Water Sources

Major Source of Water on Earth and in Pakistan

If we talk about water sources, there is no doubt that the Earth contains 70% water. It covers the area more than dry land. So in order to consider this term we easily say that there are large number of water sources present on Earth. Some are located underground and some are part of the Earth surface that we easily can see. Here we discuss some major sources of water thoroughly along with their importance and water level.

1- Oceans

Oceans are one of the major and largest sources of water on Earth. There are total five Oceans in numbers that are currently present on Earth but there is one major disadvantage that we do not drink Ocean water in its raw form. It contains large number of impurities and high content of salt that is dissolved in Ocean water. This high salt content makes it unsuitable for drinking and household purposes. It creates a lot of problem for countries that are located near or on Oceans. They have to purify their water before drinking and this is such a costly process. Desalination is a process where we used heavy machines and new technology to remove or reduce salt content. So, this is the only solution for such countries.

2- Rivers

Second major sources of water on Earth are rivers. These are natural geological features from which water flows smoothly to another river or on to the major land forms. There are numerous rivers that flow in different directions across the World. Rivers are the main source for people who form different activities like cultivation, farming and river water is also useful for household purposes.

3- Lakes

Lakes are also most crucial part of people livelihood. Most people around the World depend upon lakes to meets their end needs. Basically, we dividend lakes water into two main categories, one is salt-water lakes and the other is Fresh-water lakes. Fresh water lakes are most important one in respect to their benefits. People used water of Fresh-water lakes and perform different practices like fishing, farming and other countless. Lakes water is also used for agricultural uses.

4- Glaciers and Ice-caps

Glaciers and ice-caps are considered the most important and major sources of fresh water for human consumption and household needs. Glaciers are formed, when the sheets of ice starts accumulated over and over again from millions of years ago. If we talk about the location of glaciers, then it is a fact to say that they are located at higher altitudes or on those areas closer to the North and South poles of the Earth. Large quantity of fresh water is no doubt present in glaciers and ice caps rather than lakes and groundwater. Here happens the phenomena of melting, the huge water bodies starts melting and the melted water continues to flows over the surface of the Earth and falls into the nearby water bodies like rivers, lakes and ponds.

5- Ponds

Ponds are shallow fresh water sources and they are smaller in size than lakes. These are located on surface of the Earth and are part of many surface water sources. There are two different kinds of ponds. Some are those that occur naturally and called by the name of natural ponds while the others are man-made. There is a huge different of flora and fauna in ponds. Different types of plants grow there. Similarly large number of vertebrates inhabited there. The water present in ponds also used for several purposes like agriculture, farming, fishing and household needs. So, in short we can say that ponds have a huge impact on economy growth.