Question

Write a short note on ‘Water crisis’.

Answer 1

• Water covers more than two-thirds of the Earth's surface. But fresh water represents
  less than 0.5% of the total water on Earth. The rest is either in the form of seawater
  or locked up in icecaps or the soil, which is why one often hears of water scarcity in
  many areas.
• Worldwide, the consumption of water is doubling every 20 years - more than twice
  the rate of increase in population.
• Though depletion of water resources is not a problem for everyone, the United
  Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) notes that 1.2 billion people, almost
• 20 percent of the Earth's population, are experiencing water scarcity. Another 500
  million come perilously close to that threshold.
• A large amount of water is wasted in agriculture, industry, and urban areas.
• Excessive extraction for irrigation where groundwater is slowly renewed is the main
  cause of the depletion, and climate change has the potential to exacerbate the
  problem in some regions.
• It has been estimated that with available technologies and better operational
  practices, agricultural water demand could be cut by about 50% and that in urban
  areas by about 33% without affecting the quality or economics of life.
• But most governments do not have adequate laws or regulations to protect their
  water systems.
• Due to the increase in population there has been a rise in the demand for food, space
  for housing, consumer products, etc., which has in turn resulted in increased
  industrialization, urbanization, and demands in agriculture thereby leading to both
  river and groundwater contamination.
• Drought and changes in routine weather patterns are responsible for water depletion
  in some areas.