What is water scarcity?what are the chief cause of water scarcity
Answers
Water is considered as a renewable resource because it can be used over and over again but the sustainability of this renewable resource is questionable. In the next few centuries it is thought that tgere will be a severe shortage of drinking water. This has already be seen recently in Cape Town. Apart from all the water present on the Earth, only 3% of the water is usable and this figure is decreasing with time. The major reason is the population growth because of which water may become a non - renewable resource. The population is increasing at a speedy rate and this is putting enormous pressure on all our resources. Thus, to conserve water, population control is something strongly needed. Clean and safe drinking water is scarce. Water scarcity is due to lack of enough clean and safe water. Water scarcity occurs when there is an imbalance between the availability and the demand of water. People who have safe and clean drinking water take it for granted and don't use it wisely. We must learn to conserve water.
The major reasons for the water scarcity are :-
- Population Growth : As the population increases, the demand of water rises too. Various uses of water and the increase in the standard of living further increase the deamnd for the water in the recent years.
- Wastage : Wastage of water is also a major concern for the shortage of water. Some people leave their taps running even when they're not in use. All this water is lost to the ground.
- Overexploitation of groundwater : One of the biggest problems related to groundwater shortage is the replenishment of groundwater. Increase in population has adversely affected the natural process of replenishing ground water. The demand of water is more compared to the amount of water that gets replenished naturally.
- Urbanisation and industrialisation : Setting up of new factories and industries imcreased the demand of water.
- Global warming : Global warming is tremendously responsible for water scarcity in the world. The increase in the global temperature causes changes in the seasons, which can again lead to a decrease in the rain that falls over the earth thereby causing water scarcity.
- Deforestation : Forests are cutting at an alarming rate which results in decrease in rain, thereby affecting the recharging of ground water.
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