Test taker: _______________________________ Date: _____________________
Task No. 1
What features of the natural resource base and geographical location of the Astrakhan region determined its choice for the construction of plants for the production of nitrogen fertilizers? List two features. Write down your justified answer on a separate sheet of paper, first indicating the task number.
Volga is used to transport mineral fertilizers
2)
There are several oil and gas fields in the Astrakhan region.
The Volga River flows through the Astakhan region. The water factor influences the production of nitrogen fertilizers
4)
Astrakhan region.
5)
The Astrakhan region is located near large agricultural areas
Task No. 2
What feature of the natural resource base of the Vologda region contributes to the uninterrupted supply of the enterprise for the production of laminated veneer lumber and beams with the necessary raw materials?
In the Vologda region there are *** necessary for the production of laminated veneer lumber (insert the missing word or phrase)
Write down your answer:
1)
Answer:
Task No. 3
JSC "NPO Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant" held in Novocherkassk (Rostov region) a presentation of the new generation AC passenger electric train EN3, created at the enterprise together with VELNII. The electric train was created using only Russian components and components. The development was ordered and financed by the Ministry of Railways of the Russian Federation. The train is designed for a maximum speed of 130 km/h, the total passenger capacity of the ten-car train is 2,314 passengers. The Novocherkassk electric train is supposed to be used on the North Caucasus, South-Eastern and Gorky roads.
What factors contributed to the location of a plant for the production of electric trains in the Rostov region?
List two factors.
Select several of 5 answer options:
There are sales markets in the Rostov region,
2)
The Rostov region has raw materials for the production of electric trains.
3)
Ferrous metallurgy is developed in the Rostov region.
.
5)
The Rostov region has highly qualified labor resources
Task No. 4
JSC "Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill" - "Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill" (south of the Arkhangelsk region, the city of Koryazhma) is the largest enterprise in Russia for integrated waste-free chemical processing of coniferous and deciduous wood. Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill produces more than a million tons of various types of cellulose, hundreds of thousands of tons of printed and technical paper, cardboard, fiberboards and other types of products.
What features of the natural resource base of the Arkhangelsk region contributed to the location of the pulp and paper mill in the city of Koryazhma? List two features.
Select several of 5 answer options:
The placement of the enterprise was facilitated by a profitable EGP
2)
3)
There are forest resources
4)
5)
Task No. 5
In 2005, a project for the construction of the Udora pulp and paper mill was developed. The main goal of this project is to create a modern environmentally friendly pulp and paper mill in Komi for the production of competitive, high-quality, import-substituting timber and paper products with a high degree of wood processing.
What features of the natural resource base and economy of the Komi Republic, in addition to the proximity of sources of raw materials, determine the possibility of placing a pulp and paper plant on its territory?
industry?
List two features.
Select several of 5 answer options:
2)
The Komi Republic has large power plants
The placement of the enterprise was facilitated by a profitable EGP
4)
The Komi Republic has sufficient water resources
5)
The Komi Republic has highly qualified labor resources
Task No. 6
The Tikhvin Alumina Refinery and the Volkhov Aluminum Smelter were built in the 30s. last century. In 2007, the Volkhov Aluminum Plant produced 24 thousand tons of aluminum. The city of Volkhov, located on the Volkhov River, is provided with water resources. It is a major railway junction and has access to the seaports of St. Petersburg and Murmansk.
Explain what feature of the natural resource base of the region in which the enterprises mentioned in the text are located, in addition to the presence of water resources, and what feature of the industry contributed to the development of the aluminum industry.
Select several of 5 answer options:
The region has highly qualified labor resources
2)
There are large power plants in the region
There are bauxite deposits
4)
There are enough water resources in the region
5)
The placement of the enterprise was facilitated by a profitable EGP
Task No. 7
LLC "Nizhnekamsk All-Metal Cord Tire Plant" is a unique production that joined the tire complex of the Tatneft Group in 2009. The plant's products are tires for trucks and buses. The plant's capacity is 1.2 million tires per year, which will allow it to equip about 150,000 vehicles. The plant was built in accordance with the Development Program for the Petroleum and Gas Chemical Complex of the Republic of Tatarstan, adopted as part of the Strategy for the Development of the Chemical and Petrochemical Industry of Russia for the period up to 2015.
What feature of the Nizhnekamsk EGP, besides the proximity to oil refining and petrochemical industry enterprises and good availability of transport routes, contributed to the development of tire production in Nizhnekamsk?
Select several of 5 answer options:
The placement of the enterprise was facilitated by a profitable EGP
2)
the choice of location for the construction of the plant was influenced by favorable natural conditions
3)
Tatarstan has a lot of cheap electricity.
4)
Tatarstan has raw materials for tire production.
