Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Three causes of water scarcity unrelated to low annual rainfall are:

1. Over-exploitation and growing population: A large and growing population demands more water for domestic use and food production, leading to over-exploitation of surface water and groundwater resources.

1. Industrialisation and urbanisation: The ever-increasing number of industries are heavy users of water. Dense urban populations with high water needs further deplete freshwater resources, including groundwater through private pumping devices.

1. Water pollution: Even where water is sufficiently available, it may be rendered unusable due to pollution by domestic and industrial wastes, chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers, effectively creating scarcity.

Source: Water Resources, Chapter 3 — "Water Scarcity and the Need for Water Conservation and Management"

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Examiners expect three distinct causes, each clearly stated and briefly explained — not just listed as single words. The key instruction here is "unrelated to low annual rainfall," so avoid mentioning drought or low precipitation. The passage explicitly names: over-exploitation, large population, unequal access, industrialisation, urbanisation, and water pollution as causes — pick any three and explain each in 1–2 lines. One mark per cause.