1. Where is the water
in Southwest Asia?

2. Water in Southwest Asia
As we learn about Southwest Asia and how they use their water, students will complete a concept web.
Why is there a limited
amount of water?
Water in Southwest Asia

3. What can we conclude from this map?

4. Big Dry Problem
There are few major fresh water sources, like the TIGRIS and EUPHRATES Rivers.
Southwest Asia must find other ways to collect water for daily uses and survival.

5. Water in Southwest Asia
Let’s add to our concept map. Include both written and visual information.
Few major freshwater sources
Why is there a limited
amount of water?
Desert and
Semi-arid
Climate.
Water in Southwest Asia
How have people modified
the environment?

6. How have people in Southwest Asia modified the environment to provide valuable water?
1) Damming Rivers 2) 3) 4)
Q of Day

7. The Hemren Dam on the Tigris River provides water for drinking, irrigation and hydroelectricity.
Note the arid climate and lack of vegetation

8. Water in Southwest Asia
Let’s add to our concept map. Include both written and visual information.
Desert and
Semi-arid
Climate.
Why is there a limited
amount of water?
Water in Southwest Asia
1) Damming
Rivers – Provides
water for drinking,
irrigation, and
hydroelectricity.
How have people modified
the environment?

9. Water is so valuable that countries will fight for its control and use!
There is controversy over Turkey building a series of dams on the Euphrates River.
TASK  Explain the controversy.
Turn to p Read the section titled “Dams and Irrigation Systems.”
Add the REASON FOR THE CONTROVERSY to your chart.
Keban Dam on the
Euphrates River in Turkey

10. Dam Controversy
SYRIA and IRAQ think it will take away precious water supplies that THEY need for drinking, irrigation, and hydroelectric power plants.

11. How have people in Southwest Asia modified the environment to provide valuable water?
1) Damming Rivers
2) Pivot Irrigation 3) 4)
Q of Day

12. Pivot Irrigation is an above ground system of watering crops that forms circles of arable land.
Desert Land
Arable Land
Circles of green irrigated vegetation in Saudi Arabia, April 1997

13. Pivot Irrigation systems at work!

14. Pivot Irrigation Task  Pivot Irrigation Explanation/Sketch
Turn to someone near you.
Explain Pivot Irrigation.
Sketch an example of Pivot Irrigation on your concept map.

15. How have people in Southwest Asia modified the environment to provide valuable water?
1) Damming Rivers
2) Pivot Irrigation
3) Desalination Plants 4)
Q of Day

16. Desalination Plants are water treatment plants that remove salt from ocean water.- =

17. Desalination Plants - Clip
Intro – This clip is about a small community in California that built a desalination plant to address it’s water problems.
Question – How does a desalination plant work?

18. Desalination Plant in Tampa, FL
Water comes out on this side
Water comes in on this side

19. Problems with Desalination Plants
1. Water can be too salty for irrigating crops
2. Expensive to operate (costs a lot of money)
3. Cannot provide enough fresh water for all the needs of citizens

20. How have people in Southwest Asia modified the environment to provide valuable water?
1) Damming Rivers
2) Pivot Irrigation
3) Desalination Plants
4) Drip Irrigation
Q of Day

21. Drip Irrigation is the use of small pipes to slowly drip water just above the ground.
Keeps water from
Evaporating in the arid climate

22. Drip Irrigation allows for date palm trees to grow on a farm in the deserts of Southwest Asia

23. A Kibbutz in Israel is an agricultural community relying on irrigation to produce crops for the community and country.
Notice the climate surrounding the irrigated land

24. Complete your concept map. Add a picture for Drip Irrigation
Desert and
Semi-arid
Climate.
Why is there a limited
amount of water?
Water in Southwest Asia
1) Damming
Rivers – Provides
water for drinking,
irrigation, and
hydroelectricity.
How have people modified
the environment?
Drip
Irrigation -
Desalination
Plants -
Pivot
Irrigation -

25. Complete your concept map.
Desert and
Semi-arid
Climate.
Why is there a limited
amount of water?
How have people adapted
to the environment?
Water in Southwest Asia
1) Damming
Rivers – Provides
water for drinking,
irrigation, and
hydroelectricity.
How have people modified
the environment?
Desalination
Plants -
Drip
Irrigation -
Pivot
Irrigation -

26. How have people in Southwest Asia adapted to the arid climate?
Agriculture – Grow crops and raise animals that require less water.
Recycle – Treat waste water for use in agriculture.

27. Google Earth Tours
Create a Google Earth tour that locates examples of the ways people in SW Asia have modified the environment to provide water.
Include 5 cut-away boxes
1. Drip Irrigation
2. Pivot Irrigation
3. Damming Rivers
4. Desalination Plants
5. Kibbutz

28. Google Earth Tours Cut-away boxes Saving:
- Each cut-away box must point to the location of a corresponding example. You may have to search. You this powerpoint or reputable online sources to locate examples.
- Explanation: Explain how each example provides water.
Saving:
Save it on the wiki or in your student folder
If saving on the wiki, I’d save it in your student folder 1st

29. Google Earth Tours Resources for cut-away boxes 1. Drip Irrigation
2. Pivot Irrigation (look in Saudi Arabia)
3. Damming Rivers (type Ataturk Dam in the search window of Google Earth)
4. Desalination Plants (see next slide)
5. Kibbutz -

30. Desalination Plant