Crisis of a Blue Planet
Freshwater on Earth is dwindling away too fast….
Leaving us in a FRESHWATER deficit situation!
It reminds us of what ancient mariner
Marco Polo once said
Out of the 3% of the fresh
water that the Earth has,
2% remains in a frozen
state in glaciers and
icecaps of the polar region and Greenland
2% is in
Frozen
state!
South Pole
North Pole
Water usable by humans
Only this portion!
Groundwater
29%
Lake
River
1%
Streams
Glaciers at polar ice caps
70 % Unusable
Freshwater is defined as water
with less than 0.5 parts per
thousand dissolved salts.
Freshwater bodies include
lakes and ponds, rivers, some
bodies of underground water
and many kinds of man-made
freshwater bodies, such as
canals, ditches and reservoirs.
The ultimate source of
freshwater is the precipitation
of atmosphere in the form of
rain and snow (Water Cycle)
Free-flowing rivers provide several necessities.
They're an important source of drinking water and
irrigation for communities. They carry sediments
that help create coastal wetland features such as
marshes that provide habitats for many animal and
plants. They also renew the supply of oxygen that
fish and other aquatic life need to breathe.
It is estimated that the volume of groundwater comprises 30.1% of all
freshwater resource on earth compared to 0.3% in surface freshwater.
1.5 billion people all over the world depend on Groundwater for
drinking water
Groundwater exists because of
A balancing act of nature called
Water Cycle
So the water on which our lives
thrive are the ‘freshwater’
provided by GROUNDWATER
which is so negligible [ only
0.3% of the total World Water ]
in quantity and which we don’t
see! These water under the
ground are the Groundwater.
Amazingly, many people use
groundwater but they don't
even know it.
The main uses of ground water include:
irrigation uses
drinking water
other public uses
Supplying domestic water to people who do not receive publicsupply water.
In many areas, the majority of water used for self-supplied
domestic and livestock purposes come from ground-water sources.
- Freshground water is used for many important purposes, with the
largest amount going toward irrigating crops.
- Local city water agencies withdraw a lot of ground water for public
uses, such as for delivery to homes, businesses, and industries, as well
as for community uses such as firefighting, water services at public
buildings, and for keeping local residents happy by keeping community
swimming pools full of water.
- Industries and mining facilities also used a lot of ground water.
The agricultural sector is the largest user of water globally
and accounts for about 70% of the total freshwater
abstraction. Presently, industry accounts for 22% of the
global freshwater consumption. However, water consumption by
industries is increasing, and likely to double over the next two
decades. In fact, in high income countries, industrial water
use already accounts for as much as 59% of the total fresh
water consumption. The volume of water consumed per year by
industry is estimated to be 1,170 km3/year by 2025.
People, especially in rural areas, are increasingly dependent on
groundwater – up to 2 billion people, a third of the world’s
population rely on it.
97%of liquid freshwater
is stored underground
in aquifers within a few
kilometers [mostly 2.4
kms] of the Earth’s
surface almost
everywhere, beneath
hills, mountains,
plains, and deserts.
Groundwater is stored in the
ground in materials like
gravel or sand. It's kind of like
the earth is a big sponge
holding all that water. Water
can also move through rock
formations like sandstone or
through cracks in rocks.
An area that holds a lot of
water, which can be pumped
up with a well, is called an
aquifer. Wells pump
groundwater from the aquifer
and then pipes deliver the
water to cities, houses in the
country, or to crops.
Water Table
Aquifer – permeable rock or sediment that
transmits water in a quantity great enough
to be of use.
The Water Table
Material saturated
with water lies below
the water table.
Materials that
conduct water (are
porous and
permeable) are
aquifers.
Materials that do not
conduct water (are
well-cemented,
unfractured, etc.)
are aquicludes
or confining layers.
One inch of rain on one acre
of ground results in 27,192
gallons of water (~100,000 L).
