WATER ON THE EARTH

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India is endowed with a rich and vast diversity of natural resources, water being one of them. Its
development and management plays a vital role in agriculture production. Integrated water
management is vital for poverty reduction, environmental sustenance and sustainable economic
development.

97 percent of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slightly over
two thirds of this is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. The remaining unfrozen freshwater is found
mainly as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air.

Fresh water is a renewable resource, yet the worlds supply of groundwater is steadily decreasing,
with depletion occurring most prominently in Asia and North America, although it is still unclear
how much natural renewal balances this usage, and whether ecosystems are threatened. The
framework for allocating water resources to water users (where such a framework exists) is known as
water rights.

Surface water is water in a river, lake or fresh water wetland. Surface water is naturally replenished
by precipitation and naturally lost through discharge to the oceans, evaporation, and sub-surface
seepage.

Brazil is the country estimated to have the largest supply of fresh water in the world, followed by
Russia and Canada.

It is estimated that 70% of worldwide water use is for irrigation, with 15-35% of irrigation
withdrawals being unsustainable. It takes around 2,000 3,000 liters of water to produce enough
food to satisfy one persons daily dietary need.

It is estimated that 22% of worldwide water is used in industry. Major industrial users include
hydroelectric dams, thermoelectric power plants, which use water for cooling, ore and oil refineries,
which use water in chemical processes, and manufacturing plants, which use water as a solvent.

It is estimated that 8% of worldwide water use is for household purposes. These include drinking
water, bathing, cooking, sanitation, and gardening.

Environmental water usage includes watering of natural or artificial wetlands, artificial lakes
intended to create wildlife habitat, fish ladders, and water releases from reservoirs timed to help fish
spawn, or to restore more natural flow regimes.

Water pollution is one of the main concerns of the world today. Many pollutants threaten water
supplies, but the most widespread, especially in developing countries, is the discharge of raw sewage
into natural waters; this method of sewage disposal is the most common method in underdeveloped
countries, but also is prevalent in quasi-developed countries such as China, India, Nepal and Iran.
Sewage, sludge, garbage, and even toxic pollutants are all dumped into the water.