could worsen the problem of water constraint in many countries

Growth in Agriculture

-Need to grow more food to feed the growing population

-fresh water supply is used for the watering of crops and the rearing of livestock

Growth of industries

-Water plays an important part in the daily operation of industries

-cleaning and cooling machines, raw material in making products such as food, chemicals and paper

Change in lifestyle

-Increase the demand for water

-people adopt modern lifestyle and can afford to buy items which will provide tem with more convenience and greater comfort

-Eg. Swimming pool

                        

Responses to Rising Demand for Water

-Water constraint leads to more problems

-3 Responses:

            -Increasing the price of water

            -Increasing the supply of water

            -Conserving water

Increasing the price of water

-To control the rising demand of water

-People do not want to pay more and will be encouraged to use less water

-Not a long term solution

-Helps to reduce the rising costs of producing and distributing water.

-Poor will suffer more when the price of water increases

Increasing the supply of water

-3 ways to increase the supply of water

            -Increasing catchment areas

            -Buying water from other countries through international agreements

            -Use of technology

Increase catchment areas

-Catchment area is an area over which rain falls and is collected

-Result in an increase in the amount of water collected

-E.g. Nature reserves

-Nature reserves are often used as catchment areas because forests can retain a supply of fresh water

-Will not only help to increase the amount of rainwater collected in a country

-Also help to keep the cost of water treatment down

-More forests are conserved in the process

-Less and available for other purposes such as the building of houses, industries and roads

-In times of drought or little rainfall, the land used for these catchment areas will be ineffective

-Reservoir>Pumping station> Raw water mixing chamber> Settling tank > Sand filters> Disinfection> Clear water tank> Pumping station> Service reservoir> Industries & Homes

International agreements

-Is an arrangement between two or more countries regarding the supply and use of water resources over a specific period of time

-Countries discuss and negotiate terms on the buying or the sharing of water resources

-E.g. In the Bangladesh –India water treaty sign in 1966, the two countries agreed to share and manage the water supply from the Ganges River

-Convenient way of obtaining water

-Not the best solution in the long term

-Agreements expire and countries will have to renegotiate the terms for a new agreement

- Countries cannot be certain that they will always have enough water to meet their needs

Use of technology

-Recycling water or water reclamation and desalinated water

Recycling water (water reclamation)

-Used water can be converted into usable water

-Used water is collected from households and factories and channeled to water recycling or water reclamation plants

-End product referred to as recycled water or reclaimed water

-Eg. NEWater in Singapore

-Micro filtration>Reverse osmosis> UV Disinfection> End product

Desalination

-Process of removing salt from sea water

-Convert sea water to drinking water in many dry regions of the world and in areas where the water supply is contaminated

-Water is boiled and the water vapour is collected and condensed into fresh water

-Requires a lot of energy to heat up the water

-Use of reverse osmosis

Effectiveness?

-Very costly

-Large amounts of energy

-People may not get used to the idea of drinking desalinated water

Conserving water

-Careful use of water resources to ensure that wastage is kept to a minimum

-Reduce the risk of future water shortage by encouraging people and industries to use less water

-Help delay the need to develop new facilities or upgrade existing facilities

-Save money through reduced water bills

-Government has less need to invest more money on water related facilities

-Educate the public through campaigns

Water supply in Singapore

History of water constraints in Singapore

-Rivers in Singapore do not provide an adequate supply of fresh water to meet existing needs.

-Although rainfall in Singapore is generally high, dry spells are common as well

-The amount of rainfall collected in catchment areas is not enough to satisfy all our water needs

-More land is cleared thus there is a loss of many water catchment areas

-However, since then, more land has been set aside as water catchment areas

Growing demand for water

-The growth of Singapore’s population and industry has increased the demand for its limited supply of water

-Demand expected to increase further as Singapore works towards becoming a global centre

-Industries require a lot of clean water to carry out their various processes

-We are also using water at an increasing rate

Water as a strategic resource

-We need to manage our water supply well or it may lead to a negative impact on both our personal lives and businesses

-Without water, many human activities cannot continue

-Health of Singaporeans will also be at risk as human beings cannot survive without water

-Increases our vulnerability

Methods to increase water supply

Tap 1: Water from local catchment areas (Reservoirs)

Tap 2: Imported water (International agreements)

Tap 3: NEWater (Technology)

Tap 4: Desalinated water (Technology)

Policies and campaigns to conserve water supply

-Difficult talk to keep looking for new sources of water

-Discourage excessive use of water is to impose water conservation tax on the amount of water used

-E.g. Save water campaigns

-In 2003 PUB launched a new water conservation programme, Water Efficient Homes

Is there enough for the future?

