Management of Natural Resources

WATER FOR ALL

Water is the basic necessity for all forms of life, human beings, other animals as well as plants.The regions having good availability of water are flourishing because they have good crops but the regions having shortage of water are in the thick of poverty because of poor crop growth.

SOURCES OF WATER

The various sources of water which are available to us are:

• Rains,
• Rivers,
• Lakes,
• Ponds,
• Wells,
• Oceans and
• Glaciers

Rain is a very important source of water.

REASONS FOR INCREASING WATER DEMAND

Despite good rains, we are not able to meet the demand for water of all the people because:

• Our population is increasing rapidly.
• Due to lack of sufficient vegetation cover on ground, only a little rain water seeps into the ground and gets stored as ground water.
• The high yielding varieties of crops require much more water for irrigation.
• Discharge of untreated sewage and industrial wastes into reivers and lakes reduces the availability of usable water.
• The changing life-style of people, especially in urban areas, is consuming more water.

CONSERVATION OF WATER

Conservation and efficient use of water is very important. Water can be conserved in various ways:

• Reuse of water or water recycling or reclamation by using treated sewage, gray water or stormwater for non-potable purposes such as irrigation, industrial processes, fire protection and toilet flushing, etc.
• Recharging underground water sources known as groundwater recharge is a viable option during a wet year or a season when water is available.
• Existing dams may be reoperated by changing the way an existing dam is used by making it cheaper and less harmful to the environment. This can be an alternative to building a new dam to provide water for cities, farms and fish. Such steps are helpful during critical times of year without affecting the environment, energy production or flood.