5)
The automotive industry is developed in Tatarstan, and there are other consumers of the tire plant's products.
Task No. 8
What feature of agriculture in the Krasnodar region contributed to the construction of a new enterprise for the production of juices and juice-containing drinks in the Belorechensky district?
On September 8, 2012, in the Belorechensky district of the Krasnodar Territory, the ceremonial commissioning of an enterprise for the production of juices and juice-containing drinks took place. The design capacity of the new enterprise is 250 million liters of juice.
The region has favorable agroclimatic conditions for the development of viticulture and gardening
2)
3)
The region is provided with water and cheap labor resources
4)
The region has a favorable economic and geographical position
Task No. 9
On June 1, 2013, the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant celebrated its 80th anniversary. ChTZ became the country's first plant for large-scale production of tracked tractors. During the Great Patriotic War, the plant produced tanks and made a huge contribution to the victory over fascism. Currently, thousands of heavy engineering vehicles (industrial tractors, bulldozers, pipe layers) leave the plant's assembly line every year; ChTZ products are supplied to all regions of Russia, CIS countries and foreign countries.
Name one of the features of the industry of the Chelyabinsk region that contributes to the development of the production of heavy tractor equipment there.
Select several of 5 answer options:
favorable economic and geographical position of Chelyabinsk
2)
3)
A large metallurgical plant is located in Chelyabinsk
5)
In the area of sufficient water resources necessary for production.
Task No. 10
Construction of a new pulp production plant is underway in the Arkhangelsk region. The Ilim group did not abandon the project worth $72 million even because of the global financial crisis and plans to launch production in July 2009. The production capacity will be 900 tons per day.
(Based on materials from http://www.minprom.gov.ru dated February 2, 2009)
What factors, besides a sufficient amount of water resources, contributed to the location of a cellulose production plant in the Arkhangelsk region? List two factors.
Select several of 5 answer options:
There are sufficient forest resources in the Arkhangelsk region
2)
The construction of the plant was influenced by the favorable natural conditions of the republic
3)
There are large power plants in the Arkhangelsk region
The placement of the enterprise was facilitated by a profitable EGP
5)
The Arkhangelsk region has highly qualified labor resources
Task No. 11
What features of the natural resource base and economy of the Lipetsk region determined its choice for the construction of a metallurgical plant?
Indicate two features of the farm.
The open joint-stock company Lipetsk Metallurgical Plant Svobodny Sokol, the oldest metallurgy enterprise in the center of Russia, celebrated its centenary in October 2000. Today the enterprise includes 14 workshops and production facilities with developed infrastructure. The blast furnace shop of the plant has two furnaces with a capacity of 700 cubic meters each , as well as a complex of casting equipment, which allows the production of about 600 thousand tons of cast iron per year. The main pride of Sokol metallurgists is the pipe foundry. In 1990, the plant commissioned a workshop for the production of pressure pipes from high-strength cast iron with a capacity of 180 thousand tons. JSC
LMZ "Svobodny Sokol" is the only manufacturer in Russia and other CIS countries of centrifugally cast pipes made of high-strength nodular cast iron (ductile iron), which
are of high quality.
Select several of 4 answer options:
the placement of the enterprise was facilitated by the high qualification of labor resources
In the area of sufficient water resources necessary for metallurgical production.
3)
There is a large iron ore deposit nearby
4)
favorable economic and geographical location
Task No. 12
The successful development of the oil refinery in Omsk, the largest in the Asian part of Russia, is facilitated by the proximity to oil-producing areas and the proximity of areas where petroleum products are consumed. What other feature of the economic-geographical city of Omsk contributes to the development of this enterprise? List one feature.
Omsk is home to the largest oil refinery in the Asian part of Russia, which began operating in the mid-20th century. Every year 27 million tons of oil are processed here. Its products, various types of fuel, petroleum products, petrochemical products, etc., meet modern requirements.
Choose one of 4 answer options:
There are large hydroelectric power stations in the area
2)
Omsk has highly qualified labor resources
3)
a railway passes through Omsk connecting the European and Asian parts of Russia
4)
There are fresh water reserves nearby
Task No. 13
The Nitol company is an international company whose priority activity is the production of polycrystalline silicon for the needs of solar energy. The creation of this modern, high-tech, but very energy-intensive production began in 2008 in the Irkutsk region. The Russian state corporation Rusnano is actively supporting the project. The first products of the plant were produced in 2010. What feature of the industry of the Irkutsk region contributes to the successful implementation of a project for the production of polycrystalline silicon on its territory?
Choose one of 4 answer options:
There are large hydroelectric power stations in the Irkutsk region
2)
Lake Baikal, a source of clean water, is located nearby.
