“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink”, as said by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, indicating that water being the essence of life and 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by it yet only a minimal percentage is suitable for human consumption. As global population grow and changes in climate, the need for water conservation has become very pivotal. This blog will explore diverse areas targeting water conservation as a whole.
With increasing rates of pollution and a gradual decrease in the percentage of freshwater, it becomes necessary to restore water as it is essential to all forms of life. From Hydration to industries, agriculture to sanitation, and the overall health of ecosystems relies on it. Humans are dependent on water for drinking, cooking, and for maintaining overall hygiene. Agriculture needs a large amount of water for irrigation. Additionally, water resources play a pivotal role in industries such as manufacturing and energy generation. Beyond its day-to-day uses, water bodies control climate change, support biodiversity, and play a vital role in maintaining livelihoods globally.
Water is a limited resource, and its wastage endangers economic stability, food security, and ecological balance. The exhaustion of freshwater sources can lead to droughts, agricultural failure, and struggles over water access. Conserving water protects our future generations, and helps them to access this indispensable resource. Moreover, minimizing water consumption helps lower energy usage, as water treatment and transportation need significant amounts of power.
The total percentage of freshwater available on Earth is 3%, out of which almost 2.5% is in the form of glaciers, polar ice caps and soil.[1] That too after multiple uses and after going through long processes of being filtered for future uses becomes mineral less and after reaching a point can’t be filtered much and hence meets the ocean salty water. Therefore, making it crucial to conserve water.
As the freshwater is declining at the fast pace one should be prepared for the future by starting to conserve water from now on. Taking the example of Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation who collaborated with IUCN in order to refine and implement conservation strategies, aiming to protect large-scale freshwater ecosystem by 2030. [2]
Historically, civilizations have established the importance of water management. Adequate were built by Ancient Rome for water transport. The Indus Valley civilization developed complex drainage systems for water management and sanitation. Egypt constructed irrigation canals utilizing the Nile’s seasonal flooding for the use of agriculture. China constructed sophisticated irrigation networks to contribute to farming.
Ancient civilizations like The Indus Valley Civilization, ancient Egyptians and Romans knew the importance of water and its potential role in human life, hence they developed ingenious methods for its management, employing sophisticated and distinguished systems of wells, reservoirs, and drainage, showcasing early urban planning focused primarily on water conservation. Along with that usage of irrigation canals from the Nile and aqueducts being the transporter of water over long distance highlighted large-scale engineering for water access and distribution.
As time passed, several techniques were localized by diverse cultures. From step wells in India to water channels in arid Petra, these things underscore a long-standing human understanding of the need to capture, store, and manage water resources.
The modern era is moving towards sustainable and decentralized approaches. Techniques like rainwater harvesting, which involve collection and storage of rainwater from rooftops and other surfaces, are gaining importance in urban and rural settings. The said method reduces reliance on centralized systems, and recharge groundwater. Other techniques are efficient irrigation technologies, water recycling, and public awareness campaigns, marking a continuous evolution in our efforts to conserve this vital resource named water.
Water scarcity is led by multiple factors, such as increase in demand for freshwater with increase in population. As the population expands, the requirement for freshwater rises for drinking, agriculture, sanitation, and industry. The depletion of natural water sources due to rapid urbanization reduces their ability to replenish.[3] Climate change also plays a prominent role, changing rainfall patterns and leading to floods and droughts. Rising global temperatures intensify evaporation, diminishing ground water availability, meanwhile melting glaciers—vital freshwater sources—are vanishing at an alarming rate. Water pollution is only making purification costly, affecting aquatic ecosystems. Inefficient irrigation methods leading to excessive groundwater extraction, which makes it hard nowadays to extract water from a particular usual depth. Additionally, widespread negligence and a lack of awareness result in excessive wastage, worsening the water crisis as a whole.[4]
तस्मा अरं गमाम वो यस्य क्षयाय जिन्वथ ।
आपो जनयथा च नः ॥[5]
The above shloka means that water is the life source of all living beings and whenever a weak person drinks it, he is bought back to life with a refreshing energy. O Water, you are the foundation of our existence.
