Introduction

Let me start by saying one of the best and simultaneously one of the worst things about studying geography is that it encompasses everything. It means there are no clear boundaries to where your area of interest ends, and a geographer could spend eternity learning. However, it also means there are relevant links to any topic, and consequences of one area can be felt in many areas. This is exactly what I'm aiming to explore in this blog. For my module this term, GEOG3038 or Water and Development in Africa, I'll be looking at how water and environmental change (climate change, land use change etc.) are linked and how they can affect one another.

It's easy for climate change doomsayers to harp on about how, with a changing environment, everything we know will worsen the propensity for humans to survive and thrive on Earth and ultimately lead to the demise of mankind. However, I'm more interested in investigating the real complex dynamics of the physical environment and the use of water by humans, from water management in the face of temperature increases to technological solutions to changing water sources and much much more.

While looking at water and environmental change could be seen as purely physical in nature, I believe that water in today's world is inherently related to both physical and socio-economic factors. There are many contributing factors to how we use water, from physical water availability to political and social barriers to access. Therefore I'll be using this blog to discover the many different complex links between changes to environment and water use.

I hope this gives you a bit of context on what this blog will cover and I'll be posting again soon with my first official blog post that will begin to delve into this topic.