Dr Krishnakumar V - Water resources

Summary

This video explores the importance of water resources, their types, availability, and usage. Water covers 71% of Earth's surface, but only 2.7% is fresh and suitable for human consumption. It discusses the impact of global warming and pollution on water availability and explains the classification of water resources into surface water and groundwater. The video highlights the challenges of water scarcity due to over-exploitation, climate change, and economic barriers, and emphasizes the need for sustainable water management through conservation, infrastructure improvement, and international cooperation.

Takeaways

• 💧 Water is essential for life and plays a vital role in agriculture, industry, and domestic use.
• 🌍 About 71% of Earth's surface is covered by water, but only a small fraction of it is fresh and accessible for human use.
• 🚰 Freshwater makes up only 2.7% of the Earth's total water, and its availability is affected by pollution and global warming.
• 🏞️ Water resources are classified into surface water (lakes, rivers, oceans) and groundwater (stored in aquifers underground).
• 🔄 These water resources are interconnected through the water cycle, involving evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
• 🚱 Over-exploitation of groundwater can lead to problems such as aquifer depletion, land subsidence, and saltwater intrusion.
• 🌍 Global water availability is uneven, with regions experiencing physical or economic water scarcity.
• 🌡️ Climate change is expected to worsen water scarcity by affecting precipitation patterns and water availability.
• 🚜 Agriculture is the largest global consumer of water, using around 70% of freshwater mainly for irrigation.
• 🔧 Sustainable water management requires integrated strategies, promoting water conservation, improving infrastructure, and controlling pollution.

Q & A

What percentage of the Earth's surface is covered by water?

About 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water.

What is the percentage of fresh water available on Earth for human consumption?

Fresh water makes up only about 2.7% of the total water on Earth, and an even smaller fraction of this is accessible for human use.

What are the two major types of water resources?

The two major types of water resources are surface water and groundwater.

Why is groundwater considered important, especially in arid and semi-arid regions?

Groundwater is important in arid and semi-arid regions because surface water is often scarce, and groundwater serves as a more reliable fresh water source for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes.

How does the water cycle contribute to the availability of water resources?

The water cycle involves the evaporation of water from the Earth's surface, condensation into clouds, and precipitation back to Earth, which helps maintain surface and groundwater supplies.

What are the primary factors driving water scarcity across different regions?

Water scarcity can be driven by physical water scarcity (not enough water available), economic water scarcity (lack of infrastructure to access water), climate change, and population growth.

What are some of the major uses of water globally?

Water is used globally for agriculture (70% of freshwater withdrawal), industry (19% of consumption), and domestic purposes like drinking, cooking, and sanitation.

What are the potential consequences of over-pumping groundwater?

Over-pumping groundwater can lead to issues like depletion of aquifers, land subsidence, and saltwater intrusion, which pose serious challenges for sustainable water management.

How is climate change expected to affect water availability in the future?

Climate change is expected to exacerbate water scarcity by altering precipitation patterns, leading to changes in the availability of water resources in many regions.

What strategies can be implemented for sustainable water management?

Sustainable water management strategies include promoting water conservation, improving water infrastructure, protecting water quality through pollution control, and fostering cooperation between countries that share transboundary water resources.