WATER ISSUES SAFETY, RELIABILITY AND AVAILABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF FRESH WATER AND RISK OF RISING SEA LEVELS OF SALTY WATER 97% OF ALL WATER ON EARTH IS SALTY FRESH WATER WORLD FRESH WATER SUPPLY IS 69.6% ICE, 30.1% BENEATH THE GROUND, 0.3% RIVERS, LAKES, WETLANDS SEA WATER SEA WATER MAKES UP 70% OF OUR EARTHS SURFACE

FRESH WATER FOR DRINKING 11 PER CENT OF THE GLOBAL POPULATION, REMAIN WITHOUT ACCESS TO AN IMPROVED SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER. UP TO 90% OF WASTEWATER IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FLOWS UNTREATED INTO RIVERS, LAKES AND HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE COASTAL ZONES, THREATENING HEALTH, FOOD SECURITY AND ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING AND BATHING WATER. 50% OF ALL AVAILABLE WATER IS TAKEN FROM WATERWAYS FOR AGRICULTURE

FRESH WATER FOR FARMING WATER WITHDRAWALS FOR IRRIGATION REPRESENT 66 % OF THE TOTAL WITHDRAWALS, THE OTHER 34 % BEING USED BY DOMESTIC HOUSEHOLDS (10 %), INDUSTRY (20 %), OR EVAPORATED FROM RESERVOIRS (4 %). (SOURCE: SHIKLOMANOV, 1999)SHIKLOMANOV, 1999 WITH EXPECTED INCREASES IN POPULATION, BY 2030, FOOD DEMAND IS PREDICTED TO INCREASE BY 50% (70% BY 2050) (BRUINSMA, 2009), WHILE ENERGY DEMAND FROM HYDROPOWER AND OTHER RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES WILL RISE BY 60% (WWAP, 2009). THESE ISSUES ARE INTERCONNECTED – INCREASING AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE BOTH WATER AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION, LEADING TO INCREASED COMPETITION FOR WATER BETWEEN WATER-USING SECTORS. WATER FOR IRRIGATION AND FOOD PRODUCTION CONSTITUTES ONE OF THE GREATEST PRESSURES ON FRESHWATER RESOURCES. AGRICULTURE ACCOUNTS FOR ~70% OF GLOBAL FRESHWATER WITHDRAWALS (UP TO 90% IN SOME FAST-GROWING ECONOMIES).

NZ WATER ISSUES IT TAKES 1,200 LITRES OF WATER TO MAKE A LITRE OF MILK WATER FUNCTIONS AS A RESOURCE IN TWO WAYS. · AS A SOURCE – WHAT WE WANT. THIS IS THE QUANTITY ISSUE. · AS A SINK – WHAT WE DON’T WANT. THIS IS THE QUALITY ISSUE. THE TWO ARE OFTEN CONNECTED. FOR EXAMPLE, CONSIDER THE SITUATION WHERE WATER IS TAKEN FROM A RIVER FOR SOME PURPOSE AND POLLUTANTS ARE DISCHARGED INTO THE SAME RIVER. THE MORE WATER THAT IS TAKEN, THE LOWER WILL BE THE FLOW AND THE HIGHER THE CONCENTRATION OF POLLUTANTS. ''ONGOING AND INCREASING NUTRIENT LOADS WILL GENERALLY LEAD TO WORSENING WATER QUALITY - MORE DEGRADED LAKES, MORE TURBID (CLOUDY) ESTUARIES, GREATER FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF ALGAL BLOOMS AT SWIMMING SPOTS AND ELSEWHERE, DECLINES IN THE INSECTS, FISH AND BIRDS THAT RELY ON THESE ECOSYSTEMS, AND MORE WATER WELLS AND SURFACE WATER THAT EXCEED NITRATE TOXICITY LIMITS FOR DRINKING,''

DILEMMA OF DAIRY INCOME OR ENVIRONMENT NEW ZEALANDERS FACE A DIFFICULT DILEMMA, THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSIONER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT JAN WRIGHT TELLS US.