3)
the location of the enterprise was influenced by the provision of the area with the resources necessary for production
4)
the city is favorably located in relation to consumers
Task No. 14
Electricity tariffs in Russia vary greatly for residents of different regions of Russia. For example, the cost of electricity for citizens of the Irkutsk region,
living in apartments with electric stoves is 0.68 rubles. kWh This is more than 3 times cheaper than in the neighboring Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
What feature of the economy of the Irkutsk region allows one to maintain low prices for electricity for residents of this region?
Transport routes pass through the Irkutsk region
nearby there are water reserves necessary for the production of cheap electricity
3)
the cost of electricity was influenced by favorable natural conditions
4)
There are several large power plants in the region
5)
The region is located near large agricultural areas
Task No. 15
In 2012, the only plant in Russia for the production of components for BelAZ-75570 mining dump trucks with a load capacity of 90 tons was launched in Prokopyevsk (Kemerovo region).
In 2013, construction of the production complex began
for the assembly of heavy-duty vehicles. The planned production volume is 250 dump trucks per year.
Indicate a feature of the economy of the Kemerovo region, in addition to the developed metallurgy, which determined the choice of location for the creation of a new production, which is mentioned in the text.
Write down the answer on a separate sheet or form, first indicating the task number.
Choose one of 5 answer options:
There are large power plants in the region
2)
3)
The plant is located near large agricultural areas
4)
the choice of location for the construction of the plant was influenced by favorable natural conditions
5)
The largest coal basin is located nearby.
Task No. 16
Using wind power plants to produce electricity has its advantages compared to generating electricity at thermal power plants. List two advantages of generating electricity from wind power plants compared to thermal power plants.
In 2012, a meeting of heads of state of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization was held in Russia on Russky Island. To hold this event, several objects were built in Vladivostok, including a bridge across the Zolotoy Rog Bay and a bridge to Russky Island.
On the island itself, four mini-CHPs and one wind power plant were built. Wind power plants require constant and fairly strong winds to operate, which are typical for Russky Island.
Select several of 5 answer options:
There are no qualified personnel on Russky Island to service large thermal power plants
2)
Advantageous EGP on Russky Island
3)
Wind farms do not require fuel delivery
Wind farms are not generating more electricity
5)
Wind power plants do not emit harmful substances
Task No. 17
The city of Kirishi is located in the north-west of Russia. This city has one of the largest oil refineries in Russia. The decision to locate it in Kirishi was made taking into account the fact that the city is located on the Volkhov River, i.e., it is provided with water resources. There is also a power plant that provides electricity for production. It is planned to build another oil refinery in close proximity to the existing one.
What features of the economic and geographical position, besides those mentioned in the text, are favorable for locating a new oil refinery in the city of Kirishi? Indicate two features of the EGP of this city
Select several of 5 answer options:
The city of Kirishi is favorably located in relation to consumers
2)
A large oil deposit was discovered in the Kirishi area
3)
Kirishi is provided with labor resources
4)
The area is provided with phosphorites, a resource necessary for the production of gasoline (for purification of gasoline and diesel fuel)
5)
An oil pipeline passes through Kirishi
Task No. 18
An oil extraction plant was built in the city of Sorochinsk, Orenburg Region. The volume of investment in its construction amounted to 2.8 billion rubles. The new production capacity will allow processing 400 thousand tons of raw materials per year. It is planned that the enterprise will annually produce 177 thousand tons of vegetable oils.
Indicate a feature of agriculture in the Orenburg region that contributed to the creation of an oil extraction plant in the region
Choose one of 4 answer options:
The region has favorable agroclimatic conditions for growing sunflowers.
2)
the region has a favorable economic and geographical position
3)
the region is provided with water and cheap labor resources
4)
The development of the industry is influenced by a favorable environmental situation
Task No. 19
When choosing a location for an enterprise in the 90s of the XX century. big
What mattered was the presence of a special economic zone and a qualified workforce in the region. These factors continue to play an important role today. What other geographical feature of the Kaliningrad region contributes to the successful development of this production on its territory? List one feature.
The Kaliningrad automobile assembly plant Avtotor is one of the largest enterprises in Russia for the production and assembly of passenger cars. The company produces more than 25 models of world famous brands. The plant began assembling cars from foreign components in 1997. In 2008, construction of the first stage of a new welding and painting complex with a capacity of 80 thousand cars per year was completed. Its second stage will be put into operation in 2011.
Choose one of 5 answer options:
the choice of location for the construction of the plant was influenced by favorable natural conditions
2)
nearby are the water reserves necessary for production
3)
There are large power plants in the region
4)
Kaliningrad is a transport hub
5)
The city is located near large agricultural areas
Test: "Test for preparation for the OGE in geography. Question No. 23."
