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Population Fund
Share this pageWe all know that planet earth has more water than land but sadly just about 3% of the Earth’s total water is fresh water and over two third of that is in glaciers. That makes it about less than 0.5 percent of our fresh water available in lakes, ponds and rivers.
Each time I visit the US, I get amazed by the enormous natural resources that the country is endowed with. Roughly over a quarter of surface fresh water is within the geographical boundaries of the US. It’s a treat to watch the immensity of the Lake Superior or Lake Michigan. One of the many reasons that makes America what it is today.
India too is naturally endowed in its own ways but for water, we unfortunately we are dependent largely on ground water, it is not a coincidence that India has the highest ground water withdrawal in the world. Over two third of India’s agriculture is ground water dependent, so is its industry and its households. It is therefore no brainer to envisage that water conservation will emerge as the biggest development challenge for us. The entire agriculture lifecycle from farm to food requires enormous quantities of water. Current estimation indicates that in India, agriculture accounts for almost 80 percent of the water withdrawals and that puts an extra onus to go for an efficient food consumption. Water by far remains the most critical component of food security.
