Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh have large populations and are dependent on subsistence agriculture. Large portions of these areas of Southeast Asia also face high levels of water resources vulnerability. Population pressures (external factors) are sometimes mitigated by high annual precipitation associated with monsoonal wind patterns (internal factors).
1. Choose Water Resources Vulnerability and Average Annual Precipitation and select Split map window.
2. Zoom to South Asia and Change Projection to Orographic (Eastern Hemisphere).
3. Show Political Labels as needed. Annual precipitation values often mitigate the effects of other factors (e.g. population) that lead to water resources vulnerability. While much of the Indian subcontinent faces some degree of water resources vulnerability, summer monsoonal winds bring large amounts of rainfall to the region. Which of the following best states the relationship between water resources vulnerability and average annual precipitation in Southeast Asia ?
i. Both water resources vulnerability and annual precipitation follow a southwest to northeast gradient along the Indian subcontinent.
ii. North-central India has both high annual precipitation and low water resources vulnerability associated with seasonal monsoonal rains.
iii. The areas with the highest levels of water resource vulnerability also have high annual precipitation values, indicating an inverse relationship between these two variables.
iv. Water resources vulnerability is highest in areas affected by monsoonal precipitation (e.g. Bangladesh) due to low winter precipitation conditions associated with seasonal reversals of wind patterns.
v. The annual precipitation is significantly higher in northeast India and Bangladesh than in northwestern India and Pakistan, corresponding to lower water resources vulnerability.