A Kubernetes persistent volume (PV) is an object that provides pods with access to persistent storage resources, allowing data to remain intact after the pod shuts down. To use a PV, admins must provision a storage resource or set dynamic provisioning, which allows Kubernetes to automatically provision volumes based on predefined storage classes. Persistent volume claims (PVCs) are requests for pods to access a PV, specifying conditions such as storage capacity and access mode. PVCs can be configured statically or dynamically, with static provisioning being simpler but less flexible than dynamic provisioning. The persistent volume lifecycle includes provisioning, binding, using, and reclaiming stages, where PVCs automatically bind to available PVs that meet the specified conditions. Persistent volumes are essential for use cases involving stateful applications, shared storage across pods, disaster recovery, CI/CD pipelines, logs, and metrics storage. To create a PVC and bind it to a persistent volume, admins must provision a PV or StorageClass, create a PVC, verify binding, and use the PVC in a pod. Troubleshooting common Kubernetes PVC issues involves checking events logs and reviewing YAML code for typos. Best practices for handling PVCs include using storage limits, backing up PVC data, using dynamic provisioners, considering QoS definitions, and leveraging groundcover for monitoring and observability.