Social Project Work:

Sustainable Development

Done by:
Derrick Rajkumar
Grade 10

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Water Sustainability

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS:

S.No Title Page No

1 Introduction 4,5

2 Objective 6

Water Sustainability: A dive into

3 the topic 7

4 Water Scarcity 8,9

5 Water Scarcity in India 10,11,12

6 How Bad Is India’s water crisis? 10

7 Measures/Steps that can be taken 13

The Millennium Development

8 Goals(SDGs and MDGs) 14

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 Introduction:
Sustainable development means ‘development should take place
without damaging the environment, and development in the present
should not compromise with the needs of the future generations.
The desired result of sustainability is a state of society where living
conditions and resources are used to continue to meet human needs
without undermining the integrity and stability of the natural system.
Sustainable development represents an opportunity to construct a
new approach, the success of these efforts has powerful implications
in the peace and security of the world
Sustainable development is an organising principle for meeting
human development goals while simultaneously sustaining the
ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and
ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend on.
Everyone wants a better place to live. Some people want better
homes and housing, while other people want better schools, more
jobs, better shops, or cleaner and safer streets. Others may want all
these things. Whatever the problems in any neighbourhood, they
can usually be grouped into three issues. People need:

 a better environment – that means green spaces, play areas,

no litter, nice gardens, decent houses,
less noise and pollution. The resources used should renew
over generations.
 a better economy – that means jobs, reasonable prices,
cheaper heat and light, no loan sharks
 better social conditions – that means good leisure facilities,
lots of community groups offering sports and arts, friendly
neighbours.
But many people now realise that if we are to tackle one issue, then
we'll probably have to tackle the others as well. For instance, new
shops are unlikely to open in an area where crime and poverty levels
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are very high. Similarly, crime is unlikely to fall in an area where the
housing has been improved unless there are jobs available. People
may move into an area where housing and jobs are available, but if
the surroundings are run-down and probably is poor, they may well
not want to stay

This is not just a local issue. The same problems are faced at a
national level. If the governments of the world are to deal with
poverty, they do not just need to provide money and food aid, they
need to help local people get educated and get jobs. People also
need a safe environment with adequate homes and drinking water.
To make these things work, governments also need to make sure
that people have an effective voice in deciding what happens where
they live.

Why Sustainable Development? :

Sustainable development practices help countries grow in ways that
adopt to the challenges posed , which will in turn help to protect
important natural resources for us and future generations
The sustainable development goals are the blueprint to achieve a
better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global
challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change,
environmental degradation, peace and justice
The objective of sustainability is that, It helps us conserve resources
and use it in such a way that it is available for the future generations

Objective:
1.SAFE AND AFFORDABLE DRINKING WATER:

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By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.

2. END OPEN DEFECATION AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO SANITATION

AND HYGIENE:
By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene
for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of
women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.

3. IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND SAFE

REUSE:
By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping
and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the
proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling
and safe reuse globally.

4. INCREASE WATER-USE EFFICIENCY AND ENSURE FRESHWATER

SUPPLIES
By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and
ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water
scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water
scarcity.

5. IMPLEMENT INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all
levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.

Water Sustainability:

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Water can be easily called the elixir of life. We, humans can go for a
day or even upto two days without consuming food but in a 3 day
span we could possibly die of thirst.
Thus, Water is very important to the human body. Every one of our
cells, organs and tissues use water to help with temperature
regulation, keeping hydrated and maintaining body functions. If
there was no matter (H2O) on earth, there would be no of on earth
Water is at the core of sustainable development and is critical for
socio-economic development, healthy ecosystems and survival itself.
It is vital for reducing the global burden of disease and improving the
health, welfare and productivity of populations. Water is also at the
heart of adaptation to climate change serving as the crucial link
between the climate systems, human society and the environment.
Water is a finite source and an irreplaceable resource that is a
fundamental piece to human well human being . It is only renewable
if well managed. Today, more than 1.7 billion people live in river
basins where depletion through use, exceeds natural recharge, a
trend that will see two thirds of the world’s population living in
water-stressed countries by 2025.
Water can pose a major problem to sustainable development but
managed efficiently and equitably, water can play a key role in
strengthening the resilience of social, economic and environmental
systems in the light of rapid and unpredictable changes

