We’ve already put together a guide about all the water on Earth (i.e. saltwater and the various other types of water).
However, the guide below is specifically about fresh water resources and supplies on Earth.
We outline things such as where they are located, how we use them, and other important considerations.
Summary – Freshwater Resources, Supply & Usage Around The World
The Earth’s Water Resources – Saltwater & Freshwater
Earth contains both saltwater and freshwater resources
We outline the entirety of the Earth’s water resources in this guide.
Sources Of Freshwater On Earth – Natural, & Man Made
We list and explain the different natural and man made sources of freshwater in this guide.
Surface water and ground water are the two main natural sources of freshwater on Earth, that we use across society, however, man made sources like desalination are becoming more common
Renewal Of Freshwater Resources
We discuss the renewal of fresh water resources in the guide below
Potable vs Non Potable Freshwater Resources
Some freshwater resources are potable (i.e. for drinking), and some aren’t
We discuss each in more detail in the guide below
Internal vs External Freshwater Resources
We explains the different between internal and external freshwater resources in the guide below
Geographic Distribution Of Freshwater Resources On Earth
Freshwater resources are distributed unequally amongst the different countries and regions on Earth – some have much more than others
Countries With The Most Freshwater Resources – Total Volume
Brazil has the most internal freshwater resources by volume, followed by Russia, and then the US
And, the top 6 countries may have up to 50% of the world’s freshwater resources
Countries With The Most Freshwater Resources – Per Capita
– Per Capita
Greenland has the most renewable internal freshwater resources per capita, followed by Iceland, and then Guyana
Largest Sources Of Surface Water In The World
Various reports indicate that the largest surface water sources in the world are Lake Baikal in Russia, the North American Great Lakes, and the African Great Lakes (in different African countries).
Largest Sources Of Groundwater In The World
We identify a report below that lists the 37 larges ground water sources across the world, that are located in different countries
A separate report (also identified in the guide below) also indicates some of the world’s largest ground water sources may be depleting according to recent data
Global Annual Water Withdrawals – Past Trends
worldometers.info has a graph showing both annual global water withdrawals by year, and also water resources per capita by year
Since 1901, annual global water withdrawals have increased significantly, and have roughly tripled over the last 50 years
From sciencealert.com: ‘Global water withdrawals have more than doubled since 1960’
Countries That Withdraw The Most Freshwater Resources – By Volume
The country that withdrew the most freshwater by volume in 2014 was India, followed by China, and then the US
Countries & Regions That Withdraw The Most Freshwater Resources – Per Capita
In 2010, Iceland withdrew the most freshwater per capita, following by Turkmenistan and then Chile
Although, the US is a leading per capita water user amongst developed countries
By region, South America withdraws the most renewable freshwater, followed by Oceania, and then Eastern Europe
Sectors & Industries That Withdraw The Most Water
– Sectors
We outline the % water share of those sectors in the guide below
– Industries
We outline the industries that might withdraw or use the most water in this guide
Sectors That May Use The Most Water In The Future
Agriculture may continue to have the highest withdrawal and consumption rates of all industries in the future
Recent Global Freshwater Withdrawal Trends
In terms of trends with freshwater use – rates of global freshwater use have increase six fold since the year 1900, and tripled over the last 50 years, according to two separate reports
One graph shows they’ve increased sharply from the 1950s onwards, but since 2000 slowed somewhat (up to 2019 at least)
Per Capita Freshwater Resources
Due to factors like replenishment slowing, per capita renewable fresh water resources have declined recently across some major countries
Brazil, the US and China might be some examples
India might be another example of a country that fits this description – extracting a lot of water for irrigation for agriculture.
