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Water is needed for the survival of plants and animals alike. In this article, we will be covering the importance of water in our daily lives. In daily life Water is used for cleaning, industrial manufacturing, hydroelectric power generation, transportation, etc. Water and Water Resources are very important for us in order to maintain an adequate food supply and keep our environment productive. The demand for freshwater is rapidly increasing which means that Water should be sustainably used.
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Keyterms: Water, Water cycle, Plant, Animal, Food, Hydroelectric Power Generation, Transportation, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Atom
What is Water?
Water is a chemical compound whose one molecule is made up of 2 atoms of hydrogen and 1 atom of oxygen, giving it the chemical formula: H2O.
Water is also known as a universal solvent because it can dissolve almost anything and everything in it. Water is what earth’s hydrosphere is made up of along with 60% of our bodies and in some organisms the Water content is as high as 90%.
Water Cycle
Water cycle is a phenomenon occurring in nature wherein Water moves from earth to atmosphere and then comes back to earth completing the whole cycle. This cycle involves many complex processes but it's responsible for recharging our freshwater resources like rivers, lakes, ground Water table etc., and the rain that the Water Cycle brings is essential for growth of vegetation, regulation of temperature and of utmost for irrigation in Agriculture.
Water Cycle
Properties of Water
Water has the following properties:
- Water has high specific heat so it can regulate the temperature of the environment by absorbing and releasing heat slowly.
- Water is transparent, so light can penetrate inside Water bodies and that is how aquatic biodiversity is sustained.
- Water can exhibit capillary action i.e., it can move vertically within the spaces of porous substances with the help of forces like cohesion, adhesion and surface tension.
- Water is neither acidic or basic, it has a pH of 7 making it a neutral inorganic substance. But it's amphoteric in nature i.e., it can have both acid and base.
- Water has an easily achievable boiling point and freezing point making it available in all three stages i.e., solid, liquid and gas. So, Water is versatile.
Why is Water Important?
Water is precious due to following factors:
Importance of Water for Plants and Animals
- Water is the habitat for more than 50% of earth’s biodiversity.
- Plants need Water for germination, for preparing their food [photosynthesis] and for translocation of nutrients throughout their body.
- There are a large number of plant species living inside the Water and they take their sustenance from the Water itself.
- Rain washes off the dirt deposition on leaves assisting stomata to breathe.
- Water assists many functions inside the body of animals like digestion, excretion, regulation of body temperature.
- Water also facilitates the work of enzymes and maintains the electrolyte balance in the body of many organisms.
Importance of Water for Human beings
- Water improves circulation of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body
- Water helps in digestion of food and getting rid of the waste.
- Lack of Water can cause dehydration which if persists then can even result in death.
- Water aids and improves cognitive function in the human brain.
Uses of Water
- Water has application in almost every walk of life and some of them are:
- Water is used to irrigate crops which provide food for the world, making Water an essential commodity in Agriculture.
- Drinking Water is important to prevent dehydration.
- Water is used in cooking, cleaning and washing in a household.
- Water is useful in transportation as it carries people and cargo from one place to another via boats and ships. Water transport is the cheapest out of all forms of transport.
- Industries require large quantities of Water for manufacturing processes.
- Water is used in electricity generation in hydroelectric power plants, nuclear powers (as heavy Water) etc.
Sustainable Use of Water
Water resources are essential for sustaining life as well as for economic development as well but all of this can lead to exploitation of our already limited Freshwater resources. Here, are the following practices that one can adopt to use Water more responsibly:
- Reclamation of Water: the re-use of Water resources can reduce stress on primary resources of Freshwater. The Water once used can be treated and cleaned to be put to use a second time. For example, sewage treatment plants treat the sewage Water and make it fit for other uses.
- Rainwater Harvesting: herein, a person can collect Rainwater on their rooftops, treat it to make it clean and then the same Water can be put to domestic usage.
- Reduce the usage of Water: it involves simple methods like don’t leave the tap running while washing hands or brushing, minimize the use of shower, find alternatives for the hose usage, etc.
- Desalination: this method involves taking Saltwater from the oceans and removing salt from it so that it can be made fit for consumption.
Things to Remember
- Water is a chemical compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen and its chemical formula is H2O.
- Water is crucial in sustaining human life as it facilitates circulation & transport of nutrients, assists in enzyme activity, aids digestion, helps in excretion and regulates the temperature of the body as well.
