Correct Option
The correct option is (a).
Explanation
Natural resources are classified into renewable and non-renewable based on their ability to regenerate within a human timescale. Water is a critical natural resource governed by the hydrological cycle.Statement 1: Correct
Water is classified as a renewable resource. It is continuously recycled and recharged through the hydrological cycle, which involves processes such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. This cycle ensures that water is naturally replenished over time.
Statement 2: Incorrect
The abundance of water on Earth does not guarantee the absence of shortages. Water availability varies significantly across different regions (spatial variation) and seasons (temporal variation). Furthermore, water scarcity can be physical (lack of water) or economic (lack of infrastructure to access water). Pollution and mismanagement also render abundant water sources unusable.
Statement 3: Incorrect
Water is not a non-renewable resource. Non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels, take millions of years to form and are exhausted upon use. While specific water bodies or aquifers can be depleted if extraction exceeds the recharge rate, water as a global resource remains renewable through the water cycle.
Key Takeaway: Water is a renewable resource maintained by the hydrological cycle; however, its renewability does not prevent local scarcity caused by uneven distribution, over-exploitation, and pollution.