Future Freshwater Demand Forecasts
Global freshwater demand appears to be increasing each year for a range of reasons
Additionally, both the agricultural (for irrigation mainly) and energy industries are forecast to increase water use in the future too
Demand is also forecast to outstrip supply by 2030 according to one report, and another report indicates that global water demand is expected to increase 55% between 2000 and 2050
As populations grow, more countries become developed, and demand grows for water intensive products like fossil fuels and meats, as well as energy generation and biofuels, water in general will be in more demand
Will We Have Enough Freshwater In The Future?
Water Withdrawn vs Water Consumed
Water withdrawal can include returning water back after use to it’s source such as a river or lake, whilst consumption includes water that is used and isn’t returned back to the source
This is important to understand when looking at water use of different countries, industries, etc.
Water Stress & Water Scarcity
Dry and warm regions with low or variable annual rainfall levels, and higher surface temperatures, tend to be some of the more water scarce regions in the world.
This is generally because rainfall and the hydrological cycle (rainfall, evaporation, inflow into surface water sources such as rivers and lakes and eventually into ground water aquifers) tends to be the natural process that refills and renews fresh water resources
Factors That Can Impact Freshwater Resources & Supplies
Read more about global fresh water problems and their associated factors in this guide.
All Water On Earth – Salt Water vs Fresh Water vs Drinking Water
We’ve already put together a guide outlining the entirety of the Earth’s water resources.
It’s worth noting that most of the water on Earth is found in the Earth’s ocean.
Only a small % of all the Earth’s water – about 2% or 3% – is freshwater.
There’s even less freshwater when accessible and available freshwater are taken into account, as freshwater water locked up in ice and snow is not immediately accessible or available.
Of this accessible and available freshwater, only a very small % is drinkable (because of factors like water salinity, some water is brackish water, some water is contaminated or polluted, and so on)
At any given time, freshwater is also found in water vapor, soil, plants, and other places on Earth.
Read the linked guide for a more thorough breakdown of the Earth’s water resources
Main Sources Of Freshwater On Earth – Natural & Man Made
In this guide, we are primarily focussing on natural sources of fresh water, which are:
1. Surface Water
Water found in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, and other above ground sources
2. Ground Water
Water found in below ground aquifers (and springs).
Renewal Of Freshwater Sources
How They Renew
Natural water sources replenish via the hydrological cycle – specifically rainfall.
Although, man made recharge schemes and programs exist too.
Renewal Rate
The renewal rates of some water sources can be quicker than others.
Surface water tends to recharge at a much quicker rates than ground water.
Ground water tends to recharge at much slower and sometimes negligible rates on the human time scale – it can take 5 years or longer to see meaningful changes in some ground water sources.
Renewal Rate vs Withdrawal Rate
Ground water can suffer from ground water depletion from over withdrawing (particular in some parts of the world, like some regions in India where a lot of ground water is used for irrigation).
And, some ground water can also be brackish/saline and may or may not be able to be treated and used (i.e. water quality is an issue), which can limit the amount of water than can be used from ground water sources.
For these reasons, some surface water sources might be considered more renewable than some ground water sources.
Variables That Can Impact Renewal Rates, & Depletion Rates
Potable Freshwater vs Non Potable Freshwater
– Potable Freshwater
Is water that we can drink
Potable water usually has ‘Safe Water’ standards and regulations it has to meet in different countries, and is usually treated and tested
– Non Potable Freshwater
Is water that can be used for uses other than drinking, such as washing and cleaning at home, or for irrigation in the case of agriculture
Some countries have water quality testing for irrigated water
– A City Or Town’s Freshwater Resources & Supplies
When assessing a city’s freshwater resources and supplies, it’s important to point out that potable and non potable water can be split up and managed and analysed separately.
For example, a city’s drinking water supplies might be adequate, but non potable water supplies might be depleting.
– Freshwater Issues In Underdeveloped & Developing Regions
Some regions of the world still lack access to safe and clean fresh water.
Internal vs External Freshwater Resources
Internal freshwater resources are sourced within the region that is using them.
An example might be a surface water source or ground water source found within a particular region that feeds their water supply.