One factor will have a domino effect over the other and then the ultimate system will die.
India has been trying to conserve water since 1987, when the National water policy was formulated to manage, conserve and distribute water. The said scheme was the cornerstone for the subsequent schemes that were to be introduced in the coming future, such as:
Water conservation was given due importance be it during the Indus valley civilization or the modern age. Some of them are:
Companies like Google and Ford Motor company [16] have claimed to have reduced their water footprint and water usage by almost 70%, conserving gallons of water and using techniques like leveraging on-site water reservoirs like already treated stormwater and wastewater for the purposes of office cooling and toilet flushing have shown their spirit of water reusing.
Water conservation is not merely a choice but a necessity for survival. Every individual, community, and nation must take responsibility and appropriate measures for preserving this precious resource. Small actions, such as fixing leaks, using water-efficient appliances, and practicing responsible consumption, can make a significant difference. By adopting sustainable water management practices, we can ensure a safe future for the generations to come in order for them to inherit a planet where water remains accessible to all.
[1] Bureau of Reclamation, ‘Water Facts – Worldwide Water Supply’ (USBR, 2025) https://www.usbr.gov/mp/arwec/water-facts-ww-water-sup.html accessed 4 April 2025.
[2] ‘Freshwater for the Future’ (IUCN, 28 June 2022) https://www.iucn.org/news/protected-areas/202205/freshwater-future accessed 3 April 2025.
[3] WaterAid, ‘Causes, Issues & Problems of Water Scarcity in India’ (WaterAid India, 2022) https://www.wateraid.org/in/blog/water-scarcity accessed 4 April 2025.
[4] World Wildlife Fund, ‘Water Scarcity’ (WWF, 2025) https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity accessed 4 April 2025.
[5] ‘Rigveda Mandala 10, Sukta 9 – Apah’ (GreenMesg) https://greenmesg.org/stotras/vedas/rigveda/mandala10/sukta9/apah.php accessed 4 April 2025.
[6] ‘A Roundup of Endangered Species Impacted by Ocean Pollution’ (Endangered Species Coalition) https://www.endangered.org/a-roundup-of-endangered-species-impacted-by-ocean-pollution/ accessed 4 April 2025.
[7] Matt Simon, ‘In Search of the Last Wild Axolotls in Mexico’ (Wired, 21 March 2022) https://www.wired.com/story/in-search-of-the-last-wild-axolotls-mexico/ accessed 4 April 2025.
[8] ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ (Ministry of Jal Shakti) https://jsactr.mowr.gov.in/ accessed 4 April 2025.
[9] ‘Namami Gange Programme’ (National Mission for Clean Ganga) https://nmcg.nic.in/NamamiGanga.aspx accessed 4 April 2025.
[10] A Tandon, ‘What is Micro Irrigation?’ (Mongabay, 13 September 2024) https://india.mongabay.com/2024/09/explainer-what-is-micro-irrigation/ accessed 4 April 2025.
[11] Meet Desai, ‘An Exploration on Smart Water Management System for Surat’ (Academia.edu, 2024) https://www.academia.edu/115559325/An_Exploration_on_Smart_Water_Management_System_for_Surat accessed 5 April 2025.
[12] Indore Municipal Corporation, ‘Solid Waste Management’ (Indore Municipal Corporation) https://imcindore.mp.gov.in/waste-management accessed 5 April 2025.
[13] ‘Water and Sanitation’ (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs) https://sdgs.un.org/topics/water-and-sanitation accessed 4 April 2025.
[14] Johnny Wood, ‘Singapore is leading the way in recycling wastewater. What can it teach the rest of the world?’ (World Economic Forum, 30 November 2022) https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/11/singapore-wastewater-recycling-water-stressed/ accessed 4 April 2025.
[15] Hayley Smith and Ian James, ‘California adopts sweeping statewide water conservation framework’ (Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024) https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-07-03/california-adopts-statewide-water-conservation-framework accessed 5 April 2025.
[16] ‘Sustainable Water Companies List’ (Ketos, 2025) https://ketos.co/sustainable-water-companies-list accessed 4 April 2025.
Author : Akshara Dubey (24bbl075)