Water resources are essential for human survival, economic development, and environmental sustainability. In this article of Class 10 Geography Chapter 3 Notes – Water Resources, we explore the critical aspects of water resources as per the Class 10 NCERT Social Science syllabus. We cover the importance, sources, challenges, conservation techniques, and management of water resources, all focusing on the geographical and environmental insights relevant to students.
Class 10 Geography Chapter 3 Notes – Water Resources
Introduction to Water Resources
Water resources encompass all forms of water available on Earth, including surface and groundwater, which support life, agriculture, industries, and ecosystems. Geographically, water is a renewable resource, yet it is distributed unevenly across regions and populations. This imbalance often results in scarcity, especially in arid and semi-arid areas.
Importance of Water Resources
👉Water is essential for various purposes:
- Domestic Use: Drinking, cooking, cleaning, and sanitation.
- Agriculture: Essential for crop irrigation, livestock, and food production.
- Industry: Many industrial processes rely on water as a coolant, solvent, and medium for chemical reactions.
- Ecosystems: Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems depend on water for biodiversity and maintaining natural cycles.
- Hydropower Generation: Renewable energy derived from flowing water is crucial for sustainable development.
Understanding the Distribution of Earth’s Water
👉Here is the distribution of water across the globe :
| Type of Water | Percentage of Total Water | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Oceans | 96.5% | The vast majority of Earth’s water is salty and stored in oceans, making it unsuitable for direct consumption. |
| Fresh Water | 2.5% | 70% of freshwater |
| Ice Sheets & Glaciers | <30% of freshwater | Most fresh water is “locked up” in ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland, and mountainous regions. |
| Groundwater | <30% of freshwater | A smaller portion of fresh water exists underground in aquifers, accessible through wells and springs. |
Water scarcity
Water scarcity means a shortage of water. It is usually associated with regions having low rainfall or drought-prone areas.
👉Reasons that lead to scarcity of water:
- Growing Population: A larger population increases the demand for water in all sectors.
- Agricultural Overuse: Excessive extraction of water for expanding irrigated areas and dry-season farming depletes resources.
- Increased Irrigation Needs: High-yielding variety (HYV) seeds and multiple cropping require more water to boost food production.
- Urbanization and Industrialization: Expanding cities and industries lead to greater water demand for various purposes.
- Inequality in Water Access: Unequal access to water affects different social groups, particularly marginalized communities.
- Water Pollution: Domestic and industrial wastes, along with agricultural chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides, contaminate water supplies.
- Industrial Consumption: Industries consume large amounts of water, often for hydroelectric power generation.
- Urban Over-exploitation: Excessive water withdrawal in urban areas strains local water resources.
👉Adverse effects of over-exploitation of groundwater resources:
- Pumping out more water from under the ground may lead to falling groundwater levels.
- It will adversely affect water availability.
- This, in turn, will affect our agriculture and the food security of the people.
- The impoverishment of water resources may adversely affect the ecological cycle.
Conservation of Water Resources
Water conservation is crucial to sustaining water supply and protecting ecosystems. Effective strategies include:
- Efficient Irrigation: Drip and sprinkler irrigation systems optimize water use.
- Leakage Control: Reducing water loss in urban water supply systems.
- Awareness Campaigns: Promoting water-saving habits among communities.
Multi-Purpose River Projects and Integrated Water Resources Management
In ancient times, we used to conserve water by constructing sophisticated hydraulic structures like dams built of stone rubble, reservoirs or lakes, embankments, and canals for irrigation. We have continued this tradition in modern India by building dams in most of our river basins.
Dams
A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs, or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake, or impoundment. “Dam” refers to the reservoir rather than the structure.
👉Uses of Dams
Dams are built,
- To impound rivers and rainwater that can be used later to irrigate agricultural fields.
- For electricity generation.
- Water supply for domestic and industrial uses.
- Flood control.
- Recreation, inland navigation, and fish breeding.
👉Side Effects of Creating Dams
- Regulating and damming rivers affect their natural flow.
- Poorer the habitats for the rivers’ aquatic life.
- Fragmented rivers make it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate.
- Dams created on the floodplains submerge the existing vegetation and soil, leading to its decomposition over a period of time.
- Creating of large dams has been the cause of many new environmental movements like the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ and the ‘Tehri Dam Andolan’.
- Many times local people had to give up their land, livelihood, and their control over resources for the construction of the dam.
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting and storing rainwater for future use, especially in regions with unreliable water supply. This technique reduces pressure on groundwater and provides an alternative water source.
👉Components of Rainwater Harvesting Systems:
- Catchment Area: Roofs or other surfaces to collect rainwater.
- Gutters and Pipes: Channels to direct water to storage tanks.
- Storage Tanks: For storing harvested water, which can then be used for irrigation, household chores, and other non-potable purposes.
👉Different methods have been adopted in different areas for Rain Water Harvesting.
- In hill and mountainous regions, people have built diversion channels like the ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’ of the Western Himalayas for agriculture.
- Rooftop rainwater harvesting is commonly practiced to store drinking water, particularly in Rajasthan.
- In the flood plains of Bengal, people developed inundation channels to irrigate their fields.
- In arid and semi-arid regions, agricultural fields were converted into rain-fed storage structures that allowed the water to stand and moisten the soil such as ‘khadins’ in Jaisalmer and ‘Johads’ in other parts of Rajasthan.
- The tanks are part of the well-developed rooftop rainwater harvesting system and are built inside the main house or the courtyard. This is mainly practiced in Rajasthan, particularly in Bikaner, Phalodi, and Barmer areas for saving rainwater. Many houses have constructed underground rooms adjoining the ‘tanka’ to beat the summer heat as it would keep the room cool.
🌟Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to make rooftop rainwater harvesting structures compulsory for all houses across the state. There are legal provisions to punish defaulters.
Narmada Bachao Andolan
Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement is an NGO that mobilized tribal people, farmers, environmentalists, and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across the Narmada River in Gujarat. The movement originally focused on environmental issues related to the submerging of trees under the dam water. Recently it has aimed to enable the displaced poor people to get full rehabilitation facilities from the government.
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