Answers:
#1 (1 point)
2, 5
#2 (1 b.)
Answer = forest resources
#3 (1 b.)
3, 5
#4 (1 b.)
2, 3
#5 (1 b.)
2, 4
#6 (1 b.)
2, 3
#7 (1 b.)
5
#8 (1 b.)
1
#9 (1 b.)
4
#10 (1 b.)
1, 3
#11 (1 b.)
3, 4
#12 (1 b.)
3
#13 (1 b.)
1
#14 (1 b.)
4
#15 (1 b.)
5
#16 (1 b.)
3, 5
#17 (1 b.)
1, 5
#18 (1 b.)
1
#19 (1 b.)
Water is one of the most common chemical compounds on Earth and unusual in its properties. Without water, life itself cannot exist. Water, a carrier of mechanical and thermal energy, plays a vital role in the exchange of matter and energy between geospheres and geographic regions of the Earth.
The world's fresh water reserves are 34,980 thousand km³, and the annual renewable ones (total annual river flow) are 46,800 km³ per year. Current total water consumption in the world is 4130 km³ per year, and irrecoverable water consumption is 2360 km³ per year.
The most important task of terrestrial hydrology is to assess changes in water resources as a source of water supply and water consumption. A special place is occupied by the quantitative assessment of changes in time and space in river water flow, which constitutes the main, annually renewable water resources and provides the bulk of possible water consumption for economic needs. Modern studies of water resources, especially in terms of forecasting them for the future, are closely related to taking into account global climate change and the impact of human economic activities on water bodies.
The result of not always reasonable human economic activity has been an increase in irreversible water consumption (to the point of complete depletion of water sources) and threatening pollution of natural waters, which often introduces irreversible changes into the water balance and ecological conditions of vast areas.
The need for fresh water is increasing everywhere to meet the needs of growing populations, urbanization, industrial development, irrigation for food, etc. This situation is undoubtedly worsening with population growth, pollution of surface and groundwater and the threat of climate change. There are even predictions that with the world's population doubling by the middle of the next century and with rapidly growing demands, a worldwide water crisis will occur within a few years. Under these circumstances, the world's freshwater resources could become a source of conflict in some of the 200 international river basins. In addition, the growth of population, concentrating around rivers as the main sources of water, will inevitably lead to a significant increase in flood victims, the number of which now accounts for 25% of the total number of victims of all natural disasters on Earth, and the number of people suffering from floods annually is equal to the number of people suffering from droughts (32 and 33%). Since suffering from droughts is exacerbated by water shortages, it follows that disasters caused by temporary excess or shortage of water account for a total of 65% of the total affected population.
In recent decades, many countries around the world have seen a deterioration in the ecological condition of land water bodies (rivers, lakes, reservoirs) and adjacent territories. This is primarily due to the significantly increased anthropogenic impact on natural waters. It manifests itself in changes in water reserves, the hydrological regime of watercourses and reservoirs, and especially in changes in water quality. Based on the nature of the impact on the resources, regime and quality of water bodies on land, factors of economic activity are combined into three groups.
1. Factors that directly affect a water body through direct withdrawals of water and discharges of natural and waste waters or through the transformation of the morphological elements of watercourses and reservoirs (creation of reservoirs and ponds in river beds, embankment and straightening of river beds).
2. Factors affecting a water body through changes in the surface of river catchment areas and individual territories (agrotechnical measures, drainage of swamps and wetlands, deforestation and planting, urbanization, etc.).
3. Factors affecting the main elements of moisture circulation within specific river catchments and individual territories through changes in climatic characteristics on a global and regional scale.
The problem of accounting for quantitative changes in water resources under the influence of economic activities arose in the 50s of the 20th century, when water consumption throughout the world increased sharply. If during the period from 1900 to 1950 the average increase in water consumption per decade was 156 km³, then from 1950 to 1960 it was 630 km³, that is, it increased 4 times, and in subsequent years it increased by 800–1000 km³ per decade. River flow is most intensively used in Europe and Asia (about 13% of the total annual volume), somewhat less in North America (about 8%) and significantly less in Africa, Australia and South America (from 1 to 3% of the volume of water resources) . At the same time, on all continents there are large regions where the intensity of river flow use reaches 30–65% of the total volume of river water resources.
The most acute hydrological problem has become the change in the quality of natural waters and the state of aquatic ecosystems under the influence of economic activities. The rapid spread of substances of anthropogenic origin has led to the fact that there are practically no freshwater ecosystems left on the Earth’s surface whose water quality has not changed to one degree or another. The consequence of chemical and physical impacts of anthropogenic origin is a change in the composition of bottom sediments and living matter of water bodies.