-So far, Singapore has been able to tackle the problem of a limited supply of fresh water

-Technology innovations have enabled us to enlarge our catchment areas

-Policies aimed at water conservation have also produced some positive results

-However, as our population and industries continue to grow, it may not be possible to sustain our water supply indefinitely

Therefore, everyone must play their part to conserve water and keep our water catchment areas clean so we can all enjoy our water resources!

Summary of Water Supply

Water Supply

Water is a vital resource to sustain life on Earth. It is needed for drinking, cooking, cleaning and many other uses. The amount of water consumed by humans is increasing, but the amount of fresh water available is limited. The problem of water shortage is referred to as water constraint.

More than one-third of the world's population live in countries that are facing the water constraints. Hence, people must find ways to increase their supply of fresh water.

Reasons for Water Constraint

Limited supply of fresh water

Water covers about three-quarters of the Earth's surface. Saltwater makes up 97% of this amount. Fresh water makes up only 3%. Out of 3%, only 1% of the Earth's fresh water is readily available for human consumption. Fresh water can be found deep underground and is known as groundwater. It also be found in rivers, streams and is known as surface water.

Uneven distribution of fresh water

-> Some countries suffer from a lack of fresh water.

-> Some countries have larger populations and require more fresh water than others.

-> Due to the differences in climate, (between a country with an abundance of fresh water and a country with a lack of fresh water) cause an insufficient supply of water for agriculture, leading to a shortage of food for the people.

Water Pollution

-> Due to human activities.

-> Waste from households and factories are dumped into rivers and pollutes the water.

Rising demand for water

-> further contributes to the problem of water constraint

Population growth

-> The world's population had tripled over the past 8- years, thus the demand for fresh water has increased as well.

-> The amount of fresh water available remains the same, so this water has to be shared among more people.

Growth of agriculture

-> With the increasing population, more food is needed to feed the people.

-> Up to three-quarters of the world's supply of fresh water is used to water crops and rear livestock.

-> Large scale irrigation is used to channel water to farming areas that receive little rainfall.

Growth of industries

-> Water plays an important role in the daily operation of the industries

-> Water is used for cleaning and cooling machines and as a raw material in making products such as food, chemicals and paper.

Changes in lifestyle

-> As countries become more developed, people adopt modern lifestyles and can afford to buy items which provide them with more convenience and comfort.

-> Most homes in developed countries have electrical appliances like washing machines and air-conditioner which will lead to the increase in the demand for water.

Responses to Rising Demand for Water

-> If the problem of water constraint is left unsolved, it can lead to more problems such as food shortages.

-> Hence, people can respond to the increasing demand for water in three ways.

Increasing the price of water

-> discourages people from using too much water as they would have to pay more for the water.

-> reduces the cost in producing and distributing water

-> not the best way to respond to the rising demand for water.

-> when water prices increase, only the rich may be able to afford it. The poor will suffer as they cannot afford it.

Increasing the supply of water

-> Three ways in which the supply of fresh water can be increased.

Increase in catchment areas (an area where rain falls and is collected)

-> Increase in amount of water collected.

-> E.g. Singapore's Central Catchment Area, which consists of four major reservoirs surrounded by forests, Upper Seletar Reservoir, Upper Peirce Reservoir, Lower Peirce Reservoir and MacRitchie Reservoir.

-> Forests can retain a supply of fresh water. Trees intercept rainwater and is absorbed by the soil on the ground. This water is eventually drained into a reservoir for storage.

-> Helps to keep the cost of water treatment down. Rainwater is cleaner that seawater and thus, is easier to purify.

-> Forest are conserved and people will be able to enjoy a wider a range of the nature.

-> Less land available for development

-> Rainfall is a natural event and there is no control over the amount of rain that falls.

International Agreements

-> The arrangement of 2 countries regarding the supply and use of water resources over a period of time.

-> Countries discuss and negotiate the terms on the buying or sharing of water resources. (E.g. Bangladesh and India water treaty)

-> Treaty is only valid for a period of time, therefore it is not a long term solution.

