Water stress occurs under which condition?

Water stress occurs under conditions where the demand for water exceeds the available supply at certain times, particularly during peak usage periods. This situation often arises in regions that experience significant seasonal variations in water availability. High demand can result from factors such as population growth, industrial use, and agricultural needs, particularly during crop-growing seasons when irrigation is essential.

In this context, high demand during specific periods can lead to insufficient water resources to meet the needs of the population, ecosystems, and various economic activities, hence resulting in water stress. Managing water resources effectively becomes crucial to mitigate the impact of such periods of high demand and to ensure water availability throughout the year.

The other conditions mentioned, while they can contribute to water-related challenges, do not directly categorize a situation as water stress in the same way that a peak demand does. For example, an excess of supply compared to demand indicates a surplus, while unreliable water sources and fluctuations in seasonal rainfall may lead to long-term challenges but do not encapsulate the immediate strain of high demand during critical times.