External freshwater resources are resources sourced from outside the region that is using them.
Transboundary water transfers for example involve different regions trading, or buying/selling fresh water supplies to and from each other.
Geographic Distribution Of The Earth’s Freshwater Resources
The Earth’s freshwater resources are distributed unequally geographically around the world
Different countries therefore have different volumes of freshwater resources
*A Note About Internal vs Shared, Transboundary & External Water Sources
Internal fresh water sources that belong to a State or country should be differentiated from shared, or transboundary and external fresh water sources.
Shared, transboundary or external fresh water sources may be involved in water trade, and water import/export
Countries With The Most Fresh Water Resources – By Volume
Brazil has the most internal freshwater resources by volume, followed by Russia, and then the US
And, the top 6 countries may have up to 50% of the world’s freshwater resources
According to wikipedia.org, the countries with the most total internal freshwater resources, in kilometres cubed (km3), are:
1. Brazil – 8233
2. Russia – 4508
3. United States – 3069
[In order after the US is Canada at 2902, followed by China, Colombia, the European Union, Indonesia, Peru, India, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and then Nigeria]
Wikipedia.org shows an extended list of the top 172 countries here
According to worldatlas.com: ‘The freshwater in Brazil accounts for approximately 12% of the world’s fresh water resources’
[worldatlas.com also describes where freshwater is found in each of these countries in their guide]
[For example, the Amazon region contains over 70% of the fresh water in Brazil, and Lake Baikal holds up to approximately 1/5 of fresh water in the world]
6 countries (Brazil, Russia, Canada, Indonesia, China and Colombia) have 50 percent of the world’s freshwater reserves (livescience.com)
Countries With The Most Fresh Water Resources – Per Capita
Greenland has the most renewable internal freshwater resources per capita, followed by Iceland, and then Guyana
According to FAO, AQUASTAT data, and via Indexmundi.com, renewable internal freshwater resources (internal river flows and groundwater from rainfall) per capita (in cubic metres person) worldwide are as follows:
1. Greenland – 10,662,190.00
2. Iceland – 519,264.70
3. Guyana – 315,695.80
[In order after Guyana is Surname at 180,680.70, followed by PNG, Bhutan, Gabon, Canada, Solomon Islands, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Chile, Congo, Liberia, Colombia, Belize, Vanuatu, Panama, and then Fiji]
Largest Sources Of Surface Water In The World
Various reports indicate that the largest surface water sources in the world are Lake Baikal in Russia, the North American Great Lakes, and the African Great Lakes (in different African countries).
From wikipedia.org:
[Of all the surface water in the world in lakes, swamps, and rivers, there is] 29% in the African Great Lakes, 22% in Lake Baikal in Russia, 21% in the North American Great Lakes, and 14% in other lakes.
Swamps have most of the [remaining] balance with only a small amount in rivers, most notably the Amazon River
[Of all the surface water in the world …] The American Great Lakes account for 21 percent, Lake Baikal in Russia holds about 20 percent [and, then several African Lakes are some of the largest in the world for surface area, length, depth, volume, and other measurements, in addition to being some of the largest sources of surface water] (the71percent.org)
Largest Sources Of Groundwater In The World
The jpl.nasa.gov resource in the sources list at the bottom of this guide has a graphic/map that shows where the 37 largest ground water sources are located across the world.
They are spread out over many different countries.
Are Some Of These Groundwater Sources Depleting?
Interestingly, huffingtonpost.com.au writes this about the depletion of the world’s largest ground water sources:
Twenty-one of those aquifers have exceeded their sustainability “tipping points,” meaning they lose more water every year than is being naturally replenished through processes like rainfall or snow melt
Out of those 21, eight were found to be “overstressed,” meaning there is “nearly no natural replenishment” to restore water used by humans
So, the replenishment of these groundwater sources might become more an issue to address both now, and in the future.