-> Countries cannot be certain that they will have enough water to meet their needs.

Use of technology

-> Cloud-seeding, where chemicals are dispersed into the air to allow water droplets to form more easily. (It's effectiveness has yet to be determined)

-> Recycling water, where used water is collected and sent to reclamation plants for the impurities to be removed. The end product is referred to as recycled water. This water can then be further treated to be used in industries or for drinking. (E.g. NEWater)

- Process

1. Microfiltration, where large particles of bacteria are removed.

2. Reverse osmosis. Pressure is applied to the water to force it through a special membrane. Smaller particles of bacteria and dissolved salts are removed from this step.

3. UV disinfection. The water is disinfected with ultraviolet radiation.

-> Desalination is the removal of salt from salt water. It is used to convert seawater to drinking water in many dry regions of the world and areas where water supply is contaminated. (E.g. Saudi Arabia)

Methods:

- Distillation (expensive as it requires a lot of energy to heat the water)

1. Water is boiled

2. Water vapour is collected and condensed into fresh water

- Reverse Osmosis

1. Seawater is pumped at high pressure through a special membrane to separate the dissolved salts from the water.

-> Use of technology is costly (E.g. NEWater plant costs S$6.82 million to construct)

-> Requires large amounts of energy.

-> People may not get used to the idea of drinking treated water as it has a different taste as compared to water obtained from traditional sources (reservoirs). [In Singapore, NEWater is piped into reservoirs before it is re-channelled to homes and other places.]

Conserving water

-> Refers to the careful use of water resources to ensure that the wastage is kept to a minimum.

-> Reduces the risk of future water shortage by encouraging people and industries to use less water.

-> Delays the need for the development of new facilities or upgrading of existing facilities to increase water supply. (Facilities are expensive to build and take up land)

-> Helps households and industries to save on water bills.

-> Requires cooperation from everyone.

-> Water conservation can be encouraged by educating the public through campaigns.

Water Supply In Singapore

-> do not provide an adequate supply of water to meet our demands

Growing demand for water

-> The growth of Singapore's population and industries has increased the demand for water.

Water as strategic resource

-> Without water, many households and industries cannot be able to function normally.

-> Water shortage increases our vulnerability.

Methods to increase water supply

1. Water from local catchment areas

-> More reservoirs are built

- >Stormwater collection ponds have been constructed in some housing estates.

2. Imported water

-> Water is bought from neighbouring countries like Malaysia.

-> Not the best solution as it is not long term. Countries can choose to stop supplying us with water when the agreements expire.

3. NEWater

-> the use of advanced technology to obtain fresh water.

-> supplied mainly to wafer fabrication plants, industrial estates and commercial buildings.

-> mixed with reservoir water before it is sent for treatment at water works. The treated water is then sent to households for consumption.

4. Desalinated water

-> cost is high

-> uses the reverse osmosis method

Policies and campaigns to conserve water supply

-> Impose water conservation tax on the amount of water used.

-> 'Save Water' campaigns have been carried out to educate the people on conserving water.

-> 'Water Efficient Homes' also encourage people to conserve water. Under this programme, more households in Singapore have installed water saving devices to help them conserve water.

There may not enough water for usage as the population and industries continue to grow. Thus, everyone must play their part to keep water catchment areas clean and conserve water, so that there will enough water for the future.

~Kimberley Lim~

Land Supply

Land as a Scarce Resource

•

Land is an important resource - used for various purposes to meet our

needs.

•

total amount of land available in every country is limited.

•

only 1/3 of the earth’s surface is land and of this, about half is covered by

mountains, deserts, ice and swamps (pp 6)

•

=scarcity or shortage of land to be developed for various uses.

•

= amount of land that can be developed for various uses is limited.

= Land constraint

Scarcity of land in Singapore requires careful planning to maximize

landuse

Reasons for land constraints

Rising demand for land

-Population growth

-Increasing demand for housing 

-Growth of industries

-Development of transport systems 

-Increasing demand for arable land

-Increasing demand for recreational spaces

Population growth :

-There is a rapid population growth in the last few decades, thus more land is needed for human activities.

-All areas have a carrying capacity 

-When the number of people increases, the available resources would have to be shared among more people, which adds pressure to the land 

Increasing demand for housing:

-As a result of rapid population growth in the last few decades, more and is needed for human activities .

