Dimensions of Water Pollution Due to Agricultural Activities

"Comprising over 70% of the Earth’s surface, water is undoubtedly the most precious natural resource that exists on our planet. Without the seemingly invaluable compound comprised of hydrogen and oxygen, life on Earth would be non-existent: it is essential for everything on our planet to grow and prosper. Although we as humans recognize this fact, we disregard it by polluting our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Subsequently, we are slowly but surely harming our planet to the point where organisms are dying at a very alarming rate. In addition to innocent organisms dying off, our drinking water has become greatly affected as is our ability to use water for recreational purposes. Now the question arises as to what is water pollution? Water pollution is any chemical, physical or biological change in the quality of water that has a harmful effect on any living thing that drinks or uses or lives in it. When humans drink polluted water it often has serious effects on their health. Water pollution can also make water unsuited for the desired use. Second only to availability of drinking water, access to food supply is the greatest priority. Hence, agriculture is a dominant component of the global economy. While mechanization of farming in many countries has resulted in a dramatic fall in the proportion of population working in agriculture, the pressure to produce enough food has had a worldwide impact on agricultural practices. "