- Water is a precious resource because it has many uses like industrial manufacturing, electricity generation, irrigation, cooking and cleaning etc. and it also provides habitat for a considerable amount of Biodiversity.
- Due to irresponsible human usage of Water, the levels of Freshwater are depleting in the world. For example, due to artificial irrigation solutions like tubewell, the groundwater levels are going down drastically.
Sample Questions
Ques. What is Water Sustainability? (2 Marks)
Ans. Water sustainability means the ability to provide mankind with safe and reliable sources of freshwater and developing adaptability to related challenges like flooding or scarcity of Water. In other words, water sustainability refers to the capability of a nation to be self-sufficient in its water needs whether agricultural needs or industrial needs. Its supply of freshwater should not be adversely affected by climate change which may cause lack of rainfall or droughts. Also, the supply of water in such nations should be efficiently matched with demand.
Ques. What is Water? (3 Marks)
Ans. Water is an inorganic chemical with the standard chemical equation of H2O because it is composed of two atoms of Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen. Water is a tasteless and odourless liquid at room temperature but exists in gaseous and solid state too.
Water has the capability of dissolving a wide variety of solutes in it earning it the title “Universal Solvent”. In small quantities water appears to be colourless but it is capable of changing colours from blue to green depending upon the absorption of light, it mostly seems blue due to slight absorption of light at red wavelengths.
Ques. Why is Water important? (3 Marks)
Ans. Water is important because it serves several functions in the life of all living organisms like it helps plants in preparation and translocation of its food, it helps human and animals alike to sustain life by helping in conduction of their vital life process.
Water is not only essential for life but also for developmental pursuits of human beings like industries that require water for power generation, manufacturing, ore cleaning etc. In short, Water is important because without Water no one will survive, human health gravely depends on water.
Ques. What is the use of Water in daily life? (3 Marks)
Ans. The Water serves several functions in our daily lives, some of them are:
- Drinking, living organisms need to drink water for hydration as their body in large percentages is made of water.
- Cleaning, water is very essential for hygiene and good hygiene keeps diseases away
- Cooking, water is used here to blanche, boil or make sauces etc.
- Electricity generation, hydroelectricity is a sustainable source of electricity generation that causes less harm to the environment when compared to traditional sources like coal.
- Transportation, water bodies are a good medium for transport of heavy freight
- Irrigation, because crops need water to grow and ripen.
Ques. What is Potable Water and what are its sources? (3 Marks)
Ans. Potable Water refers to the kind of Water that is fit for drinking, in other words is safe for a human being to drink without the risk of diseases or other health hazards. Such Water has to be clean [free of pathogens] and rich in essential minerals.
The sources of potable Water include all freshwater sources like wells, rivers, lakes etc, but due to increasing pollution all these sources have become unsafe for drinking while the demand for potable water keeps on rising. So, water treatment mechanisms are used either at large scale like sewage treatment plants or at individual scale like water purifiers to make water potable.
Ques. Why is Water important for a Human being? (3 Marks)
Ans. The Water is so important for human beings because:
- Water helps the digestion of food by creating saliva
- Water helps in the cognitive function of the brain by aiding concentration, long term memory etc.
- Water lubricates and cushions our joints and tissues preventing wear and tear in them
- Water regulates our body temperature.
Ques. What is the impact of Water Pollution? (3 Marks)
Ans. When human activities contaminate the Water, it called Water pollution and it has following consequences:
- Water-borne diseases as polluted Water is breeding ground for many pathogens and their possible vectors.
- Polluted Water is unable to sustain life within itself which causes huge loss of habitat for aquatic biodiversity.
- Polluted Water when used in irrigation increases the salinization level of soil rendering it unfit for cultivation.
Read more: Water Pollution
Ques. What is the distribution of Water in the globe and What are its consequences? (3 Marks)
Ans. Water distribution in the globe is such that 97% of all the water that is available on earth is held by oceans & seas and this water is salty making it unfit for human consumption. Remaining 3% water is freshwater but about 80% of this freshwater is in the form of glaciers and ice cubes and the remaining 20% is divided amongst sources like lakes, groundwater and water vapours etc.
Due to the percentage of accessible freshwater being so low, water becomes a precious resource as it is scarce in availability which is why we need to use water consciously so that we may not run out of freshwater and face acute water scarcity which has the potential to make our daily life impossible.
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