-As a population grows, there will be increasing demand for housing

-Singapore has built high rise HDB apartments to meet the increasing demand for housing

Growth of industries:

-The need to provide jobs for a growing population, thus there is a need to develop more industries.
-To expand industries, more land is needed
-10% of Singapore's total land area is taken up by industries.


Development of transport systems:
-As a country develops, more roads and railways have to be built
-20% of the total land area in some cities is set aside for transport facilities


Increasing demand for arable land:
-to produce food to feed their increasing populations, countries have to look for more arable land
-Arable land is a short supply


Increasing demand for recreational spaces:
-With more people, more recreational spaces will have to be provided
-Eg swimming pools, public golf courses, theaters and nature reserves.


Limited supply of land

Land makes up only 30% of the Earth's surfaces. Of this, not all are readily available. For example, swamps, marshes and low lying coastal areas are constantly flooded with water, deserts are too dry to be of much use. Even when land is suitable for human use, it may be reserved for certain uses. For example, water catchment areas, training areas for soldiers etc
Therefore,theres a limited area for other purposes.

Responses to rising demand for land

Increasing the price of land 
-The land supply for every country is limited.
-Price of land increases when there is a high demand of land and people are willing to pay a higher price for the available land.
-Referred to as the price machanism
-Land in city area is usually very expensive. For example,It costs more than 1600 a month to rent a one-bedroom apartment
- Demand for land
People will be discouraged from using the land with the price of land increases.

Increasing the supply of land:
-Land clearance
-Land reclamation (Landfill, empoldering, reclaiming derelict land)


Land clearance
-Process whereby empty plots of land are created for various land uses.
-For example, demolishing old buildings or by clearing forests(Deforestation)
Effectiveness?
-Land is freed up to build new buildings and other facilities when land is cleared(Positive)
-When deforestation takes place, habitats of many plants and animals are destroyed (Negative)
       => Many plants and animals may die or even become extinct! 
                             => Effect the entire food chain.

Land reclamation
-Creation of dry land from an area covered by water
-Recovering of land that is damaged or abandoned and making it usable again


Landfill
Step 1 : Columns of sand known as piles are forced into the soft clay of the seabed to make it more stable
Step 2 : A sand wall is built around the area to be reclaimed to keep sea water out. Sand is loaded into the sea just outside the sand wall and stored there until it is needed
Step 3: The sand that was previously loaded into the sea is sucked up and pumped into the enclosed area
Step 4 : The sand is compressed and a granite wall is build on the side facing the sea to prevent area from being eroded by waves.
Step 5: Tress and other vegetation are grown on the reclaimed and to prevent soil erosion and the land is left to rest.( The number of years the land needs to rest depends on how this land will be used.)

Examples:
 

Empoldering

-Involve the use of polders 
-Also a way to control floods
-Carried out in the low lying coastal areas.
-Common in countries like the Netherlands(country that lies below sea level and prone to flooding.)


Process:
Step 1: A dike constructed around the area to be reclaimed to keep water from coming in
Step 2: The area is drained using pumps and drainage canals
Step 3: Reeds, a type of plant, are sown by aircraft to help the soil form
Step 4: After 3 years, the reeds are burnt and the ash is used as fertilisers for the soil.
Step 5: After a period of up to 15 years, the polder is ready for growing crops, building houses and constructing roads.
Reclaiming derelict land:
-Natural disasters as well as human activities can cause damage to the land
-The damaged land cannot be used for certain activities. 
-This damaged land is also known as derelict land
-2 ways in which a piece of land becomes derelict

Improper farming practices
-Fertility of the land can be lost through poor farming practices. The crops take up nutrients in the soil as they grow. There is insufficient time for the nutrients to be replaced when different harvest of crops are grown one after another.
-Excessive ploughing of land can also cause a large amount of soil erosion as the soil structure is loosened making it very prone to erosion by water. Nutrients are lost and the soil is no longer suitable for cultivation when this happens.

Mining activities
-In the process of mining ores, vegetation and soil have to be removed because the minerals are found in the ground. 
-Enormous holes are dug and deep mining pools are formed when it is filled with rainwater.
-Heaps of mining waste are also left behind and they may contain poisonous substances that contaminate the soil.


