Freshwater bodies have a limited capacity to process the pollutant charges of the effluents from expanding urban, industrial and agricultural uses. Water quality degradation can be a major cause of water scarcity.
In arid and semi-arid regions, where water scarcity is almost endemic, groundwater has played a major role in meeting domestic and irrigation demands. In many regions, massive use of groundwater has been practiced for some time for irrigation. Groundwater mining and the lack of adequate planning, legal frameworks and governance have opened a new debate on the sustainability of the intensive use of groundwater resources.
Water development is linked closely to poverty reduction, especially in low income countries that are highly dependent on a rural economy.
Please Visit: ftp://ftp.fao.org/agl/aglw/docs/waterscarcity.pdf
