New Zealand experiences roughly 2,000 mm of rainfall a year. Due to an increasing population, New Zealand farmland has doubled in size every twelve years. This has led to an increased demand for water in the country. New Zealand has experienced very bad periods of drought. For example, in 2010, only 253 mm of rain fell in certain areas.
From this information, you may think New Zealand has a lack of fresh water. This is not the case – New Zealand has plenty of water. Examine the diagram below.
World averages 800 mm of precipitation per annum
New Zealand averages 2,000 mm per annum
Ireland averages 1,000 mm per annum
Being numerate:
Having examined the diagram, answer these questions. 1. What is the average precipitation for the world? 2. What is the average rainfall experienced by New Zealand and Ireland?
3. How much more rainfall do Ireland and New Zealand have in comparison to the world average?
4. Express as a percentage New Zealand’s rainfall in relation to the world’s rainfall (Hint: take the world’s rainfall as 100%).
5. Express as a percentage Ireland’s rainfall in relation to the world’s rainfall.
