Why is the world today confronted with a crisis of availability of and access to freshwater resources?

The question "Why is the world today confronted with a crisis of availability of and access to freshwater resources?" was asked in the Mains 2023 GS Paper 1. Let us look at the model answer to this question.

Answer: The demand for freshwater is far higher than the current availability of water in the very large population of the world. According to the UN SDG 2022, about 2 billion people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water today.

Reasons for the Crisis of Availability and Access to Freshwater Resources

Climate Change: Changed weather and water patterns around the world, leading to droughts in some regions and floods in others, reduced water availability.
- For example, Rising sea levels and storm surges caused by intensifying tropical cyclones result in saline intrusion in coastal areas, further diminishing freshwater resources.
Growing Population: The world's population, now at 7.5 billion, is projected to add 2.3 billion more people by 2050, creating more water-stressed conditions.
- For example, According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2023, around 80% of people living under water stress lived in Asia.
Overexploitation of groundwater: It has reduced the level of groundwater due to rapid urban agglomeration and industrial development and also leads to seawater intrusion into coastal districts, damaging the quality of groundwater.
- For example, In 2050, India’s per capita water availability will only be 22% of the current level if the present rate of groundwater depletion persists.
Deforestation: Deforestation reduces water infiltration and increases erosion, which raises sediment levels and turbidity, leading to poorer water quality and higher drinking water treatment costs.
- For example, Over the past 50 years, 17% of Amazon rainforests have been lost due to deforestation, causing the ecosystem to reach an irreversible tipping point.
Pollution: Pollution makes water unfit for various uses and decreases the availability of freshwater.
- For example, Delhi generates approximately 76% of the total pollution load in the river Yamuna, which turns the river into a ‘sewage drain’.
Agriculture:
- Monoculture practices due to focus on input-intensive crops (wheat, rice & sugarcane).
- Poor agro-ecological planning, e.g. wrong set of crops being promoted in different regions, e.g. sugarcane and rice in water-scarce areas.
- Virtual Water export: Skewed focuses on water-guzzling crops like rice, wheat, sugarcane, etc., despite water scarcity.

Way Forward

Sustainable water management by improving water infrastructure, solar desalination, and smart irrigation systems.
Pollution control & better sewage treatment practices should be considered.
Rainwater harvesting and recycling of wastewater will help reduce scarcity and ease pressures on groundwater.
AWARe (Action on Water Adaptation or Resilience) initiative at COP27: To foster inclusive cooperation in addressing water-related challenges and climate change adaptation solutions.

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