It is said that around 3.7 billion years ago, the earth cooled down and had warm oceans. In these warm water bodies, the first single-celled organisms evolved. Thus, water was instrumental in the origin of life. 70% of the earth is covered with water, and up to 70% of the human body is made of water. Today we have millions of marine species, but many plants and animals evolved to survive in non-saline conditions. The human civilization rose on the banks of rivers. Early human beings settled down along the fertile river basins as it was easy for growing crops, and was convenient for transportation too. Presently, agriculture demands for 70% of the freshwater needs. Industries and domestic uses share the rest thirty percent. But this precious resource has become scarce due to many human-made reasons. Only three percent of the total water available is freshwater. But more than sixty percent of this potable water is locked up in ice caps and glaciers. Moreover, we haven't kept our water bodies clean. Industrial effluents and sewage discharges are directly let into rivers. In cities, buildings come up on dried ponds and lakes. So, when it rains, we don't have the facility to store the rainwater. Therefore, we not only have frequent flash floods, but the rainwater goes to the sea and gets wasted. We use the fertile soil from riverbeds carelessly, and it leads to flooding in riverine areas too. So, we humans are primarily responsible for reducing the holding capacity of water bodies. We live in concrete jungles, and a green cover is almost missing in our cities. It is the roots of trees that help in retention of groundwater. Moreover, plants release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. Thus, they are instrumental in curbing global warming. Lesser warming implies a slower melting of ice sheets and glaciers, thereby, preserving the largest source of freshwater. Floods and storms are natural events, but nature has its way of replenishing the water that flows into the seas.