Water is at the core of sustainable development. Over 1.7 billion people live in river basins where water use exceeds natural recharge. By 2025, two-thirds of the world's population will live in water-stressed countries if current consumption patterns continue. Sustainable development recognizes that growth must be environmentally sound and reduce poverty while meeting needs of future generations. Water is critical for socio-economic development, healthy ecosystems, and human survival, but must be managed efficiently and equitably to strengthen resilience to changes.

1. ASSIGNMENT
PAPER- VI-A
WATER RESOURCES: ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
SUBMITTED TO:
INDERJEET
SUBMITTED BY:
DEEPAK KUMAR, NEERAJ RANI
M.Phil. Sem. II
ROLL NO. 3010
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY
MDU ROHTAK
TOPIC
WATER AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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2. Historical Background
Water and Sustainable Development
1920 – America- Fordism, a specific stage of economic development and the concept
of development is known as economic development.
1972- Sustain term has been derived by UN General Assembly
The history of sustainable development in the UN can be traced back to 1972 with the
United Nations (UN) Conference on the Human Environment (CHE), the first UN
conference to focus on environmental issues. At this conference the Stockholm
Declaration and Principles were developed, which incorporate the idea of sustainable
development although the phrase itself was not included
The term “sustainable development” dates to the 1987 Brundtland
Commissions’ report “Our Common Future”. The concept was a key driver
behind the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.
In 2012, 20 years after the first Rio Earth Summit, the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development (UNCSD) or Rio+ 20 was held. The conference focused on two
themes in the context of sustainable development: green economy and an institutional
framework .
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3. "Environmental, economic and social
indicators tell us that our current model
of progress is unsustainable. Ours is a
world of looming challenges and
increasingly limited resources.
Sustainable development offers the best
chance to adjust our course."
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General
"Water is at the core of sustainable
development as it is closely linked to a
number of key global challenges."
The Future We Want: Outcome
document adopted at Rio+20
Water is at the core of sustainable
development and is critical for socio-
economic development, healthy
ecosystems and for human survival itself.
Water is a finite and irreplaceable resource
that is fundamental to human well-being.
It is only renewable if well managed.
Today, more than 1.7 billion people live in
river basins where depletion through use
exceeds natural recharge, a trend that will
see two-thirds of the world’s population
living in water-stressed countries by 2025.
Water can pose a serious challenge to
sustainable development but managed
efficiently and equitably, water can play a
key enabling role in strengthening the
resilience of social, economic and
environmental systems in the light of rapid
and unpredictable changes.
Water and Sustainable Development
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4. Important facts
Over 1.7 billion people live river basins
where water use exceeds recharge, leading
to the desiccation of rivers, depletion of
groundwater and the degradation of
ecosystems.
Two-thirds of the world population will
live in water-stressed countries by 2025 if
currents consumption patterns continue.
Economic loses from inadequate delivery
of water and sanitation amounts to 1.5% of
gross domestic product of the countries
included in a WHO study.
Some estimates suggests over 80% of
waste water is discharged without
treatment.
About 40% of the world population lives in
the basins that overlap two or more countries,
which account for about 60% of global
freshwater flow. About 2 billion people
worldwide depend on groundwater for basic
water needs.
Water shortage have been identified by
industry, governments, academia and civil
society as one of the top three global risks of
highest concerns to them.
Water related disasters are the most
economically and socially destructive of all
natural disasters. Since the original Rio Earth
Summit in 1992 floods, draughts and storms
have affected 4.2 billion people (95% of all
people affected by disasters) and caused US$
1.3 trillion of damage (63% of all damage).
Demand for water will increase by 55% by
2050.4 May 2018 DEERAJ

5. Sustainable Development
Sustainable development recognizes that growth must be both inclusive and
environmentally sound to reduce poverty and build shared prosperity for today’s
population, and to continue to meet the needs of future generations. (The World
Bank)
Defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World
Commission on Environment and Development, 1987),
Sustainable development is a concept that appeared for the first time in 1987
with the publication of the Brundtland Report, warning of the negative
environmental consequences of economic growth and globalization, which tried
to find possible solutions to the problems caused by industrialization and
population growth.
