What do we Understand by Water Management?
As we know that around three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water and around 96.5% of the global water resources come from the oceans and seas only. But the total volume of usable freshwater is around 2.5% and stored groundwater is 30% only. Many research has shown that by 2026, India, along with many other countries will face a serious scarcity of water. Many regions in our country are already under ‘water stress’. (‘water stress’ happens when the available water falls below 1000 cubic metres per person per day). Let’s discuss some water conservation methods and management.
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What is Water Management?
The activity to control water resources in order to minimise the damage of property and life and also to maximise the efficient use is termed as water management or in simple words It can be termed as the process of planning, developing, and distributing for the optimum use of water resources under defined water policies and regulations. With the rapid increase in the population of the world to over 6 billion people in the past few years, the use of water has also increased up to 500%. Water is an essential resource for life on earth not only for humans but for plants and animals also, and therefore it must be conserved. In fact, historically also, humans had learned some techniques to conserve the available water resources by building dams, Using Drip irrigation, doing Water harvesting, etc.
What is Water Conservation?
The most common misconception people believe is, water is replenishable and will be around us forever. The reality is, many of them are uneducated about the conservation of water resources. If we do not do something now to conserve water, Our future generations will not be able to have access to pure water. By doing proper planning, water can be supplied to many places regularly in town or city. But many times some amount of water is wasted through leakage of pipe and many other reasons. As we know that proper water management is necessary for water conservation methods. Thus, it is important for CWA authorities to take proper care of these problems while distributing water to our homes.
Most of the rainwater gets wasted even though it is one of the most precious natural resources. Farmers can play an important role in water conservation methods by using suitable techniques like rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation.
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Water Conservation and Management
The different methods of water conservation are:
Rainwater Harvesting:
It is the process of collection and storage of rainwater, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from the roof and is redirected to a tank, reservoir, cistern, or natural tanks, etc.
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Groundwater Harvesting:
It is a method for saving water placed under the ground to control the groundwater flow in an aquifer and to raise the water table.
Drip Irrigation:
It is a type of irrigation that saves water and fertiliser by dripping water slowly to the roots of various crops, either on the soil surface or directly to the root zone, through a network of pipes, tubing, and valves. This process saves more water compared to the traditional watering method.
Dams:
Dams are simple hydraulic structures that act as a barrier between the source and destination of flowing water. Earlier times, these dams were very small and hand-made while in modern times, new engineering techniques and methods are used to construct large dams.
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Water-wise Habits:
There are various good habits to conserve water for a long time. Some of them are Fixing leaky taps, Keeping the tap closed while brushing, taking a shower of 5 mins instead of long baths are a few examples of saving water.
The Indian practice in old times of cleaning water using brass vessels is well known and still continues. Even today water filter systems made from brass are very common. Older people in India use brass pots in the evening to store water and drink it during the daytime.
As time passes many technological devices are being developed to minimise water wastage, the impact will be greater if each and every individual starts contributing to water conservation by minimising or optimising the use of groundwater for daily work. Today, water management is becoming extremely important. Water management often involves modifying policies, such as drainage levels of groundwater, or allocating water for different purposes.
Ways to Water Management
Water is the most important natural resource. Many factors over the years have resulted in the degradation of natural resources including water bodies. Let us discuss the steps that can be taken for the conservation of water and what can be done on our behalf for the same. The activity of developing, planning, managing and distributing the optimum use of water resources is defined as water resource management.
Through precipitation and evaporation the water cycle maintains hydrological systems which support a variety of Aquatic ecosystems and forms lakes and rivers . Intermediate forms between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are wetlands that contain species of animals and plants that are highly moisture dependent Both security and economic development are placed at risk by poor water management and water is increasingly becoming a Priority policy issue at the national level.
Rainwater harvesting:
The method of storage and collection of rainwater into reservoirs or natural tanks is known as rainwater harvesting.
Groundwater harvesting:
A method to save water placed under the ground is groundwater harvesting.
Drip irrigation:
When the irrigation is done through dripping water slowly with the roots of various crops either directly onto the root out onto the soil surface in the method of drip irrigation.
