Water is a basic requirement for all forms of life. In fact, when we trace the history of human civilization, we see that it is one of the deciding factors in the geographical localization of various settlements worldwide, most of which evolved in the vicinity of major river systems. Though freshwater – be it surface or groundwater- is a renewable resource, its availability for use is beset by many problems. Irregular distribution of freshwater sources over the surface of the earth makes much of the resource either inaccessible (as water locked in the polar ice caps or in other difficult terrains) or unusable (as losses due to floods or excessive run off). This, in itself, is a serious limitation to the potential development of a region. In regions of inadequate rainfall (as in semi-arid to arid climes of the world) there is greater dependence on groundwater resources. Rapid and often unplanned urbanization leads to indiscriminate exploitation of the resource.
Geophysical studies that provide a detailed view of the subsurface structure lead to a better understanding of the local hydrogeology.
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