Water Scarcity

26% of the world's population doesn't have access to safe drinking water

India is expected to be the most severely affected as the global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to increase from 933 million in 2016 to 1.7-2.4 billion people in 2050, a flagship UN report said on Tuesday. The 'United Nations World Water Development Report 2023: partnerships and cooperation for water', issued Tuesday ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference, said that around 80% of people living under water stress lived in Asia; in particular, northeast China, as well as India and Pakistan. "The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to increase from 933 million (one third of global urban population) in 2016 to 1.7-2.4 billion people (one third to nearly half of global urban population) in 2050, with India projected to be the most severely affected," the report said, citing data. "There is an urgent need to establish strong international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiralling out of control," said UNESCO Director-General .

A Parliamentary Standing Committee has asked the government to initiate a study to evaluate the role of climate change in aggravating water scarcity, noting that changing global climate with the rise in temperatures has serious implications on water availability. Combined with rising population and urbanisation, extreme climate events have already started having serious repercussions on water balance in the form of excessive rainfall within a short span of time causing floods and increasing runoff without enough water getting seeped into the ground causing a decline in the water table beneath the ground, the standing committee report on water resources, which was tabled in Parliament on Monday, said. Long spells of summer with rising temperatures, on the other hand, leave the land parched without enough water storage in the face of disappearing water bodies due to human encroachments, it noted. In the face of such challenges, the committee expressed its apprehension that the measure

It is now bearing fruit in just a year, and the results are encouraging with the government saying micro-irrigation has increased the yield of fruits and vegetables by 52 per cent

About 219 of Rajasthan's 302 blocks, including seven urban areas, fall under the 'over-exploited' category in terms of groundwater usage, the Assembly was informed on Wednesday. In reply to a question by BJP member and Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, the government said the latest groundwater analysis report from March 2022 showed that 219 blocks were 'over-exploited'. Among the others, 22 blocks are 'critical', 20 are 'semi-critical' and 38 are in the 'safe' category, it said. Three blocks were not included in the analysis due to saline groundwater. The seven urban areas included are Ajmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Kota, Udaipur and Bikaner. Sixteen blocks in Jaipur are over-exploited -- the highest in the state -- followed by Jodhpur (15), Nagaur (14) and Barmer (14). Among the blocks in the 'safe' category, nine are in the Sriganganagar district, eight in Hanumangarh and six each in Banswara and Nagaur. The state government said a draft bill has been prepared i

Far from Bali's beaches and hotels, farmer I Ketut Jata stands on a mountainside, staring at terraced land that is too dry to grow the rice his family has long relied on for food and income. It is no longer possible to work in the fields as a farmer," he says. Bali's water crisis is worsening from tourism development, population growth and water mismanagement, experts and environmental groups warn. Water shortages already are affecting UNESCO sites, wells, food production and Balinese culture and experts say the situation will deteriorate further if existing water control policies are not enforced across the island. A tropical, volcanic island in the center of Indonesia's archipelago, Bali relies on water from three main sources: crater lakes, rivers and shallow groundwater. A unique traditional irrigation system, called the subak, distributes water through a network of canals, dams and tunnels. The subak, made a UNESCO site in 2012, is central to Balinese culture, representing the

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NITI Aayog reckons that nearly 600 million Indians are already facing "high to extreme" water stress. The situation is set to worsen as the water demand is likely to double by 2030

Amid the rising population and climate change, the availability of fresh water is becoming worrisome in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan, which may face absolute water scarcity by 2040

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New phase of Jal Shakti Abhiyan should improve water availability

More than 400 families of Kurmi Mahato, the Other Backward Class (OBC) community residing at Kalshi Bhanga have to trudge at least a kilometre to get drinking water

The project is set to start next summer, sometime in June-July

Rules must contain wasteful use in agriculture

The UN chief asked all people to play a role to help alleviate the shortage of water

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