gs1medium

Consider the following statements :

  1. 1.On the planet Earth, the fresh water available for use amounts to about less than 1% of the total water found.
  2. 2.Of the total fresh water found on the planet Earth 95% is bound up in polar ice caps and glaciers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
▶ Answer & Explanation

Correct answer: D. Neither 1 nor 2

While freshwater is scarce, the statement that less than 1% is available for use is broadly accurate, accounting for unusable saline water, groundwater, and atmospheric water. However, the second statement is inaccurate; a significantly larger portion of Earth's freshwater is locked in glaciers and ice caps, but the percentage typically cited is much higher than 95% of the *total* freshwater, with a substantial amount of freshwater also existing as groundwater.

Source: UPSC gs1 2010

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