Water Resource Management

Water is a basic need for all forms of life. Even though Earth is blessed with an abundance of this resource, covering nearly 70% of its surface, we still find ourselves in a tough spot when it comes to ensuring that every person receives their fair share of water. As a matter of fact, many parts of the world do not have sufficient freshwater support to meet their domestic, economic, and environmental needs. According to the world bank, nearly 40% of the world’s population is dealing with water scarcity and India, being the world’s most extensive consumer, is no exception. With a swiftly rising population, our water demand is likely to touch 1.5 trillion cubic meters per year by 2030. So how do we meet this demand without exhausting our freshwater resources? The answer is water use efficiency and smart water management!

Why is there an urgency to focus on water management and sustainable use of this resource? Here are a few reasons that will give you a better understanding of India’s water crisis:

• Freshwater Stress: India is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. According to Aqueduct, a global data platform run by the World Resource Institute, India ranks 13th on the list of “extremely high” water-stressed countries.
• The water availability per person has fallen from 3000 cubic meters in 1950 to just 1000 cubic meters.
• In the last 5 decades, our population has increased in leaps and bounds, which has led to an exaggerated demand for food resources and the need to enhance agricultural productivity. To meet the food demand of our ever-growing population, we need more water to produce food.
• There is a vast gap between the availability and supply of water in India. Statistics show that 76 million people don’t have access to safe drinking water. To tackle this problem, India is thinking of diverting water towards the water deficit areas with the help of canals and the interlinking of rivers.

As sustainable development becomes a pressing priority around the world, we need to change our lives in a way that facilitates this cause and reduces our negative water footprints. Here is how we can contribute on a personal level:

• Rainwater Harvesting: this is a conventional method of water conservation. India experiences a wet spell from June to September. The idea is to store water in the form of ponds, aquifers, and underwater reservoirs, and use them later on. Another method involves rainwater catching ducts and filtration systems in commercial and residential premises.
• Wastewater recycling: wastewater recycling is the process of treating grey and black water with adequate technique and then reusing it. At present, India is only recycling 30% of wastewater. If we achieve an 80% recycling rate, there will be a 400% increase in water that can be reused and reclaimed. On a domestic scale, one can divert greywater after treatment (water from the shower, laundry, and kitchen) to their lawns and gardens.
• Groundwater management: With 230 billion cum of groundwater drawn out each year for irrigation, groundwater depletion is a rising concern. This calls for more efficient irrigation techniques for farmers, more area for water to seep into the group, and rainwater harvesting. UN-sponsored an initiative in Andhra Pradesh to educate farmers on sustainable agriculture and water use. More such initiatives on water management are the need of the hour.
• Surface water management: The agriculture sector in India is the most extensive use of surface water, with a 70% share. There is a need to implement more ecologically sound techniques for irrigation like sprinklers and drip irrigation systems to optimize water usage. Statistics show that just a 10% increase in the efficiency of irrigation techniques can double the amount of available drinking water.

The agriculture sector in India is the heaviest consumer of freshwater resources. And hence, our first step towards achieving a more sustainable outlook towards water management should begin with this primary sector:

• Protected cultivation near cities: Protected cultivation in urban and semi-urban areas close to major cities is bound to offset some stress on water and land resources. This technique involves growing fruits and vegetables in a protected environment to reduce water losses and improve productivity significantly.
• Using IoT and remote sensing in agriculture: Promising new technologies like remote sensing, a global positioning system (GPS), internet of things (IoT), Big Data analysis, and artificial intelligence will help in reducing the water stress in our country. IoT technology by utilizing cloud computing, wireless-sensors network, and big data analysis can set up a wireless-controlled irrigation system. This significantly controls the loss of water.
• Saline cultivation: growing salt-tolerant crops in saline areas is a way of making use of the otherwise uncultivable land. Paddy, groundnut, and legume plants can be grown using this technique.

Water is what distinguishes us from the other planets and makes life possible on earth. It is high time that we adopt more environmentally feasible technologies as a part of our day-to-day lives. Sustainability is not a choice, is a way of life!