Question 71 from UPSC CSE 2021 - Geography

Question

With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements:
1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater.
2. The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers is more than the amount of groundwater.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. 2 only

Strategy: Compare the volumes of Earth's major fresh water reservoirs—glaciers/ice caps, groundwater, and surface water—to validate the given statements.

Key Info: Distribution of water on Earth:
- About 97.5% of Earth's water is saline (oceans, seas). Only 2.5% is fresh water.
- Of this fresh water:
  - Around 68.7% is locked up in glaciers and polar ice caps.
  - About 30.1% is stored as groundwater (aquifers, soil moisture, permafrost).
  - Less than 1% is present as surface water in rivers and lakes (rivers, lakes, swamps together constitute only a tiny fraction of total fresh water).
- Rivers and lakes, despite their ecological and economic importance, together form less than 0.4% of the world's fresh water reserves.
- Groundwater is the main source for human consumption and agriculture in many regions, while ice caps and glaciers are critical for global sea levels and climate regulation.
- Hydrological studies routinely emphasize this distribution when designing water resource management and conservation policy.

Answer

Option A: 1 only

Answer

Option C: Both 1 and 2

Answer

Option D: Neither 1 nor 2