It is also the most important resource of, for, and on the Earth and is integral to maintaining the natural balance.
We have water everywhere, in different forms, but how much of it is readily available at our disposal is a pertinent question. According to the United States Geological Survey, "The Earth is a watery place. But just how much water exists on, in, and above our planet? About 71% of the Earth's surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5% of all the Earth's water."
Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers, and even in you and your dog.
Of the 3.5% of the world's freshwater, only 1% is in lakes and rivers, directly available for human use. Hence, paradoxically, water becomes the single-most invaluable resource, on which our very survival depends.
Today, exploitation of this very resource is wreaking havoc. A section of historians, political scientists, and researchers also go to the extent of postulating that 'water' would spark the next 'World War'. According to researchers, water wars are expected in the next fifty years. But there is a bigger concern begging attention at the moment.
A change in tilt Excessive extraction of groundwater is not only making people's daily lives difficult but has affected the mechanics of our planet itself. According to the latest research, excessive extraction of groundwater has tilted the Earth's axis by 31.5 inches, i.e., around 80 cm.
Denne historien er fra December 04, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express.
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Denne historien er fra December 04, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Girls Will Be Girls gets Prime Video premiere date
SHUCHI Talati's coming-of-age drama Girls Will Be Girls will drop on Prime Video on December 18, the streamer announced on Wednesday.
Netflix announces docu-series on Roshan film family
Netflix has announced a docu-series titled The Roshans, which will give a deep dive into the legacy of Hrithik Roshan's film family.
Martin Starr onboard The Hand That Rocks the Cradle remake
Earlier, we reported about Maika Monroe starring in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle remake from 20th Century Studios.
Inside the mind of the Fanboy Killer
RYAN Eggold plays the antagonist in the Prime Video series Cross, opposite Aldis Hodge's titular detective.
'I felt I was not the right person to tell Dr Ambedkar's story'
THE INDEPENDENT AMERICAN WRITER-FILMMAKER-ACTIVIST AVA DUVERNAY ON THE CHALLENGES OF DEALING WITH THE COMPLEX REALITY OF THE CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA AND ITS INTRINSIC PREJUDICES AND BRUTALITIES IN HER RECENT FILM ORIGIN
'HAD I NOT BEEN A POET.I'D HAVE BEEN A MESS
Jeet Thayil’s latest collection of poems is about loss, ageing, and the recovery of the self in the world. ll Have It Here is his first book of poetry after 15 years and the death of his wife
Forbidden art
A Bengali artist's Chittapro's sketches of the Bengal were banned and all copies of the booklet in which it was published were destroyed.
UNEARTHING AMUSEMENTS
Imagine an ideal world, where if one wanted to do research in traditional games, one would be able to go through some old texts and find the list of games that people used to play – with detailed descriptions of the board, the game pieces, the throw pieces, the rules and a little about why the game was created, its history, its cultural underpinnings.
Bounjour meets Vanakkam
DOWNSTAIRS at Higginbothams, the scent of aged paper filled the air, surrounded by shelves stacked high with books. But upstairs, the iconic bookstore on Anna Salai transformed into a cosy haven for lovers of literature.
Therapy disguised as comedy
ET's rewind to 2019. Chennai was buzzing with Bigil fever, TikTok trends, and, of course, the Chapathi Song - Aravind SA's hilarious parody of Lungi Dance that became an instant hit.
