Water Deficit and Resource Management Basics
Ever wonder why some countries have water shortages whilst others deal with flooding? It's all down to rainfall, temperature and population size. More rain means more water (obviously), but higher temperatures cause evaporation, leaving less water for people to actually use.
When populations grow, everyone's fighting for the same water supply. This creates a water deficit - basically, there's not enough to go around. On the flip side, some lucky places have a water surplus with more than they need.
Energy security works similarly. HICs (High Income Countries) and NEEs (Newly Emerging Economies) are proper energy guzzlers because they're plugged into national grids and love their tech. Meanwhile, LICs (Low Income Countries) use way less energy and often rely on primary energy sources like wood or animal dung for fuel.
Quick Tip: Remember that energy security is about balancing what a country produces versus what it imports from abroad.
Natural Hazards and Food Security
Natural hazards fall into two main camps: tectonic hazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes) and climatic hazards (flooding, tornadoes, tropical storms, droughts). Here's the key bit - volcanoes only kick off at destructive and constructive plate margins, but earthquakes can happen at all three types.
Food insecurity is when people go hungry or don't get proper nutrition. Wealthier countries can subsidise farming (basically give farmers money they don't have to pay back) to keep food affordable, creating a food surplus. Poorer countries often face food deficits because they can't grow enough or afford to help their farmers.
