The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently released the State of Climate Services report 2021, focusing on Terrestrial Water Storage. According to this report and another earlier released on water day (22nd March) by UNICEF, one in five children worldwide reside in areas with high or extremely high water vulnerability. This article will delve into key points of these reports with a focus on the global situation, the Indian scenario, and subsequent recommendations.
Understanding Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS)
Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) is the sum of all water on and beneath the land surface. It includes surface water, soil moisture, snow and ice, and groundwater. A key prerequisite for human development, water comprises only 0.5% of Earth’s composition as usable freshwater. Globally, water resources face extreme pressure from population growth, urbanization, and declining freshwater availability. Extreme weather events also contribute to this pressure on water resources across various sectors and regions.
Global Scenario of TWS
Between 2002 and 2021, TWS dropped at a rate of 1 cm per year. The most significant losses have occurred in Antarctica and Greenland, but several highly populated, lower latitude locations have also experienced TWS losses.
The Indian Scenario
In India, TWS has been lost at a rate of at least 3 cm per year, with some regions experiencing losses over 4 cm per year. Excluding the water storage loss in Antarctica and Greenland, India has recorded the highest loss in terrestrial water storage, making it the ‘topmost hotspot of TWS loss’. Particularly in the northern part of India, the loss has been maximum.
Per Capita Availability
Due to an increasing population, per capita water availability in India is reducing. The average annual per capita water availability has decreased to 1,545 cubic metres in 2011, from 1,816 cubic metres in 2001. It is projected to further decrease to 1,367 cubic metres in 2031, according to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
State of River Basins in India
Five of the 21 river basins in India are ‘absolute water scarce’, five are ‘water scarce’ and three are ‘water stressed’, as per Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator. This indicator, which is widely used for assessing the stress on water, relates the total freshwater resources with the total population in a country. By 2050, six of these river basins will become absolute water scarce, six will become water scarce and four will become water stressed.
Recommendations
The report recommends investing in Integrated Resources Water Management as a solution to manage water stress, especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It also suggests investments in end-to-end drought and flood early warning systems in at-risk LDCs. Additionally, the report encourages filling the capacity gap in collecting data for basic hydrological variables, improving interaction among national level stakeholders, and better monitoring and evaluation of socio-economic benefits.
Further, the report also urges entities to join the Water and Climate Coalition, a platform for members to partner on joint activities addressing operational water and climate challenges with a focus on data and information.
Related Government Initiatives
Various initiatives have been launched by the Indian government to tackle this crisis, such as Jal Kranti Abhiyan, National Water Mission, National Rural Drinking Water Programme, NITI Aayog Composite Water Management Index, Jal Jeevan Mission, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, and Atal Bhujal Yojana. These aim at conserving water, managing its distribution, and ensuring its accessibility to all sections of the population.