The largest amount of pollutants enters water bodies from oil refining, chemical, pulp and paper, metallurgical, and textile industries. The formation of the chemical composition of surface and groundwater under conditions of anthropogenic impact is characterized by: 1) an increase (or decrease) in the concentration of those components of natural waters that are usually present in unpolluted water; 2) changing the direction of natural hydrochemical processes; 3) enrichment of water with substances alien to natural water. For example, if the surface of the water is covered with a film of oil, fatty acids or other floating pollutants coming with wastewater, then many chemical and biochemical processes change significantly, since the supply of oxygen and light to the water is limited, water evaporation is reduced, and the state of the carbonate system changes.
The problem of self-purification and purification of water systems, protection of water from pollution has become not only hydrological. Chemists, biologists, physicists, mathematicians, and hydrogeologists take part in its solution. To prevent a water crisis, in addition to strengthening administrative measures to protect natural resources, it is necessary to organize broad geo-ecological education for the population, especially young people. This will contribute to the integrity of the perception of changes in the landscape shell of the Earth, the need to preserve from destruction the natural connections between its components: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
Even though about 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water, it is still a very valuable resource. Especially when it comes to quality. What are water resources? What is their structure and world reserves? What are the most pressing water problems of our time? All this will be discussed in the article.
What are water resources?
Geographic, as is known, consists of five spheres: litho-, atmospheric-, bio-, techno- and hydrosphere. What are water resources? This is all the water that is contained in the hydrosphere. It is found in oceans and seas, lakes and rivers, glaciers and reservoirs, in the soil and in the air (in the form of water vapor).
About 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water. Only 2.5% of this volume is fresh water, which humanity needs. In absolute terms, this is no less than 30 million cubic kilometers, which is thousands of times greater than the needs of world civilization. However, we should not forget that the bulk of these reserves are contained in the “ice shells” of Antarctica, the Arctic and Greenland. In addition, the state of water resources available to humans is often unsatisfactory.
Structure of planetary water resources
The planet's water resources are divided into two classes:
- waters of the World Ocean;
- terrestrial (or surface) waters.
Rivers, lakes, reservoirs and glaciers contain only four percent of the world's water reserves. Moreover, most of them (by volume) are confined specifically to glaciers. And the largest “reservoir” of fresh water on the planet is Antarctica. Underground flows also belong to the Earth's water resources, but their quantitative estimates vary greatly in numbers.
Pure is the most valuable for humans and any other living organisms. Its protection and rational use is one of the most important tasks of humanity at the present stage.
Water resource update
Features of water resources include the possibility of self-purification and renewal. However, the renewability of water depends on several factors, in particular the type of hydrological body.
For example, water in rivers is completely renewed in about two weeks, in a swamp - in five years, and in a lake - in 15-17 years. This process takes the longest time in ice sheets (on average it takes 10 thousand years), and the fastest in the biosphere. In a living organism, water goes through a full renewal cycle within a few hours.
Distribution of water resources by macroregion and country
The Asian region leads the world in terms of total water resources. It is followed by South America, North America and Europe. The poorest corner of the planet in terms of water reserves is Australia.
However, there is one important nuance here. So, if you calculate the volume of water reserves per capita of a continent or part of the world, you get a completely different picture. With this calculation, Australia comes out on top, but Asia comes in last. The thing is that in Asia the population is growing at a rapid pace. Today it has already reached the milestone of four billion people.
Which countries don't have to worry about water? Below are the top five states with the largest fresh water reserves. This:
- Brazil (6950 km 3).
- Russia (4500 km 3).
- Canada (2900 km 3).
- China (2800 km 3).
- Indonesia (2530 km 3).
It is worth noting the uneven distribution of water resources on Earth. Thus, in the equatorial and temperate climate zones they are even found in abundance. But in the so-called “arid” (tropical and subtropical climate) the population experiences an acute shortage of life-giving moisture.
Water resources and people
Water is in demand in everyday life, energy, industry, and recreation. The use of this resource may be accompanied by its extraction from a natural source (for example, from a river bed) or without it (for example, for the operation of water transport).
The largest consumers of water resources are:
- Agriculture;
- industrial and energy enterprises;
- communal sphere.
The volumes of municipal water consumption are constantly growing. According to environmentalists, in large cities of economically developed countries, one person uses at least 300 liters of liquid daily. This level of consumption may lead to a shortage of this resource in the near future.
Pollution and depletion of world waters
Pollution of water resources is very acute. Today it has reached catastrophic levels in some regions of the planet.
Every year, millions of tons of chemicals, oil and petroleum products, phosphorus compounds, and municipal solid waste enter the World Ocean. The latter form huge ones out of garbage. The waters of the Persian Gulf, North and Caribbean seas are very polluted with oil. Already about 3% of the surface of the North Atlantic is covered with an oil film, which has a detrimental effect on living organisms of the ocean.