How derelict land is reclaimed ?
-Fertilisers can be added to the soil to restore the nutrients that have been removed.
-Waste heaps need to be levelled out and mining pools need to be filled.
-Chemicals can be used to treat the contaminated soil.
-New vegetation can also be planted to prevent soil erosion.

Effectiveness of land reclamation?
-Many countries have successfully increased their land area through the various method of land reclamation
-There are limitations as to how much more land a country can reclaim
-Limitations in technology(current technology only allows land to be reclaimed up to 15 m in depth)
-Cost a lot to reclaim land from deeper waters
-Cannot enter neighbours' territories when reclaiming land
-Need to keep a certain amount of sea space available for shipping activities.
-Marine life and birds that live in mangrove swamps and beaches will be affected when the area is destroyed for land reclamation


Maximise use of existing land 


Maximising urban landuse
- 2 ways to do so
   =>Mixed landuse & High density building 


Mixed landuse

-Usually a result of landuse planning

-Landuse planning is the process by which different areas on a piece of land are assigned for different landuses

-The different landuses are usually closely parked in a small area and linked by pedestrian walkways and escalators.

-Currently, mixed landuse projects are being developed on a small scale n many cities such as London and Singapore (few hectares)

Advantages:

-Facilities are within walking distance.

-People can enjoy the convenience of having their homes, jobs and a wide range of services within the same area.

-The particular area can meet the needs of many users thus help to maximize urban landuse.

Disadvantages:

-mixed landuse areas requires both the construction and reconstruction of new and old buildings as well as transport networks, which is costly!

-Locating residential areas close to other functions such as industries and shopping areas may lead to traffic congestion, as well as noise and air pollution.

High density building

-technological advances have enabled taller buildings to be constructed in areas where land is scarce but in high demand(high density area)

-HDB plans to build flats of 30 storeys and more in order to maximize landuse, in estates such as Bishan and Toa Payoh as they are more established.

Advantages:

-More people can work or be housed on a small piece of land.

-Frees out scarce land for other landuses.

-Helps to reduce the rate at which the country’s remaining green spaces are developed

Disadvantages:

-large number of people in a small area may result in a more crowded environment

-Traffic congestion and higher noise levels

-increased stress levels among people and reduce their quality life

Maximising agricultural landuse

-3 ways to maximize agricultural landuse areas

            =>Irrigation, Terracing & Soil-less farming

Irrigation

-watering of crops through artificial means, allows farmers to grow crops in areas that experience water shortage (ensure that their crops receive just the right amount of water)

-Water can be channeled through irrigation pipes from various water sources such as river or a lake to places where water is scarce.

Advantages:

-ensures a regular supply of water

-Allows farmers to grow greater amounts and wider varieties of crops.

-Maximises the use of land as areas became arable.

-Efficient, automatic and reduces the need of human labour (Computerised irrigation)

Disadvantages:

-If not properly maintained, irrigation canals can hold stagnant waters which may breed mosquitoes, other pests and bacteria

-May cause land to become waterlogged. (Damage to crops)

-River water may contain high amounts of dissolved mineral salts which can cause damage to cops.

-Some may be expensive to construct

Terracing

-Involves creating flat strips of land by cutting a series of steps into hill slopes.

-Increases the supply of arable land as flat land is more favourable for cultivation.

-Low walls are built at the end of each step(bunds) help to slow down the runoff of rainwater so that it can seep into the soil and be absorbed by plant roots

Advantages:

-inexpensive method

-prevent the soil from being washed away

-making farming more efficient

Disadvantages:

-Difficult to construct

-requires a lot of human energy and time

-A lot of effort to maintain the terraces after they are constructed

-If bunds are damaged, it may result in soil erosion.

Soil-less farming

-enables crops to be grown closer together, thus maximizing landuse for agricultural purpose.

-Eg. Hydroponics and aeroponics

Advantages:

-plants can be grown closer together

-More crops can be grown on a single area of land at the same time

-effective in increasing the output of crops

-controlled conditions also help to prevent the growth of weeds or insects

Disadvantages:

-Costly for farmers who do not have enough funds.

-Not practical in countries where farmers do not receive enough training to enable them to operate the high technology equipment

Conserving land

-Careful use of land resources to ensure that damage is kept to a minimum

-Eg. Nature reserves (natural heritage)