Water resources in the UK
Around 80% of the global population experience No reliable access to adequate quantities of acceptably clean water.. Water supply and consumption are not evenly distributed.
The UK has an overall A location that has more water than required. although there are variations in the amount of rainfall across the country, for example places in the west receive much more rainfall than those in the east. There are also variations in the The average number of people in a certain area. , eg the south-east has a much higher population density than Wales, which is in the west.
Water transfer schemes
In the UK, there are systems in place to transport water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit. These are called Water taken from a place of surplus to a place of deficit. and they can be found in many parts of the UK. One example is Kielder reservoir in Northumberland. Kielder is located in an area of high land and so the rainfall there is bigger than many surrounding areas. Rainwater that collects in Kielder reservoir is transported southwards and released into rivers that flow to the cities of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sunderland, Durham, Darlington and Middlesbrough.
The changing demand for water
In the past, people used far less water. Water use has increased as more people wash cars, take longer showers and water their gardens. People are now wealthier and have luxury goods such as washing machines and dishwashers which also increase water use.
Only a proportion of the UK's total water use comes from within the country. Imported products, like food and cotton, use up water resources in the countries where they are grown. The UK's The amount of water used by a country, both domestically and through imports. is a measure of the total water used both within the UK and in other countries through imported products.