Of the total water available on earth, only 3% is fresh water.
1. Glaciers, ice and snow
2. Ground water
3. Lakes and Ponds
4. Wet lands
Fresh water crisis and management
Clean, fresh water is essential for nearly every human activity. Perhaps more than any other environmental factors, the availability of water determines the location and activities of humans beings. Almost all agricultural operations which supply food to humanity need water.
Freshwater resources
Of the total water available on earth, only 3% is fresh water.
1. Glaciers, ice and snow : Of the 3 percent of all water that is fresh, about three - fourths is tied up in glaciers, ice caps and snowfields. They occur only at high altitudes or high latitudes.
2. Ground water : After glaciers, the next largest reservoir of fresh water is held in the ground in ground water. Water held in the lower soil layers is known as water table. Porous- water bearing layers of sand, gravel and rock are called aquifers.
3. Lakes and Ponds : Lakes are inland depressions that hold standing fresh water year around. Ponds are small temporary or permanent bodies of shallow water. While lakes contain nearly one hundred times as much water as all rivers and streams combined, they are still a minor component of total world water supply.
4. Wet lands : Bogs, swamps, wet meadows and marshes play a vital and often a minor role.
Study Material, Lecturing Notes, Assignment, Reference, Wiki description explanation, brief detail
11th 12th standard bio zoology Human Body higher secondary school : Freshwater resources |