Is a Geologic unit that can store and transmit enough
water to be a significant water resource
- Large volume [ in relation to the amounts being removed annually]
- Moderately high porosity
- Facilitate easy movement of water toward a well
The water in lakes, rivers, or oceans is
called surface water
Groundwater and
surface water
sometimes trade
places. Groundwater
can move through the
ground and into a
lake or stream.
Water in a lake can
soak down into the
ground and become
groundwater.
Groundwater and
Surface Water are not separate
Groundwater Moves (often very slowly)
Water infiltrating the ground is recharge.
Groundwater flowing out from the ground is discharge.
Springs form where groundwater is
forced up and onto the surface
through openings in the ground.
This is caused by the differences
in the slope or "hydraulic
gradient" in the aquifer. As rain
falls and percolates underground, it
exerts pressure on the water
already in the aquifer, forcing some
to the surface through natural
openings. Springs are classified
or categorized based on the
amount water discharge. For
example, in USA, the largest
springs like Wakulla and Silver
Springs
are
classified
as
"magnitude 1" springs which
means they each discharges more
than 65 million gallons of
water a day - the equivalent of
about 1.3 million bathtubs
full!
SPRINGS
Springs
Stream
Regional
Water
Table
Low permeability layer
Groundwater is forced up onto the
The surface through openings
In the ground
Perched Water Table
Perched aquifers are common, since the geology of the near-surface can be
fairly complex. Parts of an aquifer can become perched as a result of slight
variations in the clay content of sediments.
Clay-rich sediments tend to be impermeable.
Influent and Effluent
When groundwater flows
into streams they are called
effluent.
When the water table drops,
streams become influent,
and water leaks from the
stream bed into the ground.
Where does groundwater come from?
Groundwater comes from rain,
snow, sleet, and hail that soaks
into the ground. The water
moves down into the ground
because of gravity, passing
between particles of soil, sand,
gravel, or rock until it reaches a
depth where the ground is filled,
or saturated, with water. The area
that is filled with water is called the
saturated zone and the top of this
zone is called the water table. The
water table may be very near the
ground's surface or it may be
hundreds of feet below.
Gravity:
Ground
water
slowly
moves
underground, generally at a downward angle
(because of gravity), and may eventually seep
into streams, lakes, and oceans.
The rocks below our feet: The rock below the
Earth’s surface is the bedrock. But Earth’s
bedrock consists of 23 many types of rock,
such as sandstone, granite, and limestone.
Bedrocks have varying amounts of void
spaces in them where ground water
accumulates and can also become broken
and fractured; creating spaces that can fill with
water. Some bedrock, such as limestone, is
dissolved by water — which results in large
cavities that fill with water. Most of the void
spaces in the rocks below the water table are
filled with water. But rocks have different
porosity and permeability characteristics,
and water does not move around the same
way in all rocks.
Gravity doesn’t pull water all the way to the center of the
Earth. Deep in the bedrock there are rock layers made of dense
material, such as granite, or material that water has a hard time
penetrating, such as clay. These layers may be underneath the
porous rock layers and, thus, act as a confining layer to retard
the vertical movement of water. Since it is more difficult for
the water to go any deeper, it tends to pool in the porous layers
and flow in a more horizontal direction across the aquifer
confining layer
When the water around is looked at, water in
streams, rivers, and lakes is seen, which is
known as “surface water.”However, there is
much more water stored under the ground
than on the surface. In fact, some of the
water seen flowing in rivers comes from
seepage of ground water into river beds.
Water from precipitation continually seeps
into the ground to recharge the aquifers,
while at the same time water from
underground aquifers continually
recharges rivers through seepage. The
water in the apple eaten yesterday may
have fallen as rain half-way around the
world last year or could have been used 100
million years ago by Dinosaur to give her
baby a bath!
Groundwater is precious,
almost like Non-Renewable
Groundwater is a critical source of domestic water
and industrial water. Because it is part of the limited
budget of fresh (non-saline) water.
