Water Literacy Its Significance need in Watershed Management
Water Literacy
To understand the Value of invaluable and priceless Water there is need of Water literacy. Literacy comes through proper education. Especially when it comes to Understanding , Managing and Using water resources, education becomes far more important.
Why to have Water Literacy?
Water is life . It has proved its significance by its role in almost all human needs for survival like Food , Energy, Culture , social norms and all other Products that are used in day today life. It will not be wrong to say that Water is much precious than gold because it is invaluable and price less.
Time has come to realize and understand that water is not free, in fact there is huge investment on its infrastructure. In any watershed programme there is huge investments in Water harvesting related structures to make Water available to the people for different day today uses.
Why an urgent need for water literacy?
We Know that water is a Vital natural resource and is a significant input in economic development. But now we have to understand that this very natural resource is under stress with increasing population, urbanization and industrialization.
we are relying and will always be relying on water resources for our various needs so, water literacy for responsible use of water is much required. An understanding about various sources of Water, its dynamics and at the same time the economics of Water in the form of Supply and demand has definitely to be realized.
Most of us knows that Water is important but it will not be wrong to say that most of us lacks an effective awareness for water use responsibility . The public and end users are not fully aware of its value, scarcity and need for efficient use .
Water literacy will educate the people about water sources and its cycle. The understanding of basic hydrology science will further give strength to Water management in big way. In short, Water literacy is one of the tool that is much required for Water Sustainability especially in Watershed Programmes
Water literacy for Water management?
Water gives life . Water not always gives life . These are 2 interrelated but different statements . So, We have to understand the difference between these 2 statements. yes! not long back it was the year 2013 when in the Natural disaster of Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand state(India), water has taken many lives . So, the gap lies in Management. Water literacy will educate and create awareness about the significance of Water Management.
Is it right time to think about Water Sustainability?
Yes! it is right time to think . Just understanding will not serve the purpose .It need a serious efforts as a meager 2.53% of worlds water is fresh. This small percentage of fresh water is meant for drinking and food production. Not only this but changes in hydro-logical cycle with Climate change & global warming is alarming us.
Further, with shortage of surface water, the dependency on ground water is increasing day by day . Water literacy will help to understand the significance of ground water. The ground water is just like bank where Money is kept for emergency need and certainly not for regular withdrawing.
A judicious use of Water is the need of the hour .For Judicious use, first of all, it is must to rely on rain water harvesting for the surface water utilization. Any Over exploitation of ground water will suppress the sustainability.
So, Lets join hands and move a step ahead for Water literacy.
