Water Resources

Nature has provided us with finite and infinite resources. Water is a naturally occurring resource, and it has a vital role in sustaining life on earth. Natural sources of freshwater are limited in number. The natural sources include surface water, groundwater as well as frozen water. Water resources face water pollution, climate changes, water scarcity, and water conflict. Here we will discuss the importance of water resources and the measures taken in the form of the Water Resource department to fight the threats of water resources.

What are water resources?

Water resources refer to the natural sources of freshwater provided by mother earth. There are various forms of Natural sources of freshwater like surface water, under river flow water, groundwater, and frozen water. Let’s understand these water resources in detail. 

• Surface water 

Surface water refers to the water found in a lake, river, or freshwater wetland. The mean replenishment of surface water happens by precipitation, and it is naturally lost through discharge to several ocean’s evapotranspiration groundwater recharge or evaporation. However, precipitation is the only natural input to any surface water system, and the total quantity of water also depends on several other factors. These factors include artificial reservoirs, lakes, and soil permeability or wetlands. All these factors generally have high precipitation and open face local evaporation. All this results in water loss inadequate proportions. 

• Groundwater

Groundwater refers to the freshwater bodies present in the subsurface of rocks and soils. Groundwater also refers to the water below the water table within aquifers. It is quite useful to distinguish between groundwater, which is sometimes associated with surface water, and deep groundwater, which is called Fossil water. Groundwater is somewhere related to the terms as surface water, that is, inputs, outputs, and storage. The obvious difference is that groundwater storage is usually much larger in volume due to its low turnover rate than surface water. The natural input that leads to groundwater is seepage happening in surface water. 

• Frozen Water

Frozen water refers to the iceberg found in oceans. It is not yet considered a water source; however, several schemes have been proposed to utilise icebergs as a water source. Susan water or glaciers are not yet included in the list of water resources, but glacier runoff is still considered surface water. 

• Under river flow

A river travels a long course. The total volume of water that the river carries with it downstream is often a combination of free water flow with the substantial contribution of rocks and sediments found under the river and its plain. 

Factors affecting Water Supply 

Freshwater supply and resources are affected by several factors. The factors of acting global water supply are:

Climatic conditions

Geology

Water pollution

Infrastructure issues

Introduction to water resources department

The Water Resource department was established for capacity building and research in different fields like hydrological modelling, zoning, flood risk mapping planning and management, watershed conservation and snowmelt runoff modelling, and much more. The Water Resource department deals with innovative ideas and solutions for better water conservation and fewer water resources wastage. 

A career in Water Resource Engineering

Water resource engineering deals with the holistic and quantitative study of the water cycle for the hydrologic cycle. This water cycle refers to the distribution and circulation of several water-living things in Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans. Hydraulic engineering is a combination and collection of the applications of fluid mechanics to channel water flowing in an isolated environment or an open environment. These engineers are concerned with the issue of open channel flow which is associated and governed by the interaction of water and the channel. The applications of water resources engineering include designing hydraulic structures, managing waterways, and environmental management. All these three are wide channels, including several other factors like sewage, dams, and breakwaters are part of hydraulic structures. In contrast, predictions for the mixing and transportation of pollutants in surface water come under environmental management, erosion protection, and flood protection under the management of waterways. Force engineers are charged to develop new processes or systems for entities that can preserve freshwater sources for life’s survival and sustained survival. 

Conclusion

Water is the second-most essential element after oxygen for the sustainability of life. The human body is more than half made with water, and we cannot survive without water for a few days. This makes water substantially important, and the continuous supply of water requires conservation of water resources. The Water Resource Department and the source engineers work on this conservation of water resources, and resource maintenance.