IB Environmental systems and societies 4.2 Water Access, Use and Security Key Definitions

Citizen science is the involvement of the general public in scientific research, particularly in collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on environmental systems.

Desalination is the process of removing salt and other impurities from seawater to produce freshwater.

Greywater recycling is the process of collecting, treating, and reusing household wastewater from showers, sinks, and washing machines for non-potable uses like flushing toilets and landscape irrigation.

Infiltration is the process by which water enters the soil from the surface.

Metering is the installation of devices that record the volume of water used, enabling efficient monitoring and billing.

Photosynthesis is the conversion of light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose, which can later be stored as biomass or used as fuel by autotrophs.

A planetary boundary is a threshold beyond which human activities risk causing catastrophic environmental change.

Transpiration is the release of water vapour by plants into the atmosphere.

Urbanization refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, leading to an increase in the proportion of people living in cities and towns.

A water footprint refers to the total volume of freshwater used to produce goods and services consumed by an individual, community, or nation.

Water scarcity refers to the limited availability of water to meet the needs of human societies.

Water security is the availability of an adequate quantity and quality of water to meet the needs of people and ecosystems.

Water stress is defined as a situation in which the clean, accessible water supply falls below 1,700 cubic meters per year per capita.