Rainwater harvesting:
The rainwater is stored in big ponds or other things in the method of rainwater harvesting. This stored water can be reused in the future.
Water-saving habits:
There are various wise habits to conserve water. Light taking a quick shower instead of long baths, lesser use of water during washing the clothes and fixing leaky taps.
Conclusion
Out of 70% of the Earth's surface water only 3% is freshwater. Of which only 1%is usable water in lakes, subsoiler aquifers and rivers and 2% is in polar ice caps . Fractions of this can only be utilised at a global level, 70% of water is used for agriculture, about 25% for industry and only 6% for domestic use. This Article’s primary focus is on ways of Water Management.
FAQs on Water Management
1. What is meant by water management, and why is it considered crucial according to the CBSE curriculum for 2025-26?
Water management is the comprehensive process of planning, developing, distributing, and managing the optimal use of water resources under defined policies. It is crucial because, despite Earth being covered by water, only about 2.5% is usable freshwater. With increasing population and demand, regions are facing 'water stress'. Effective management ensures the sustainable supply of water for agriculture, industry, and domestic use, thereby preventing future scarcity and protecting ecosystems.
2. What are the primary methods of water management that students should know?
Several key methods are used for effective water management. The most important ones include:
- Rainwater Harvesting: The collection and storage of rainwater from rooftops or other surfaces, rather than allowing it to run off. This water is stored in tanks or used to recharge groundwater.
- Drip Irrigation: A highly efficient method where water is delivered slowly and directly to the roots of plants, minimising evaporation and water wastage in agriculture.
- Dam Construction: Building barriers across rivers to store water. Modern dams are often multi-purpose, used for irrigation, generating electricity, and flood control.
- Groundwater Harvesting: Techniques designed to control the flow of water in an aquifer and artificially raise the water table.
3. How does drip irrigation represent an advancement in water management compared to traditional irrigation?
Drip irrigation is a significant advancement because it focuses on water efficiency. Unlike traditional methods like flood irrigation, which lose a lot of water to runoff and evaporation, drip irrigation delivers water directly to the plant's root zone through a network of pipes. This not only conserves a substantial amount of water but also reduces fertiliser loss and improves crop yield, making it a sustainable agricultural practice.
4. What is the difference between greywater recycling and rainwater harvesting?
The main difference lies in the source and quality of the water. Rainwater harvesting involves collecting naturally pure rainwater from surfaces before it becomes contaminated. In contrast, greywater recycling involves treating and reusing wastewater from non-toilet plumbing systems like showers, baths, and washing machines. While rainwater is fresh, greywater contains contaminants and requires treatment before it can be reused for purposes like irrigation or flushing toilets.
5. How does effective water management help combat the problem of groundwater depletion?
Effective water management directly addresses groundwater depletion through methods focused on recharging aquifers. Techniques like rainwater harvesting and building percolation pits allow rainwater to seep into the ground instead of running off into drains. This process, known as groundwater recharge, artificially raises the water table, replenishing the underground reserves that are often over-exploited for agricultural and domestic needs, thus ensuring a more sustainable long-term water supply.
6. Beyond large-scale projects like dams, what role do individuals play in water management?
Individual actions, often called water-wise habits, are fundamental to successful water management. While dams and irrigation systems manage supply on a large scale, individual conservation reduces overall demand. Simple, effective habits include:
- Fixing leaky taps and pipes immediately.
- Closing the tap while brushing teeth or washing hands.
- Taking shorter showers instead of long baths.
- Using water from washing vegetables to water plants.
These collective actions significantly reduce the strain on municipal water supplies and groundwater sources.
7. Why can't we simply rely on the natural water cycle to solve water scarcity issues?
While the natural water cycle is a continuous process of evaporation and precipitation, it does not distribute water evenly or predictably. Some regions receive very little rainfall, leading to droughts, while others may experience floods. Furthermore, human activities such as pollution, deforestation, and excessive extraction of groundwater disrupt the hydrological balance. Water management is necessary to bridge the gap between where and when water is naturally available and where and when it is needed by society.