A big problem is also the reduction of the planet's water resources. However, the deterioration of the quality of life-giving moisture is no less dangerous. After all, one cubic meter of untreated waste can end up in the natural riverbed and spoil tens of cubic meters of clean water.
In developing countries of the world, according to statistics, every third resident suffers from poor-quality drinking water. It is the main cause of many diseases in the arid zone of Africa and Latin America.
Main types and sources of pollution of world waters
In ecology, water pollution is understood as exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations of substances contained in them (harmful chemical compounds). There is also such a thing as depletion of hydro resources - deterioration in water quality due to constant activity.
There are three main types of water pollution:
- chemical;
- biological;
- thermal;
- radiation.
Any substance that enters a hydrological body as a result of human activity can act as a pollutant. At the same time, this substance significantly worsens the natural quality of water. One of the most dangerous modern pollutants is oil and its products.
Sources of pollution can be permanent, periodic or seasonal. They can be of both anthropogenic and natural origin, be point, linear or areal.
The largest source of pollution are the so-called ones, that is, those that are formed as a result of industrial, construction or communal human activities. They are usually oversaturated with harmful organic and inorganic substances, heavy metals and microorganisms. There are industrial (including mine), municipal, agricultural and other types of wastewater.
Characteristics of water resources in Russia
Russia is one of the countries in the world that does not experience water shortages. The country's modern water resources are 2.5 million rivers and watercourses, about two million lakes and hundreds of thousands of swamps. The territory of Russia is washed by twelve seas. A huge amount of fresh water is stored in glaciers (mountain and polar).
To improve water supply, thousands of reservoirs of various sizes have been created on the territory of our state. In total, they contain about 800 km 3 of fresh water. These objects not only serve as artificial reservoirs of a valuable natural resource, but also regulate the regime of rivers and prevent floods and floods. Thus, their importance cannot be overestimated.
Among the main problems of water resources in Russia, the following should be highlighted:
- irrational water use;
- deterioration in the quality of drinking water;
- unsatisfactory condition of waterworks and hydraulic structures.
Finally...
What are water resources? This is all the water that is contained in the hydrosphere. Countries such as Brazil, Russia, Canada, China, Indonesia and the USA have the largest reserves of water resources.
In modern realities, the problem of pollution and irrational use of world waters is becoming very urgent, and in some regions - especially acute. Its solution is impossible without consolidating the efforts of all countries on the planet and effectively implementing joint global projects.
Looking at our planet from the heights of outer space, a comparison immediately arises with a blue ball, which is completely covered with water. At this time, the continents seem to be small islands in this endless ocean. This is quite natural, because water occupies 79.8% of the entire surface, and 29.2% falls on land. The water shell of the Earth is called the hydrosphere; its volume is 1.4 billion m3.
Water resources and their purpose
Water resources- These are waters from rivers, lakes, canals, reservoirs, seas and oceans that are suitable for use in agriculture. This also includes groundwater, soil moisture, swamps, glaciers, and atmospheric water vapor.
Water appeared on the planet about 3.5 billion years ago and initially it was in the form of vapors that were released during the degassing of the mantle. Today, water is the most important element in the Earth's biosphere, because nothing can replace it. However, recently, water resources have ceased to be considered limited, because scientists have managed desalinate salt water.
Purpose of water resources- support the vital activity of all life on Earth (humans, plants and animals). Water is the basis of all living things and the main supplier of oxygen in the process of photosynthesis. Water also takes part in climate formation - absorbing heat from the atmosphere in order to release it in the future, thereby regulating climate processes.
It would be worth remembering that water sources play an honorable role in the modification of our planet. People have always settled near reservoirs or water sources. Thus, water promotes communication. There is a hypothesis among scientists that if there were no water on Earth, the discovery of America would have been postponed for several centuries. And Australia would still be unknown today.
Types of water resources
As already said water resources- these are all the water reserves on the planet. But on the other hand, water is the most common and most specific compound on Earth, because only it can exist in three states (liquid, gaseous and solid).
The Earth's water resources consist of:
- surface water(oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, swamps) are the most valuable source of fresh water, but the thing is that these objects are distributed quite unevenly over the Earth’s surface. Thus, in the equatorial zone, as well as in the northern part of the temperate zone, water is in excess (25 thousand m 3 per year per person). And the tropical continents, which consist of 1/3 of the land, are very acutely aware of the shortage of water reserves. Based on this situation, their agriculture develops only under the condition of artificial irrigation;
- groundwater;
- reservoirs created artificially by man;
- glaciers and snowfields (frozen water from glaciers in Antarctica, the Arctic and snowy mountain peaks). This is where most of the fresh water is found. However, these reserves are practically unavailable for use. If all the glaciers are distributed over the Earth, then this ice will cover the earth with a ball 53 cm high, and by melting it, we thereby raise the level of the World Ocean by 64 meters;
- moisture what is found in plants and animals;
- vapor state of the atmosphere.