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6. The aims of sustainable development
Economic –To attain balanced growth
Ecological –To preserve the ecosystem
Social – Equal access to resources to all human communities
The objectives laid down in the Brudtland report are as follows:
Dividing growth.
Meeting essential needs of all in terms of job, food, energy, water. Sanitation
Ensuring a sustainable population.
Conserving and enhancing the resource base.
Reorienting technology and building technology that is less expensive.
Managing environment and economics in decision making.
Changing the quality of growth.
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7. Need for Sustainable Development
To curb or prevent the environmental degradation.
To ensure safe human life.
To check the alternative of exploitative technology.
To check the overexploitation and wastage of natural resource.
To regenerate renewable energy resources
•Integration of environment and economic decision.
•Stewardship or human as the caretaker of environment, shared
responsibility, accountability and decision making preservation and mitigation.
•Waste minimization.
• Enhancement of productivity, capability, quality of nature and human life.
•Rehabilitation and reclamation.
The concept of sustainable development is based on
following principles:
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8. Sustainability Model: There
are three aims of sustainable
development model.
Economic viability
Ecological integrity
Social equity
Economic Viability: (compatible with
nature) development that protect and
enhance natural resource quantities through
improvement and development practices,
policies, technology efficiencies and changes
in life style.
Ecological lntegrity: (natural ecosystem
capacity) understanding natural system
processes of landscape and watershed to
guide design of economic development
strategies that preserve these natural
systems.
Social Equity: (balancing the playing field)
guaranteeing equal access to jobs(income),
education, natural resources and services
for all people: total societal welfare.
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9. Sustainable Development depend on three pillars
(Brudtland)
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10. Water and Agriculture: is by far the thirstiest consumer of water globally, accounting for
70% of water withdrawals worldwide, although this figure varies considerably across
countries. Rainfed agriculture is the predominant agricultural production system around
the world, and its current productivity is, on average, little more than half the potential
obtainable under optimal agricultural management. By 2050, world agriculture will need
to produce 60% more food globally, and 100% more in developing countries.
Industry and energy: together account for 20% of water demand. More-developed
countries have a much larger proportion of freshwater withdrawals for industry than
less-developed countries, where agriculture dominates. Balancing the requirements of
sustainability against the conventional view of industrial mass production creates a
number of conundrums for industry. One of the biggest is globalization and how to
spread the benefits of industrialization worldwide and without unsustainable impacts
on water and other natural resources.
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11. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene(WASH): The domestic sector accounts for 10% of
total water use. Yet worldwide, an estimated 768 million people werewithout access to
an improved source of water in 2011 and 2.5 billion remain without access to
improved sanitation. The number of people without access to safe water and sanitation
in urban areas is increasing. Targets for universal access to WASH and to reduce
inequalities in access (proximity, gender, financial clout) are putting pressure on policy
makers to address the needs of the urban poor.
Water and Ecosystems: such as forests,
wetlands and grasslands – are a critical part
of the global water cycle. All freshwater
ultimately depends on the continued
healthy functioning of ecosystems, and
recognizing the water cycle as a biophysical
process is essential to achieving sustainable
water management.
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12. Water and Domestic sector : accounts for 10% of total water use. And yet, worldwide, an
estimated 748 million people remain without access to an improved source of water and
2.5 billion remain without access to improved sanitation.
Water and Urbanization: More than half
the world already lives in urban areas
and by 2050, it is expected that more
than two-thirds of the global population
of 9 billion will be living in cities.
Furthermore, most of this growth will
happen in developing countries, which
have limited capacity to deal with this
rapid change, and the growth will also
lead to increase in the number of
people living in slums, which often have
very poor living conditions, including
inadequate water and sanitation
facilities. Therefore, the development of
water resources for economic growth,
social equity and environmental
sustainability will be closely linked with
the sustainable development of cities.
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13. Water and climate change: is the primary medium through which we will feel the
effects of climate change. Water availability is becoming less predictable in many
places, and increased incidences of flooding threaten to destroy water points and
sanitation facilities and contaminate water sources.
In some regions, droughts are exacerbating water scarcity and thereby negatively
impacting people’s health and productivity. Ensuring that everyone has access to
sustainable water and sanitation services is a critical climate change mitigation
strategy for the years ahead.
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