Water resources in Asia

Water resources refer to all the natural resources available of water that can be considered a source of potential use. The quantity of saltwater on the whole planet is 97%, and there is only 3% of the whole water available and potentially fit to be used as a freshwater source. Natural sources of potential freshwater include groundwater, surface water, frozen water, and under river flow. This article will provide you with a comprehensive guide on several water resources, specifically in Asia, along with a slide introduction to the problems faced with water resource management in Asia. 

A brief guide to the water resources of Asia

Before understanding anything about the water resources of Asia, let’s get a quick recap of the Asian and Pacific regions. The term Asia and Pacific region is a collection of member states of the United Nations Economic and social commission for Pacific and Asia. This commission stands as a collection of 62 governments of diverse nature. The Asian region holds the highest population density of 111 people per square kilometre. Asia is a significantly large continent with distinct societies and cultures. The large population density reflects some facts about the water quality in specifically Asian regions. Here are a few facts about water resources that will give you a significant idea to sum up, the prominent water resources of Asia. 

1. The World Bank suggested that the increasing water wastage in countries like India has made almost 70% of surface water unfit for consumption in the Indian region. It is supposed to be increasingly dangerous with India’s fast urbanisation.
2. On the other hand, China faces a water shortage, with 28000 Chinese rivers drying up in two and a half decades. The figures are the same here, with almost 70 per cent of water in China unfit for use. 
3. In Bangladesh, only 10% of households have consumable water pipelines. All these statistics suggest an incoming water crisis on the global level. 
4. Mongolia has reported a mere 30% access to clean water. Underground water resources are all dried up. 
5. Vietnam reportedly faces a huge water resources management failure, with 90 percent of untreated water released directly into underground water. 
6. On the other hand, South Korea has shown an example with almost a 100 percent fresh water supply. However, it is reported that people don’t prefer fresh tap water in this region. 

Problems associated with the water resources of Asia

Considering the deterioration of water resources in Asia, several problems are associated with water resources and their management. 

A few common problems of the water resources department and its management are listed below:

• Improper water treatment
• Poor water resources sustainable development
• Direct water discharge to the freshwater sources 
• Water resources department 
• Supply constraint

Solutions to the problems of water resources in Asia 

Now that you have become familiar with the water resources and their problems. Let us understand how this situation can be handled and sustainable development of natural water resources can be performed:

• An improved water treatment
• Water resources department
• Water natural resources management
• Freshwater supply repopulation

Prominent water resources of Asia

Asia is defined as the world’s most diverse and largest continent. It has a large landmass, and its homogeneity describes the potential of offering a comfortable diversity to its area. Here are different prominent water resources available on earth:

1. Groundwater resources 
2. Surface water resources

Let’s understand each one of them in detail:

Groundwater resources

Groundwater resources are usually filtered water. Several layers of clay, dirt filter it, and rock stacks, with the most-upper layers a water source for the plants. There is the same storage, output, and input for groundwater, and it is larger than the surface water. 

Surface Water resources

The surface water resources include rivers and lakes. This water is used by several industrial, agriculture, recreation, or portable water. Surface water resources have a large share of 98% of the total water used by industries, making it significantly important to improve and maintain water quality. 

Conclusion

There are two primary water resources in the Asia region: groundwater and surface water. The groundwater and surface water resources are used for agricultural, industrial, hydropower generation, domestic or navigation, and recreation purposes. Surface water also has several uses, from day-to-day life to industrial. Due to Asia’s vast area and huge population density, maintenance and care for natural water resources are necessary. We have provided detailed information on several water resources in  Asia. This article has discussed several important points regarding the water resources in Asia.