Water Resources

96.5 per cent of the total volume of world’s water is estimated to exist as oceans and only 2.5 per cent exists as fresh water. 70 per cent of the fresh water occurs as ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland and the mountainous regions of the world. Less than 30 per cent is stored as groundwater in the world’s acquirers. Fresh water is mainly obtained from surface run off and ground water. This is continually being renewed and recharged through the hydrological cycle. All the water moves within the hydrological cycle making water a renewable resource.

Three fresh water sources are:
Precipitation—from rainfall; Surface water—in rivers, lakes, etc.; Ground water—water stored in underground acquirers which gets recharged by rainfall.