Water consumption
The total volume of the hydrosphere is amazing in its quantity, however, only 2% of this figure is fresh water, moreover, only 0.3% is available for use. Scientists have calculated the fresh water resources that are necessary for all humanity, animals and plants. It turns out that the supply of water resources on the planet is only 2.5% of the required volume of water.
Around the world, about 5 thousand m 3 are consumed annually, while more than half of the consumed water is lost irrevocably. In percentage terms, the consumption of water resources will have the following characteristics:
- agriculture - 63%;
- industrial water consumption - 27% of the total;
- municipal needs take 6%;
- reservoirs consume 4%.
Few people know that in order to grow 1 ton of cotton, 10 thousand tons of water are required, 1 ton of wheat requires 1500 tons of water, the production of 1 ton of steel requires 250 tons of water, and 1 ton of paper requires at least 236 thousand tons of water.
A person should consume at least 2.5 liters of water per day, but on average this same person spends at least 360 liters per day in a large city, since this figure includes all possible uses of water, including watering streets, washing vehicles and even firefighting.
But the consumption of water resources does not end there. This is evidenced, for example, by water transport or the process of breeding both marine and fresh fish. Moreover, for breeding fish you need exclusively clean water, saturated with oxygen and free of harmful impurities.
A great example of the use of water resources is recreational areas. There is no such person who would not like to relax by a pond, relax, and swim. In the world, almost 90% of recreational areas are located near bodies of water.
The need to protect water resources
Considering the current situation, we can conclude that water requires a protective attitude towards itself. Currently, there are two ways to conserve water resources:
- reduce fresh water consumption;
- creation of modern high quality collectors.
Storing water in reservoirs limits its flow into the world's oceans. Storing water underground helps prevent its evaporation. The construction of canals can easily solve the issue of delivering water without penetrating into the ground. Humanity is also thinking about the latest methods of irrigating agricultural land, making it possible to moisten the territory using wastewater.
But each of the above methods actually affects the biosphere. The reservoir system, for example, does not allow the formation of fertile silt deposits; canals interfere with the replenishment of groundwater. Therefore, today one of the most effective ways to conserve water resources is wastewater treatment. Science does not stand still in this regard, and various methods make it possible to neutralize or remove up to 96% of harmful substances.
Water pollution problem
Population growth, the rise of production and agriculture... These factors contributed to the shortage of fresh water. In addition, the share of polluted water resources is also growing.
Main sources of pollution:
- industrial waste;
- municipal wastewater;
- plums from the fields (meaning when they are oversaturated with chemicals and fertilizers;
- burial of radioactive substances near a body of water;
- wastewater coming from livestock complexes (water is characterized by an excess of biogenic organic matter);
- shipping.
Nature provides for self-purification of water bodies. This happens due to the presence of plankton in the water, ultraviolet rays entering the water, and the sedimentation of insoluble particles. But unfortunately there is much more pollution and nature on its own is not able to cope with such a mass of harmful substances that man and his activities provide to water resources.
Unusual sources of drinking water
Recently, humanity has been thinking about how to use unconventional sources of water resources. Here are the main ones:
- tow icebergs from the Arctic or Antarctica;
- carry out desalination of sea waters (actively used at the moment);
- condense atmospheric water.
In order to obtain fresh water by desalinating salt water, desalination stations are installed on sea vessels. There are already about hundreds of such units in the whole world. The world's largest producer of such water is Kuwait.
Fresh water has recently acquired the status of a global commodity; it is transported in tankers using long-distance water pipelines. This scheme works successfully in the following areas:
- the Netherlands gets water from Norway;
- Saudi Arabia receives resource from Philippines;
- Singapore imports from Malaysia;
- water is pumped from Greenland and Antarctica to Europe;
- The Amazon transports drinking water to Africa.
One of the latest achievements is installations with the help of which the heat of nuclear reactors is used simultaneously for desalination of sea water and the production of electricity. At the same time, the price of one liter of water is not much, since the productivity of such installations is quite high. It is recommended to use water that has passed through this route for irrigation.
Reservoirs can also help overcome freshwater shortages by regulating river flow. In total, more than 30 thousand reservoirs have been built in the world. In most countries, there are projects for the redistribution of river flow through its transfer. But most of these programs have been rejected due to environmental concerns.
Water resources of the Russian Federation
Our country has a unique water resource potential. However, their main drawback is their extremely uneven distribution. Thus, if we compare the Southern and Far Eastern federal districts of Russia, then in terms of the size of local water resources they differ from each other by 30 times, and in terms of water supply - by 100 times.
