For the Instructor

These student materials complement the Water Science and Society Instructor Materials. If you would like your students to have access to the student materials, we suggest you either point them at the Student Version which omits the framing pages with information designed for faculty (and this box). Or you can download these pages in several formats that you can include in your course website or local Learning Managment System. Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials.

Summary and Final Tasks

Summary

This module has provided an overview of the global distribution of fresh water resources and a brief consideration of the demands for fresh water, and, particularly, the availability and need for water of sufficient quality for human needs. You have considered your own rates of water use and, perhaps, developed a greater appreciation of the need for conservation. Clearly, the need for high-quality drinking water is not always met, particularly in developing countries. You also have explored the relationship between anticipated population growth and demand for fresh water, and the possibility that water shortages may occur in some regions because of rapid population growth and/or climate change. Although fresh water can be procured for a price almost anywhere on Earth, you have seen that inequities in such pricing exist, creating a tension between public and private interests in providing water. Perhaps you have concluded that water does have value and we must respect the right of all peoples to have access to fresh water of reasonable quality for basic use at a cost that does not constitute an economic hardship.

In the next module, we will explore in more depth the Earth's climate system and the processes that create observed patterns of fresh water availability.

Reminder - Complete all of the Module 1 tasks!

You have reached the end of Module 1! Double-check the to-do list on the Module Roadmap to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed there before you begin Module 2.