Water is Vital for Life

The world is now beginning to realize that water, which was once considered to be an abundant resource, is becoming scarce in several geographical areas. Of the total volume of 1.4 thousand million cubic kilometres of earth's water,
only 2.8 percent is fresh water. But three-quarters of this is locked in the polar ice-caps and in glaciers. The world is in unanimous agreement on the need to save and
conserve water. A World Plan of Action was drawn up for this purpose at a major UN Conference in Argentina in 1977. Among other things, the Plan calls for adequate supplies of clean and safe water for everyone by 1990.

Nomad girl collecting water from a nearly dried up river in Ethiopia.

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