Why is the world today confronted with a crisis of availability of and access to freshwater resources?

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Introduction:

• Only 3% of the world’s water is freshwater, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.

• According to a UNESCO report, 2 billion people (26% of the population) do not have safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion (46%) lack access to safely managed sanitation.

Body:

Reasons for Crisis of availability and access to freshwater:

• Population Growth especially in tropical countries (उष्णकटि बधं ीय देशों) – availability per capita decreases.

• Climate Change is altering global precipitation patterns and causing more extreme weather events, including prolonged droughts (सूखा) and intense floods.

• Rapid Urbanization (तेजी से शहरीकरण)

• Water pollution due to industrialization (औद्योगीकरण) and pollutants

• Over-Extraction (अति-निष्कर्षण) and Depletion: Groundwater Depletion

• Ecosystem Degradation like wetlands (आर्द्रभूमि), lakes (झीलें), etc.

• Political and economic factors like water management, conflicts on water sharing

• Land-use changes alter hydrological cycles

• Water-Wasting Practices: leaky distribution systems, and wasteful agricultural irrigation (can link with water-intensive crops)

• Unequal Distribution leading to access issues

According to a report by UN “For every 1°C increase in the global average temperature, a 20 percent drop in renewable water resources is predicted.”

Conclusion:

• Sustainable water management practices (सतत जल प्रबंधन प्रणाली)

• Investment in infrastructure, and international cooperation to ensure equitable access

• Watershed management (जलविभाजन प्रबंधन)

• Community engagements like sacred groves (अक्षय जलाशय), baolis, etc.

• Awareness initiatives like World Water Day (22 March)

• Can connect with Greywater management

• Technological solutions like water treatment plants, etc.

• Can link with SDGs like (SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation)