Water Crisis in India: Side Effect of Climate Change
Water Crisis in India: Side Effect of Climate Change
There is one very famous quote which says, “Water is life’s mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water”. This quote highlights the importance of water and its value in sustenance of life on earth. It has multiple uses and each of them supports life, directly or indirectly. Even though 75 percent of our Earth is covered with water, less than two percent is fresh water. To make the matters worse, only about 1% is available as drinking water because two percent is frozen. (SSCWD, 2012). The facts above, at the very outset, bring about the priceless importance of water. Though once it was considered to be an endless natural resource, but lately due to endless pollution and drastic climate change the world is looking at a looming water crisis. Water resources have started depleting across the globe due to climatic changes which have been unleashed due to uncontrolled and unreasonable human activities.
India, which has conventionally been an agrarian economy, has almost 600 million of
citizens directly and indirectly employed in agricultural activities. The agriculture contributes
around 18 percent to India’s GDP (INDIA-Agriculture Economy and Policy Report, 2009).
Moreover India’s has world’s second largest population and hence the demand of fresh water is
naturally more. The facts above show the importance of water resources in India, its economy
and most importantly, its population. The ministry of water and resources of India recently submitted a report named “Preliminary Consolidated Report on Effect of Climate Change on
Water resources”, which analyzed all the possible effects, reasons and implications on climate
change on water resources in India. The foreword of the report says, “The global warming is bound to affect the hydrologic cycle resulting in further intensification of temporal and spatial variations in the water availability.” The
There is one very famous quote which says, “Water is life’s mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water”. This quote highlights the importance of water and its value in sustenance of life on earth. It has multiple uses and each of them supports life, directly or indirectly. Even though 75 percent of our Earth is covered with water, less than two percent is fresh water. To make the matters worse, only about 1% is available as drinking water because two percent is frozen. (SSCWD, 2012). The facts above, at the very outset, bring about the priceless importance of water. Though once it was considered to be an endless natural resource, but lately due to endless pollution and drastic climate change the world is looking at a looming water crisis. Water resources have started depleting across the globe due to climatic changes which have been unleashed due to uncontrolled and unreasonable human activities.
India, which has conventionally been an agrarian economy, has almost 600 million of
citizens directly and indirectly employed in agricultural activities. The agriculture contributes
around 18 percent to India’s GDP (INDIA-Agriculture Economy and Policy Report, 2009).
Moreover India’s has world’s second largest population and hence the demand of fresh water is
naturally more. The facts above show the importance of water resources in India, its economy
and most importantly, its population. The ministry of water and resources of India recently submitted a report named “Preliminary Consolidated Report on Effect of Climate Change on
Water resources”, which analyzed all the possible effects, reasons and implications on climate
change on water resources in India. The foreword of the report says, “The global warming is bound to affect the hydrologic cycle resulting in further intensification of temporal and spatial variations in the water availability.” The
Cited: Brooks, Nina (2007), ‘Imminent Water Crisis in India’, 16 November 2012, Available at: http://www.arlingtoninstitute.org/wbp/global-water-crisis/606 Mujumdar, P.P. (2011), ‘Implications of Climate Change for Water Resources Management’, pp INDIA-Agriculture Economy and Policy Report, (2009), ‘Agriculture Economy and Policy Report, 16 November 2012,