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Water Scarcity:
Water scarcity already affects every continent. Around 1.2 billion
people, or almost one-fifth of the worlds population live in areas of
physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this
situation . Another 1.6 billion people face economic water shortage .
Water scarcity is among the main problems faced by many societies
in XXIst century
Water scarcity is defined as the point at which the aggregate impact
of all users impinges on the supply or quality of water under
prevailing institutional arrangements to the extent that the demand
of all sectors, including the environment, cannot be satisfied fully. It
is a relative concept can occur at any level of supply or demand
With the existing climate change scenario, almost half of the world’s
population will be living in areas of high water stress by 2030,
including 75 million and 250 million in Africa. Let’s see about water
scarcity with regards to India

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Water Scarcity in INDIA:
The country that pumps more groundwater than any other has
reached a water supply and food safety reckoning that threatens to
upend political and economical stability, and long-term public health

How Bad is India’s Water Crisis? :

Every aspect of our society and economy is impacted by this water
situation. The National Institution for Transforming India (The NITI)
described it as the ‘worst crisis’ in India’s history.
The 2018 Composite Water management Index (The CWMI) noted
that 6% of economic GDP will be lost by 2050, while water demand
will exceed the available supply by 2030
So, It is very important to save water and use it sustainably.

India’s water crisis is a constant. Although India has 16 per cent of

the world’s population, the country possesses only four per cent of
the world’s freshwater resources. India is water-stressed due to

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changing weather patterns and repeated droughts. And the worst
suffers of this crisis are mostly women.
As many as 256 of 700 districts in India have reported ‘critical’ or
‘over-exploited’ groundwater levels according to the most recent
Central Ground Water Board data (from 2017).
This means that getting water in these places has grown more
difficult as the water table has dropped. Three-fourths of India’s rural
families lack access to piped, drinkable water and must rely on
unsafe sources.
India has become the world’s largest extractor of groundwater,
accounting for 25 per cent of the total. s
Women in India are usually treated as second-class citizens. This
crisis of water only puts them at a higher risk of vulnerability.
Fetching water in India has been perceived as a woman’s job for
centuries. Women, especially in the rural areas, walk miles to collect
water from the nearest source.
Wells, ponds and tanks are drying up as groundwater resources
come under increasing pressure due to over-reliance and
unsustainable consumption. This has escalated the water crisis and
placed an even greater burden of accessing water on women.
The idea that household chores are a duty for an ‘ideal woman’ and
that she must arrange water for the family, has persisted for
centuries due to Indian patriarchy.
The ultimate depletion and pollution of groundwater as well as major
sources of water puts pressure on women to get their ‘job’ done.

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Often, fulfilling these roles precludes any other occupation or
participation in education.
Their marginalisation is compounded by the indignity and insecurity
of not having a private spot to fulfil their toilet needs. Addressing
women’s water, sanitation and hygiene requirements is a critical
driver in attaining gender equity and unlocking the potential of half
of the world’s population.

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HOW CAN WE CONSERVE WATER?
Let’s start this vast topic very small!

Here are some of the measures we can take to conserve water in our
household:
1. Prefer to use the shower and not the bath
2. When brushing your teeth, Close the tap!
3. Try rainwater harvesting as it as produced some amazing
results
4. Fix broken toilets and leaky faucets
5. Avoid bottled water
6. Close taps properly and fix leaking taps
7. Install a water saving toilet flush system
8. Switch to water efficient products and appliances for your
home and office use
9. Don’t water your garden everyday

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Use WATER WISELY!

WATER, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, THE MDGs and THE SDGs:

The Millennium Development Goals: (MDGs)

 The millennium development goals, agreed in 2000, aim to
have the proportion of people without sustainable access to
safe drinking water and basic sanitation
 A total of 748 million people still do not have access to an
improved drinking water source and existing indicators do not
address the safety and reliability of water supplies
 To reach the requirements of the right to access to safe
drinking water requires equal improvements for billions of
people

The Sustainable Development goals : (SDGs)

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 The MDG framework did not address the full water and
development agenda, nor fully recognize its synergies with
other areas and concerns
 Un-Water’s over reaching goal is ‘’Securing Sustainable Water
for all’. The water goal and targets directly address the
development aims of societies, promote human dignity and
ensure are sustainable over the long term leading to the
following development outcome amongst others

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