Evs Self-Learning Assessment: Topic

Evs self-learning
assessment
Topic : Environmental impact
on over utilization of surface
And ground water
By : priya dharshini.k
Overutilization of Surface and
Ground Water
Water scarcity has become a burning

global issue.
The UN has held several conventions on
water in recent decades.
Continuous overutilization of surface
and ground water has led to virtual
water scarcity in the world today.
.
• The depleting sources for high growth in human
population over the centuries and increased man-
induced water pollution across the world have
created unforeseen water scarcity around the
globe.
• As a result, there has been continuous

overutilization of the existing water sources due to
mammoth growth in world population
Ground water
Groundwater is the major source of water in many parts
of the world.
However, there has been continuous depletion of this
source due to its overexploitation by rising human
population and the rapid rise in industrialization and
urbanization in modern times.
 About 9.86% of the total fresh water resources is in the form
of groundwater and it is about 35-50 times that of surface
water supplies.
 Till some time back groundwater was considered to be very
pure.
 However, of late, even groundwater aquifers have been found
to be contaminated by leachates from sanitary landfills etc.
Effects of Over-exploitation of Groundwater
 Excessive pumping of ground water causes porous formations

to collapse resulting in subsidence
 Heavy pumping can lower water table and cause shallow
wells to dry-up
 Overuse of freshwater reservoirs along coast lines allows salt
water to move into reservoirs degrading the water quality and
making it unsuitable for domestic, industrial or agricultural
purposes.
Surface water from Rivers & Lakes
There is a very limited stock of usable water, 0.007 per cent

surface water (rivers, streams and ponds) and about 0.6 per
cent groundwater.
Clean water is essential for healthy environment to support life
systems on this planet. The sustainable use of available and
exploitable water resources is most important for India as
rainfall distribution is confined to 3–4 months in a year. Besides,
global and local climatic changes occurring due to global
warming, deforestation, loss of topsoil, etc. have harmful effect
on the monsoon pattern in India.
India is fortunate to have good
rainfall (average 200 cm in a year)
but 70 per cent of it is wasted.
Our country faces severe problems

of floods, and droughts and highly
polluted water resources.
Therefore, it is necessary to do
rainwater harvesting to store rain
water
Overutilization of surface-water can cause
•Decrease in flow of water in rivers
•Drying of ponds and lakes specially during summers
•Reduction in wetlands and green lands
•Migration of public due to scarcity of water.

Consequences of Overutilization
• Water scarcity now becomes an important

topic in international diplomacy. From
village to the United Nations, water scarcity
is a widely-discussed topic in decision
making.
• Nearly three billion people in the world
suffer from water scarcity. International,
intrastate and regional rivalries on water are
not new to world.
• According to World Health Organization (WHO) sources, a
combination of rising global population, economic growth and
climate change means that by 2050 five billion (52%) of the
world’s projected 9.7 billion people will live in areas where
fresh water supply is under pressure.
• Researchers expect about 1 billion more people to be living in

areas where water demand exceeds surface-water supply.
Climate Change
• Scientists, environmentalists, and biologists worldwide are

now alarmed that climate change can have an impact on the
drainage pattern and hydrological cycle on the earth thereby
severely affecting the surface and groundwater availability.
• Climate change is believed to rise the global temperature at

an increasing pace.
• Temperature increase affects the
hydrological cycle by directly
increasing evaporation of available
surface water and vegetation
transpiration.
• As a result, precipitation amount,

timing and intensity rates are largely
affected. It impacts the flux and
storage of water in surface and
subsurface reservoirs.
Floods & Draughts
Floods and droughts are two

well-known natural hazards
in the world. The former is
due to excess in water flow
and the latter is due to
scarcity of water.
The amount of rainfall received by an area varies from one
place to another depending on the location of the place.
In some places it rains almost throughout the year whereas in

other places it might rain for only few days.
India records most of its rainfall in the monsoon season.

Heavy rains lead to rise in the water level of rivers, seas, and
oceans.
Water gets accumulated in the coastal areas, which results in

floods.
Floods bring in extensive damage to crops, domestic animals,

property and human life.
During floods, many animals get carried away by the force of water
and eventually die.
On the other hand, droughts set in when a particular region goes
without rain for a long period of time.
In the meantime, the soil will continuously lose groundwater by

the process of evaporation and transpiration.
Since this water is not brought back to earth in the form of rains,
the soil becomes very dry.
• The level of water in the ponds and rivers goes down and in
some cases water bodies get dried up completely. Ground water
becomes scarce and this leads to droughts. In drought
conditions, it is very difficult to get food and fodder for the
survival. Life gets difficult and many animals perish in such
conditions.
• Frequent floods and droughts are mostly due to climate change

and global warming. Various environmental organizations world
over are of the view that climate change is a long-term change
in weather patterns, either in average weather conditions or in
the distribution of extreme weather events.
Frequent floods and droughts are mostly due to climate change
and global warming.
Various environmental organizations world over are of the view

that climate change is a long-term change in weather patterns,
either in average weather conditions or in the distribution of
extreme weather events.
Thank you !

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Evs self-learning

Water scarcity has become a burning

• As a result, there has been continuous

 Excessive pumping of ground water causes porous formations

There is a very limited stock of usable water, 0.007 per cent

Our country faces severe problems

•Decrease in flow of water in rivers

•Drying of ponds and lakes specially during summers

•Reduction in wetlands and green lands

•Migration of public due to scarcity of water.

• Water scarcity now becomes an important

• Researchers expect about 1 billion more people to be living in

• Scientists, environmentalists, and biologists worldwide are

• Climate change is believed to rise the global temperature at

• As a result, precipitation amount,

Floods and droughts are two

In some places it rains almost throughout the year whereas in

India records most of its rainfall in the monsoon season.

Water gets accumulated in the coastal areas, which results in

Floods bring in extensive damage to crops, domestic animals,

In the meantime, the soil will continuously lose groundwater by

• Frequent floods and droughts are mostly due to climate change

Various environmental organizations world over are of the view

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