1. Unsustainable extraction of fresh water causes water scarcity.
2. Due to the over-extraction of fresh water underground reserves are falling rapidly.
3. In India, the water table has fallen more than 300 meters’.
4. Human interventions which degrade the quality and quantity of the natural supply of fresh water occur, in 3 principal ways.
5. Firstly dams alter the natural flow of rivers often leading to water scarcity.
6. Secondly, soil moisture is lost by land degradation due to poor farming practices and deforestation.
7. Thirdly, surface water is polluted by run-off chemicals used in industries and households.
