Answer: After reading 2 articles about “Water scarcity” and “Water quality” in the UNDESA website I’ve

come to know a lot of information regarding the global water condition. Those most interesting 2 of
those are:1. About 1.2 billion people or nearly one-fifth of the world's residents live in areas of physical
water scarcity, and 500 million people are about to face this situation soon. Additional 1.6 billion people,
or nearly one-quarter of the world's people, face economic water shortage, which means the
government in those regions lacks proper infrastructure for fetching water from rivers and other
sources.(Water scarcity, n.d.)2. Each day, 2 million tons of sewage and other liquid waste drains into the
world's waters. Every single year, more people die from dangerous water than from all forms of
violence, counting war, earthquake, etc.

Q/2) Explain, in your own words, what the difference is between water quality and water quantity?
Water quality Water QuantityWater quality is the appropriateness of water for drinking, recreational
uses, and as the homefor aquatic creatures and other wildlife.Water quantity is the timing and total
harvest of water from a watershed and is measured by total harvest and highest flow over a definite
amount of time.

Q/3) Is water quantity or quality the biggest issue in your local village/town/city? Why? Explain.In
Kolkata, where I live the increasing water pollution, gradually decreasing number of water bodies,
increasing temperature, increasing population, etc are contributing to both issues at an alarming rate.
All of the lake and canal waters are contaminated by heavy metals and corporate waste from the
factories that are in the city.On the other hand, arsenic is present at high levels in the groundwater of a
number of countries, India is one of those. So the quantity of fresh and pure drinking water is way lesser
than the current population in the city. This is leading to an increase in the price of packaged drinking
water in the city.

Q/4) Are there disputes, violence or wars over water in your local village/town/city?Water shortage is
one of the latest problems in India. Violence related to water has surged within thepast decade. As
water becomes more scarce, because it’s such an important resource, people will do whatever they can
do to meet their elementary needs.In India, 31 cases have been conveyed since 2010, compared with 11
in the previous decade. Amidst one of the country’s worst droughts in 2019, numerous fights, at least
seven assaults, and the murder of a 33-year-old man in clashes related to water have been
reported.India is facing the worst water crisis we’ve ever seen, and 21 Indian cities will run out of
groundwaterby 2020. As per a government report Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad – will run
out of groundwater by 2020. Although my city Kolkata is not in that bad shape, the scarcity of water is
likelyto continue unless proper water management is done by the local and central government of India.

Q/5) Look up what IWRM is: define it.From the text, I’ve learned that Integrated Water Resources
Management (IWRM) is a procedure that encourages the corresponding development and management
of water, land, and related resources for maximizing financial and social wellbeing in a justifiable
manner so that ecosystems and the environment can sustain the changes.Q/6) Would IWRM work to
help water issues in your local village/town/city?Research has shown that in certain metropolitan areas
in Kolkata the groundwater level is falling intensely. Salt Lake City, situated on the eastern peripheries of
Kolkata, in spite of being a strategic township, has been unsuccessful to manage its water resources in a
maintainable way.Therefore like many other megacities, water scarcity in Kolkata is a global concern.
Thus, the necessity for judicious management of water is crucial considering the rapidly increasing urban
water crisis in both developed and developing countriesSo yes, IWRM is the best option for the
government to help water issues that are faced by the citizens of Kolkata.

Resources:

Water quality | International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005–2015. (n.d.). UNDESA. Retrieved
May 24, 2021, from https://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/quality.shtml

Water scarcity | International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005–2015. (n.d.). UNDESA. Retrieved
May 24, 2021, from https://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml

Ganoulis, Jacques.(2009). Water Resources: Quantity and Quality.Retrieved May 24, 2021, from
https://application.wiley-vch.de/books/sample/352732173X_c01.pdf

What is IWRM? (n.d.). Global Water Partnership. Retrieved May 24, 2021, from
https://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/about/why/what-is-iwrm/