Water Resources and Engineering: Classifications and Definitions of Applications
Water Resources and Engineering: Classifications and Definitions of Applications
WATER RESOURCES
Water resources are origin of water that are essentially required by humans, and water is basically used for
agriculture, industry, domestic purposes, and environmental events.
Fresh water is a renewable resource like soil and air. The world is supplied by clean and fresh water and it
is decreasing. Water is one of our most critical resources, but around the world it is under threat. Water demand
already exceeds supply in many parts of the world and as the world population continues to rise, so too does the
water demand.
Water resources are divisible into two distinct categories : the surface-water resources and the ground-
water resources. Each of these categories is a part of the earth's water circulatory system, called the hydrologic
cycle, and is derived from precipitation, which is rainfall plus snow.
Water on the earth is mostly salt water with only 3% as fresh water. The majority of the fresh water is
frozen in glaciers and the polar ice caps, and the remainder is found as ground water, with only a fraction available
above the ground.
Surface Water
is water in a river, lake or fresh water wetland. Surface water is naturally replenished by precipitation and naturally
lost through discharge to the oceans, evaporation, and sub-surface seepage.
Frozen Water
Several schemes have been proposed to make use of icebergs as a water source, however to date this has only been
done for novelty purposes. Glacier runoff is considered to be surface water.
Desalination
is an artificial process by which saline water (generally sea water) is converted to fresh water.
Although fresh water is considered to be available as a renewable resource, the supply of pure fresh water is
gradually decreasing in the world. The rate of increase in world population exceeds the rate at which the water
supply is increasing so that there is an acute shortage of water in many parts of the world. During the twentieth
century, more than half of all global wetlands were lost.
APPLICATION OF ENGINEERING
Water resources engineering generally deals with the provision of water for human use, and the
development of techniques for the prevention of destruction from floods. Water resources engineering also includes
the planning and management of facilities that are constructed for these tasks like making canals for irrigation and
sewers for drainage and to avoid waterlogging, and all other issues related with the usage and control of water.
To meet the water requirements of society and the environment, initially an estimate is carried out
regarding the water available, the demand now and projected demand when the work will complete and future
considerations, and then the requisite infrastructure is designed, including the water treatment plants and the pipes
network, for the conveyance of water to the taps and waste water from the toilets to the treatment units.
Irrigation network.
a network of permanent and temporary conduits (canals and pipes) that supply water to irrigated lands
from an irrigation source.
Wave analysis
Analysis of waves on bodies of water. Ocean waves contain tremendous energy potential. Wave power
devices extract energy directly from the surface motion of ocean waves. In many areas of the world, the
wind blows with enough consistency and force to provide continuous waves along the shoreline.
References:
https://www.brighthubengineering.com/hydraulics-civil-engineering/42737-basics-of-water-
resources-engineering/
https://www.slideshare.net/natalia97/water-resources-power-point-presentation?
from_action=save
https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-program-overview