It can be viewed as a Non-renewable resource:
It is possible to withdraw it faster
than nature replenishes it through
“WATER CYCLE”
Pumping exceeds Replenishments
Pumping of groundwater by the
world’s farmers exceeds natural
replenishment by at least 160 billion
cubic metres a year.
Agriculture is responsible for most
of the depletion of groundwater,
along with up to 70 per cent of the
pollution. Both are accelerating.
Replenishment of Groundwater
is too slow and our activities can
create an imbalance in the
hydrologic equation and can
affect the quantity and quality of
natural water resources available
to current and future generations
This is becoming evident
during the recent
times
It’s a jeopardizing situation. What would happen
If all the groundwater finish up?
In a 100-year period, a water molecule spends 98 years in
the ocean, 20 months as ice, about 2 weeks in lakes and
rivers, and less than a week in the atmosphere.
Groundwater Recharge time comparison!
Confined and Unconfined Aquifers
UNSATURATED
ZONE
Water at very shallow depths might be just a few hours old; at moderate depth, it may
be 100 years old; and at great depth or after having flowed long distances from places
of entry, water may be several thousands of years old. Ground water is an important
part of the water cycle, and is the part of rainfall that seeps down through the soil until it
reaches rock material that is saturated with water. The ground above the water table may
be wet to a certain degree, but it does not stay saturated. The unsaturated zone
contains air and some water and support the vegetation on the Earth. The saturated
zone below the water table has water filled in the tiny pores between rock particles and
the cracks of the rocks.
Confined versus unconfined aquifers
Groundwater caters to almost all of
our water need
Mankind and animals on Earth may face a grave
Due to rapid depletion of groundwater
The earth's water supply remains constant, but man is capable of
altering the cycle of that fixed supply. Population increases,
rising living standards, and industrial and economic growth have
place greater demands on our natural environment. Our activities
can create an imbalance in the hydrologic equation and can affect
the quantity and quality of natural water resources available to
current and future generations.
• Water crunch usually takes the form of aquifer
overpumping and falling water tables. It is
often not apparent. Unlike deforestation (which
is observable), we come to know about falling
water tables only when our wells go dry! The
drilling of millions of well has pushed water
withdrawals beyond recharge of many aquifers.
• Rivers running dry are more visible. Some
rivers even fail to reach sea! Some rivers now
just trickling to sea.
Groundwater is scarce. Supply is limited.
Earth is overpopulating
Over-pumping of groundwater
due to overpopulation
- Groundwater exhausted places give rise to ‘Water Refugees’
- Croplands become barren when there is no more water left beneath
Groundwater supply is dependent on
‘Water Cycle’
- Deep aquifers are not historically rechargeable
Pollution of Groundwater
With traditional animal or human
powered water lifting devices it was
almost impossible historically to deplete
aquifers. But with worldwide spread of
powerful diesel and electric pumps
during the last half century, overpumping
has become a commonplace
Industrial progress has the
price to pay!
Earth cannot progress blindly
As the world demand for water has climbed,
water tables have fallen in scores of countries,
including China, India, and United States,
which together produce nearly half of the
world’s grain. Water tables are falling
throughout the northern half of China. As the
water table falls, springs and rivers go dry,
lakes disappear, and wells dry up. Northern
China is literally drying out.
In India also as the farmers try to feed an
additional 16 million people each
year, nearly the population equivalent of
Australia, they are pumping more and more
groundwater. This is dropping water tables in
states that together contain a majority of
India’s 1 billion people.
Water Table
Water trapped under ground above an
impermeable material
– Located between the capillary fringe and the
zone of saturation.
– Zone of aeration is above where air can enter
the pore spaces
– Zone of saturation is
Where the rock is filled
With water
Cone of Depression
Effect of Groundwater Pumping
p.266
A researcher from IIT-Delhi claims that India had breached it
water security level way back in 1997-98 by overexploiting the
water resource
Drilling of wells for
groundwater extraction
The latest data indicates that under Punjab and
Haryana, water tables are falling by up to a meter
per year.