Rivers of Russia
When thinking about the water resources of Russia, first of all, we should note the rivers. Their volume is 4,270 km 3 . There are 4 water basins on the territory of Russia:
- the seas of the Northern and Arctic Oceans, as well as the large rivers flowing into them (Northern Dvina, Pechora, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Kolyma);
- the Pacific Ocean (Amur and Anadyr);
- seas of the Atlantic Ocean (Don, Kuban, Neva);
- the internal basin of the Caspian Sea and the flowing Volga and Ural.
Since in the central regions the population density is greater than, for example, in Siberia, this leads to the disappearance of small rivers and water pollution in general.
Lakes and swamps of Russia
Half of all fresh water in the country comes from lakes. Their number in the country is approximately 2 million. Of these, the largest ones are:
- Baikal;
- Ladoga;
- Onega;
- Taimyr;
- Khanka;
- Vats;
- Ilmen;
- White.
A special place should be given to Lake Baikal, because 90% of our fresh water reserves are concentrated in it. In addition to the fact that this lake is the deepest on earth, it is also characterized by a unique ecosystem. Baikal is also included in the UNESCO natural heritage list.
Lakes of the Russian Federation are used for irrigation and as sources for water supply. Some of the listed lakes have a decent supply of medicinal mud and therefore are used for recreational purposes. Just like rivers, lakes are characterized by their uneven distribution. They are mainly concentrated in the Northwestern part of the country (Kola Peninsula and the Republic of Karelia), the Ural region, Siberia and Transbaikalia.
The swamps of Russia also play an important role, although many people treat them with disrespect by draining them. Such actions lead to the death of entire huge ecosystems, and as a result, rivers do not have the opportunity to cleanse themselves naturally. Swamps also feed rivers and act as their controlled object during floods and floods. And of course, swamps are a source of peat reserves.
These elements of water resources are widespread in the North-West and North-Central part of Siberia; the total area of swamps in Russia is 1.4 million km 2.
As we see, Russia has great water resource potential, but we should not forget about the balanced use of this resource and treat it with care, because anthropogenic factors and huge consumption lead to pollution and depletion of water resources.
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Water resources include water suitable for economic use. These are waters of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, glaciers, as well as groundwater. Fresh water necessary for human life and economic use is only 2.5% of the total volume of the hydrosphere, and even that is mostly found in the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland. The main source of fresh water is rivers. In fact, the global volume of river flow per year is 47 thousand cubic km, but only 50% can actually be used.
The distribution of river flow on Earth is extremely uneven. The largest volume of river flow occurs in Asia and South America, and the smallest in Australia. Based on the availability of river flow resources per capita, the following groups of countries are distinguished:
With sufficient and excess supply - Congo, New Zealand, Canada, Norway, Brazil, Russia.
With average security - USA, Mexico, Argentina, Finland, Sweden.
With insufficient security - Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, China, India, Germany, Poland.
But river waters are also used as a source of energy. The total hydropower potential of the world is estimated at 10 trillion kWh.
Among the countries that have hydroelectric potential are: China, Russia, Zaire, Canada and Brazil.
The problem of water supply is the following: water consumption is constantly growing, its main consumer is agriculture, and it uses water almost irrevocably, the quality of water is gradually deteriorating, including due to the pollution of land waters with sewage and waste from industrial enterprises.
There are several ways to solve the water supply problem.
1.
Reducing water consumption by reducing the water intensity of production;
2.
Economical use of water;
3.
Introduction of closed water use cycles;
4.
Attracting additional fresh water resources (desalination of the waters of the World Ocean, transportation of icebergs, regulation of flow through the construction of reservoirs, etc.).
The distribution of water resources across the territory is not uniform: 90% of the flow falls on the basin of the Arctic and Pacific oceans, and 8% - on the basins of the Caspian and Azov seas, where 80% of the population lives and a lot of industrial enterprises are located. In this regard, regions are divided into water-supplied and water-scarce. It is also important that more than 80% of Russian arable land is located in zones of unstable and insufficient moisture, which makes agriculture vulnerable. With significant investments in agriculture, Russia could feed a tenth of the world's population, and the enormous potential of water resources could make the Russian Federation one of the world's leading water powers.
Already today, according to Fortune magazine, profits in the field of drinking water supplies reach $1 trillion a year - that’s 40% of the profits of oil companies. But the sale of bottled water is a small market. More important is the formation of a “big market” for water, which would solve the problem of shortage of high-quality fresh water on a national scale.
According to experts, profits in this market could be higher than in the hydrocarbon market; besides, water, unlike oil and gas, is a self-renewing resource.