Environmental Issues in Southwest Asia

Unit 2: SW Asia Geography-Environmental Issues

7th Grade Social Studies

Welcome to class!

Opening

• Review Digital Expectations

• Standard

• Essential Question

• Learning Target

• Activity

Be a R.E.A.L. Gator!

• Participate in the lesson!

• Mute your microphone when not speaking.

• Make sure sound is on.

• Use chatbox for questions.

• Minimize distractions during class.

• Follow the Student Code of Conduct

Standard:

SS7G6--The student will discuss environmental issues across Southwest Asia (Middle East).

a. Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation and drinking water. 

Essential Question:

•How has the water supply in the Middle East influenced the lives of the people?

•How does water pollution impact drinking water?

•How does water scarcity impact irrigation and the lives of farmers?

Learning Target:

By the end of the lesson, I will be able to explain how water pollution and unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation and drinking water in SW Asia.

What is water pollution?

• Answer in chat some examples and causes of water pollution.

What does "unequal distribution" of water mean?

Answer in chat some examples and causes of water pollution.

Lesson Vocabulary:

• Pollution: Unclean environment

• Unequal Distribution: uneven amounts

• Irrigation: Bring water to an area

• Scarce: not enough of something

• Desalination: the process of removing salt, especially from sea water so that it can be used for drinking or irrigation

Water Problems:

• Water Pollution:

• Found in high amounts across SW Asia (Most nations are “developing countries” in which pollution is more problematic)

• Causes multiple deaths in regions

Water Statistics:

• Population v. Freshwater:

• SW Asia has 5% of the total WORLD’S population

• However, SW Asia has less than 1% of the world’s freshwater

• Populations in SW Asia have lower consumption (how much people use) rates of water than other regions

Where is the Water?

• SW Asia obtains freshwater from sources such as:

  –Tigris River

  –Euphrates River

  –Jordan River

  –Nile River (in Africa)

• Conflicts occur in SW Asia due to freshwater usage:

• Turkey, Syria, and Iraq are fighting for water in the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers

• Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinians are fighting for water in the Jordan River

Why?

• When resources are scarce, or rare, people often compete for them. For example: We already know that people have sometimes fought over oil.

• Everybody in SW Asia needs to be able to use the water, but there is only a limited amount.

• Most cities/towns are located on or near a water source…why?

• Answer in chat.

Analyze:

• This is a satellite image of SW Asia.

  What colors do you see a lot in this image? 

• That's right, you see a lot of tan, brown, and gray because SW Asia is largely desert.

  By definition, a desert has very little what?

• Yep, deserts have very little water.

  How are people able to grow crops in a desert?

• Make sure you are typing your answers in chat.

Impact on Farming:

• Many people in the Middle East practice subsistence agriculture, which is growing small amounts of crops, to take care of local needs.

• Because the climate is so dry, agriculture nearly always depends on irrigation, directing water from small rivers and streams to the farmers’ fields.

• There is some commercial agriculture (growing crops for industrial markets), but even that is limited by lack of water.

• 
  

Impact on Farming:

• Farmers in very rural areas still use methods used by their ancestors to irrigate their fields, including water wheels, irrigation ditches and canals, and animal power to lift water from underground wells.

• Farmers in countries with more technology use modern irrigation techniques.

• Israel and Saudi Arabia have developed systems of drip irrigation using computers that measure out how much water each plant receives. 

Impact on Farming:

• Since water is scarce, they have to use irrigation to grow food. Water is pumped from the few rivers and lakes in the region to irrigation systems that water food crops.

• These fields are round because that is where the sprinklers go.

• Communities formed near water sources like rivers, lakes, and oases. The water from these rivers and lakes is critical for the survival of a country

• 
  

How do water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impact irrigation and drinking water? 

Impact on Drinking Water:

• Water pollution, especially in an already scarce region such as the Middle East, can make it very difficult for citizens to get the water that they need to live.  

• Pollution upstream can negatively impact the health and way of life for neighbors downstream.

Impact on Drinking Water:

• Unequal distribution of water can “cheat” countries downstream out of water when the country that holds the source of a major river uses more than their fair share. 

• 
  

Impact on Drinking Water:

• Irrigation canals can help the country in which they are built by bringing water to dry farmland, but they can keep countries downstream from having enough drinking water. 

Solutions to Water Problems:

• Desalination: the process of removing salt and other chemicals from seawater. However, this is not very practical because it is very expensive and requires advanced technology

• Cooperation among countries sharing freshwater

• Dams: However, the downside is dams can be beneficial to countries upstream but deprive countries downstream of water they need!

More problems...

• When one country controls the source (of the water), they essentially control how much water will actually leave their country and continue flowing on to neighboring nations.

Assignment:

In Session Resources. You may print it, complete it and turn in a picture of your work or type your responses in the "edit student response" section of the assignment.

Questions:

Any questions about today's assignment?

Exit Slip:

• 3-2-1

• 3 causes of unequal distribution of water in SW Asia.

• 2 causes of water pollution in SW Asia.

• 1 reason SW Asia's water problems are getting worse:

Open Ended

What are 3 causes of unequal distribution of water in SW Asia:

Open Ended

What are 2 causes of water pollution in SW Asia:

Open Ended

What is one reason SW Asia's water problems are getting worse?

Bye! See ya later!