Introduction:
Only 2.5% of Earth’s water is freshwater, and less than 1% is accessible. The world is now facing a freshwater crisis driven by demand-supply mismatch, pollution, and mismanagement.
Causes of Freshwater Availability and Access Crisis:
- Population Growth & Urbanization
- Rising demand for drinking water, sanitation, industry.
- UN (2023): Global water demand projected to rise by 20–30% by 2050.
- Agricultural Overuse
- Agriculture uses ~70% of global freshwater.
- Inefficient irrigation (e.g., flood irrigation in India).
- Water-intensive crops (e.g., rice, sugarcane, cotton).
- Industrialization & Pollution
- Untreated industrial effluents pollute rivers (e.g., Ganga, Citarum River in Indonesia).
- Heavy metal, chemical contamination of aquifers.
- Climate Change Impacts
- Changing rainfall patterns, glacial melt, prolonged droughts.
- Example: Lake Chad shrunk by 90% since the 1960s.
- Groundwater Depletion
- Excessive extraction for irrigation & drinking.
- NASA GRACE satellite: India among top groundwater-stressed countries.
- Transboundary Water Disputes
- Rivers shared across borders (e.g., Nile, Indus, Mekong) cause geopolitical tensions.
- Limits cooperative water management.
- Inadequate Water Infrastructure
- Poor storage, leakage (urban pipe loss up to 40% in developing countries).
- Lack of sewage treatment reduces usable water sources.
- Privatization and Inequity
- Access becomes limited for the poor when water is commodified.
- Example: Cochabamba Water War, Bolivia (2000).
Conclusion:
The freshwater crisis is a complex mix of natural, anthropogenic, and political factors. Sustainable water governance, efficient use, recycling, and global cooperation (e.g., UN Water Action Decade, Jal Jeevan Mission) are key to addressing the crisis.