The data for monitored wells in northern Gujarat
suggest that the water table has fallen from a
depth of 15 meters to 400 meters over the last 3
decades. At this point, the harvests of wheat and
rice, India’s principal food grains, are still
increasing. But within next few years, the loss of
irrigation water could override technological
progress and start shrinking the harvest, as it is
already doing in China.
Groundwater pollution is difficult to clean up
Groundwater can become polluted, or
contaminated. It can become polluted from
leaky underground tanks that store
petroleum products, leaky landfills, or
when people apply too much fertilizer or
pesticides on their fields or lawns. When
pollutants leak, spill, or are carelessly
dumped on the ground they can move
through the soil.
Because it is deep in the ground,
groundwater pollution is
generally difficult and expensive
to clean up. Sometimes people have to
find new places to dig a well
because their own became contaminated
Groundwater Pollution
Pollution in Water
When pollutants enter the
ground, they spread out in the
groundwater.
If there is no movement of the
groundwater, they disperse
evenly in all directions.
Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and
Environment in India argues convincingly that a waterbased disposal system with sewage treatment facilities is
neither environmentally nor economically viable for India.
An Indian family of 5, producing 250 litres of
exrement in a year and using a water toilet, requires
150,000 litres of water to wash away the wastes.
As currently designed, India’s sewer system is actually
a pathogen-dispersal system. It takes a small quantity
of contaminated material and use it to make vast
quantities of groundwater unfit for human use, often
simply discharging it into nearby rivers or streams
Contaminant Flow
Sewage
contamination
Salt Water Intrusion
One consequence of
overpumping in
coastal regions is the
encroachment of
saline seawater into
fresh aquifers.
To combat this, many
coastal communities
re-inject wastewater
into coastal aquifers.
Fresh Groundwater contaminated by
Saline water near coastal region
Rising sea level due to Global Warming will
salinate more groundwater
• Groundwater is available throughout the year
(when not depleted), including during the dry
season enabling farmers to double crop their
land.
• Productivity of groundwater is found to be more
than surface water [ Yields of food grains in
Punjab for land irrigated with water from wells
was 5.5 tons per hectare, whereas, yield with
water from canals averaged 3.2 tons per hectare
Water Refugees!
It takes 1000
tons of water to grow
1 ton of wheat, it takes only 14 tons
to make 1 ton of steel.
As per Geological Environmental Monitoring Institute
(GEMI) in Beijing, reported that under Hebei Province
in the heart of North China Plain, the average level of
the deep aquifer dropped 2.9 meters [nearly 10 feet]
in 2000. Deep wells [ drilled ] around Beijing now have
to reach 1,000 meters to tap fresh water, adding
dramatically to the cost of supply.
Falling water tables, combined with reduced
government grain support prices and the loss
of farm labour in provinces of China that are
rapidly industrializing, are shrinking China’s
Grain Harvest. Wheat crops after peaking
123 million tons in 1997, declined to 87
million tons in 2003, a drop of nearly 30
percent
Groundwater demand will exceed
its supply in 2025
More than one billion people on
earth already lack access to fresh
drinking water. If current trend
persists, by 2025, the demand for
freshwater is expected to rise to
56%, exceeding the amount that is
currently available.
Overpopulation
[ Earth’s population would be 1200 crore in 2050 ]
will reduce freshwater
availability per person
By 2000, available freshwater per
person dropped to 7,800 cubic metres
from 9,000 cubic metres in 1989, and is
expected to plummet to 5,100 cubic
metres per person by 2025, when the
global population is projected to reach
8 billion.
Groundwater need will increase from
54% to 70% In 2025
The world’s six billion people are
already using about 54% of all the
accessible freshwater contained in
rivers, lakes and underground aquifers.
By 2025 the human’s share will be 70%,
based on the population increase.
Freshwater use will increase upto 90% within next 25 years..
NOT TOO LONG TOO FINISH IT UP ENTIRELY !