THE COMMISSIONER'S REPORTTHE COMMISSIONER'S REPORT ON LAND USE CHANGE AND WATER POLLUTION SHOWS A CLEAR LINK BETWEEN EXPANDING DAIRY FARMING AND INCREASING STRESS ON WATER QUALITY. "EVEN WITH BEST PRACTICE MITIGATION, THE LARGE-SCALE CONVERSION OF MORE LAND TO DAIRY FARMING WILL GENERALLY RESULT IN MORE DEGRADED FRESH WATER,"

MITIGATION · THE BRIDGES AND CULVERTS OVER REGULAR CROSSING POINTS, THE FENCING OF WATERWAYS AND THE RIPARIAN PLANTING. · THE USE OF NUTRIENT BUDGETS – KEEPING NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS ACCOUNTS. · THE PROPOSED NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD ON WATER METERS WHICH WILL MAKE METERING COMPULSORY AT THE FIRST POINT OF ABSTRACTION FROM THE RIVER, LAKE, DAM OR AQUIFER. SOUTH WAIRARAPA IS GOING FURTHER; IT PLANS WATER METERS IN PLACE FOR ALL USERS AFTER · THE INCREASED ENFORCEMENT BY REGIONAL COUNCILS OF THOSE WHOSE MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY EFFLUENT IS UNACCEPTABLE. · THE USE OF NITROGEN INHIBITORS THAT ENABLE GRASS TO TAKE UP MORE OF THE NITROGEN THAT COMES FROM URINE, UREA AND CLOVER – AND IN SO DOING, REDUCES BOTH THE OUTGASSING OF THE GREENHOUSE GAS NITROUS OXIDE TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE NITRATE ENTERING RIVERS, LAKES AND GROUNDWATER.

NZ HAS 425,000 KMS OF RIVERS MOE RESULTS SHOWED WATER QUALITY WAS POOR OR VERY POOR AT 52 PER CENT OF MONITORED RIVER SITES. A FURTHER 28 PER CENT WERE GRADED "FAIR“ ONLY 20 PER CENT OF MONITORED RIVER SITES WERE GRADED GOOD OR VERY GOOD.

NZ HAS 2 WORLDS-THE PICTURE POSTCARD WORLD AND REALITY! IS IT 100% CLEAN? WAIKATO RIVER IS ONE OF THE MOST POLLUTED RIVERS IN THE COUNTRY. SUSTAINABLE FARMING IS HELPING- LESS NITROGEN, LESS COWS BUT STILL PROFITABLE. CANTERBURY USES MORE WATER THAN ANY OTHER REGION AND 86% OF THAT IS FOR IRRIGATING DAIRY FARMS. STREAMS CONTAIN E COLI FROM ANIMAL FAECES. 19,00 PEOPLE IN CANTERBURY AND 15,000 IN THE WAIKATO DRINK WATER THAT DOES NOT COMPLY TO HEALTH STANDARDS. CHEVIOT LOCALS HAVE TO BOIL THEIR DRINKING WATER. TOXIC ALGAL MATS ARE GROWING ON THE NITRATES IN STREAMS AND THEY CAUSE RASHES AND CAN KILL DOGS.

YOU ARE TO RESEARCH A PERSPECTIVE ON THIS ISSUE. THE PERSPECTIVES ARE: 1.THE NZ GOVERNMENT 2. FONTERRA DAIRY COMPANY (A LEADING MULTINATIONAL DAIRY COMPANY, OWNED BY NEW ZEALAND DAIRY FARMERS AND THE WORLD'S LARGEST EXPORTER OF DAIRY PRODUCTS) 3.A SUSTAINABLE DAIRY FAMER 4.THE AVERAGE NZ DAIRY FARMER 5. A RECREATIONAL RIVER USER. THIS IS TO BE USED IN THE ASSESSMENT SO MUST BE DONE WELL. YOU MUST HAVE: FACTS AND A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF THE PERSPECTIVE AND WHY THEY HOLD THIS PERSPECTIV E..

MOVIE:THE PRICE OF MILK 2000 GEOGRAPHY CONCEPTS APPLIED TO THE MOVIE.