Hydrological or water cycle:

exchange of matter

exchange of energy

Hydrosphere: LAyer of water bodies present on earth

Evaporation is the process by which water gets converted into water vapour. Transpiration whihc is loss of water from plants also take place to form
water vapour. It rises upwards and cools to form clouds by the process of condensation.
Advection of water vapour which is spread of vapour sideways occurs
Clouds cool further and rain water falls.
A part of the rain water is absorbed by the soil which is called infiltration, whereas when the water pases through the soil layer in the ground it is calle
percolation. This water can recharge the groundwater. Soil can absorb a certain amount of water, the rest flows on the surface to the surface water
bodies like rivers, ponds, etc.
There are many snow capped mountains, which get heated up by Sun rays and melt. The molten water is transported to the rivers and oceans
Sublimation also occurs where the snow gets directly converted to water vapour

Human impacts on water systems:

A. Agriculture:
-Irrigation: It is the practice of adding water to the crop fields for the plants to grow. It is vital for the plants which do not depend upon rain water. Irrigation
usually takes place using groundwater or surface water. There are different types of irrigation methods like flood irrigation which covers the entire field with
water, this leads to loss of water. This is not efficient for every plant type. There are more efficient methods like drip irrigation, sprinklers to provide th required
water to the crops

-Fertilisers: These are added to enrich the fertility of soil. However, when in excess rainfall, surface runoff can wash away the fertilisers in the soil and lead to
eutrophication, which is because of nutrient enrichment of the water. This leads to rapid algal growth which covers the water surface which blocks air and
light from entering the water body. The organisms inside the soil cannot breathe and plants cant photosynthesise. If it continues for longer then it lads to
death. One can use manures or natural fertilisers. One can make compost from vegetable and household biodegradable wastes.

-Machinery: Heavy machineries like tractors etc are used for ploughing or for making the soil compact. These also help to aerate the soil by looseing the
particles. However this leads to soil erosion

THE SOIL IS LOOSENED

DUE TO THE MACHINE

If it rains or there is a storm then the loose soil will be carried over distances

B. Deforestation:
When forests are cut down the roots which bind tightly to the soil make the soil loose and prone to erosion. As a result the soil is left infertile. Due
to rainfall the water will carry the soil to any nearby watter body like river. The river will carry and get filled with these sediments, thus getting
polluted.
Trees regulate rainfall. In the absence of trees, transpiration do not take place, so rainfall is also reduced. It could lead to change in climate
To prevent the effects we can take up afforestation and reforestation.
If there are no trees, no rainfall then the groundwater recharge also doesnt take place.

C. Urbanization:
Urbanization has led to population incase = increased demand for water = over utilization of water = leading to water scarcity.
Urbanization is leading to concrete roads which do not let water to infiltrate or percolate through the soil. It leads to lesser absorption
of water and more suface run off, thus high chance of flooding. It also prevents recharge of ground water.
These can be prevented by using green parks in the urban areas through planning. We could also have rain water harvesting system t
store rain water for emergency purposes

UNIT 4.2 Water access

Global water security: Having access to adequate clean water and wate scarcity leads to limited availability
Types of water scarcity:
Physical scarcity: Lack of water due to low rainfall or high evaporation rate or excess use
Economic scarcity: LAck of water due to lack of poor infrastructure, even if wate is adequate. The low economically developed
nations undergo economic scarcity.

Factors affecting equitable water access:

1. Socioeconomic factors: People with higher income have more access to clean potable water. It has been shown that about 90
% of households with a high per capita GDP have improved access to water. It is also impacte by the population size, as higher
population leads to unequal distribution of water

2. Cultural factors: Different religions or cultures have water based activities like throwing things in water bodies or bathing in it
which pollutes it and contaminates it

3. Political factors: Government allocates water to different communities. There is lack of governance if there is unequal
distribution of water

Water management:

1. To increase water supply:

-Increasing the no of dams, storage sites or reservoirs, so that water is made available for a long time period.
-There could be increase in desalination plants in areas near oceans. Though expensive, desalinating a large amount of water could reduce water
scarcity. It is usually done by evaporating salt water or using semi permeable membranes to remove the salt and filter pure water
-Increase and restore wetlands, swamps, marshes etc and areas with plenty of water. We can also create artificial wetlands
-Rain water harvesting must be adopted to store rainwater in different underground storage or in surface storage so that the water can be used
during emergency