If per capita consumption of
water resources continues to
rise at its current rate,
humankind could be using over
90% of all available freshwater
within 25 years.
Water will become a
scarce commodity
By 2025, according to
projections, more than 2.8
billion people in 48
countries will be facing
water stress or scarcity.
By 2050, the situation would even worsen
40% of the Global Population
would be water starved
By 2050, the number of water
short countries soars to 54,
affecting 4 billion people, or 40%
of the projected global
population. The worst hit areas
are in the Middle East, North
Africa and in sub-Saharan Africa.
Importance of Groundwater in World
Water Turnover
Every year the water turnover on Earth involves 577,000 km3
of water. It is the water that evaporates from the oceanic surface
(502,800 km3) and from land (74,200 km3). The same water
amount falls as atmospheric precipitation (on the ocean 458,000
km3 and on land 119,000 km3). The difference between
precipitation and evaporation from land surface (119,000 74,200 = 44,800 km3/year) represents the total runoff of Earth’s
rivers (42,600 km3/year), and a direct groundwater runoff to
the ocean (2200 km3/year). Base flow for major rivers such as
the Mississippi, Niger, and Yangtze comes from groundwater
sources.
Stabilizing world population
Raising land productivity
Raising water storage capacity
Realistic Pricing of water to discourage wastage and
encourage efficient water use
To decide judiciously on ‘Surface water’ and ‘groundwater’ usage
In India 44 million hectares irrigated by SURFACE WATER and 42
Millions hectares irrigated by GROUNDWATER.
Reducing seepage from irrigation canals
Using of low-pressure close to surface sprinklers
Employing ‘drip irrigation’ where water is supplied directly to root
zone of plants and thereby reducing water usage
Rainwater harvesting at local level
Managing waste without discharging it into local environment and
Allowing water to be recycled indefinitely
Use of waterless composting toilet
Just on way to our office, we can see the construction of
a new concrete Canal which would probably replace the
old canal where water meant for irrigation gets seeped
down. The concrete canal would prevent that wastage.
Anna Hazare’s Effort
Ralegaon Siddhi is a village in Parner Taluka of Ahmednagar District ,
Maharashtra, India. It is considered a model of environmental
conservation. Since 1975, led by Anna Hazare, the village has carried
out programs like
- tree planting
- terracing to reduce soil erosion and
- digging canals to retain rainwater.
- Fixing tank
In 1975 the village was afflicted by drought. The village tank could not
hold water as the embankment dam wall leaked. Work began with the
percolation tank construction. Once this was fixed, the seven wells
below filled with water in the summer for the first time.
Now the village has water year round, as well as a grain bank, a milk
bank, and a school. There is no longer any poverty.
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the gathering, or accumulating and
storing, of rainwater.
Traditionally, rainwater harvesting has been practiced in arid
and semi-arid areas, and has provided drinking water,
domestic water, water for livestock, water for small irrigation
and a way to replenish ground water levels.
Arvari river is a small river
in Rajasthan. It flows
through the Alwar District
of Rajasthan.
Due to Water harvesting
methods, the river has
become a perennial river
from seasonal one
Rajendra Singh’s effort
Rajendra Singh is a well known
water conservationist from Alwar,
Rajasthan in India. He won the
Ramon Magsaysay Award for
community leadership in 2001 for
his pioneering work in water
management. He is the founder of
an NGO called Tarun Bharat
Sangh. The NGO has been
instrumental in fighting the slow
bureaucracy and has helped
villagers take charge of water
management in their area,
through the use of check
dams and other time-tested as
well as path-breaking techniques.
This NGO played a vital role in
reviving Arvari River
Check Dam
If all the world’s water were fit into a gallon
jug, the fresh water available for us to use
would equal only about one
Tablespoon!
In a five-minute shower we use 95 to 190 litres of water.
To brush our teeth we use 7.5 litres of water.
In the future wars in the Middle East will
more likely be fought
Over water than over oil ! !
End of Slide Show
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