Three-fourths of the world is covered in water, with 96.5% existing as ocean water and only 2.5% as freshwater. 70% of freshwater is stored as ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland, and mountainous regions. Less than 30% of freshwater is stored as groundwater. India receives nearly 4% of global precipitation but ranks 133rd in the world for available water per person annually. Water scarcity is caused by over-exploitation, excessive use, and unequal access among populations. Traditional water harvesting and storage methods were used in different areas of India to conserve water, such as guls, kuls, rooftop rainwater harvesting, and underground tanks.

1. Three-fourth of the world is covered with water. 96.5% of the total
volume of water is exists as ocean water and only 2.5% as fresh water.
70% of this freshwater occurs as ice sheets and glaciers in Antartica,
Greenland and in mountainous regions. Less than 30% is stored as
groundwater.
India recieves nearly 4% of the global precipitation and ranks 133 in the
world in terms of water availability per person per annum.
The total renewable water resources of India are estimated at 1,897 sq
km per annum

2. Water scarcity and the need for water conservat0ion
The availability of water resources varies over space and time, mainly
due to variation in seasonal and annual precipitation. Water scarcity is
mainly caused by over-exploitation, excessive use and unequal access to
water among different social group. It may be an outcome of large and
growing population and consequent greater demand s for water and
unequal access to it. A large population means more water not only for
domestic use but also to produce more food. So to facilitate higher food
grain production , water resources are being over-exploited to expand
irrigated areas and dry season agriculture .

8. In hill and mountanious region people built ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’. ‘Rooftop
Rainwater Hervesting’ is practised in Rajasthan. In arid and semi-arid
regions,agricultrural fields were converted into rain fed storage
stuctures that allowed the water to stand and moistened the soil like
the khadins in Jaisalmer and johads in oter parts of Rajasthan.In the
semi arid and arid regions ogf rajasthan particularly in
Bikaner,phalodi and barmer,almost all the houses traditionally had
underground tanks for storin drinking water.

11. BY
AKASH, KADIR, AKIB, TRISHNA & SASWATI
GROUP 3