Global Annual Water Withdrawals (By Year) – Past Trends
worldometers.info has a graph showing annual global water withdrawals, in water resources per capita, in cubic meters per year
Since 1901, graph shows that global water withdrawals in terms of per capita water resources have consistently increased
worldometers.info notes that:
Freshwater withdrawals have tripled over the last 50 years [and] Demand for freshwater is increasing by 64 billion cubic meters a year
Countries That Withdraw The Most Fresh Water (By Volume)
Countries & Regions That Withdraw The Most Fresh Water (Per Capita)
Find more information on per capita water use for the different countries worldwide in this guide
A summary of the findings might be:
Iceland might be a top per capita water user of all countries
The US might be one of the leading per capita water users of major developed countries
By region, South America withdraws the most renewable freshwater, followed by Oceania, and then Eastern Europe
Freshwater Withdrawals By Sector – Right Now
The main sectors responsible for fresh water withdrawals globally are agriculture, industry, and municipal.
What Are Agricultural, Industrial & Municipal Water Use?
– Agriculture is water use for agricultural operations
Such as farming, and agricultural land and crops.
Irrigation playing a major role.
– Municipal is water use for domestic & household purposes, public services, and local municipalities
Some reports refer to it solely as the public tap water supply that runs to the various parts of the community
– Industrial water use is water used for industrial applications
Such as the creation of products and services, but also energy generation such as water cooling in thermo electric power plants.
Current Global Averages Between The Sectors
The current global averages across the sectors are (paraphrased from ourworldindata.org):
– 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals for agriculture (with irrigation playing a significant role)
– 19 percent of total water withdrawals are used for industrial purposes (particularly wet cooling in thermo electric power plants)
– And, 11 percent of withdrawals are used for municipal purposes (household and public services). The majority of countries use less than 30 percent of withdrawals for domestic purposes
Averages Between Sectors Can Differ Between Countries
But, water share across the three sectors differs between individual countries
Developed and high income countries for example might use more water for energy generation and industry, whilst developing and lower income countries might use use more water for agriculture (according to some reports)
Some data demonstrating this might be:
From ourworldindata.org:
[For agriculture …]
[The average agricultural water use for low-income countries is 90 percent; 79 percent for middle income and only 41 percent at high incomes]
… [Some countries like] Germany and the Netherlands use less than one percent of water withdrawals for agriculture
[For industry …]
… industrial water tends to dominate in high-income countries (with an average of 17 percent), and is small in low-income countries on average 2 percent.
In advanced economies as much as 45% of all water demand is generated by industry (ge.com)
In industrialized nations … industries consume more than half of the water available for human use [and] Belgium, for example, uses 80% of the water available for industry (worldometers.info)
Worldwide, high-income countries use 59 percent of their water for industrial use, while low-income countries use 8 percent (cdc.gov)
Countries That Might Use The Most Water In Each Sector
– Agriculture
India might be the largest user of agricultural water, and China is second for agricultural water withdrawals
Per ourworldindata.org:
[India is the largest user of agricultural water, and China is second for agricultural water withdrawals]
[Irrigation levels differ across the world, and irrigation is] particularly prevalent across South & East Asia and the Middle East; Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Korea all irrigate more than half of their agricultural area. India irrigates 35 percent of its agricultural area.
Per globalagriculture.org:
Almost half of the total area being irrigated worldwide is located in Pakistan, China and India, and covers 80%, 35% and 34% of the cultivated area respectively.
– Industry
The United States might be the largest user of industrial water, and China the second largest
Per ourworldindata.org:
The United States is the largest user of industrial water, withdrawing over 300 billion m³ per year. … [and] China is the second largest, at 140 billion m³
Rates are typically much lower across Sub-Saharan Africa and some parts of South Asia
– Municipal
China might be the largest water users, the US second, and India third
Per ourworldindata.org:
… China’s domestic water demands are highest at over 70 billion m³ per year [and] India … is the third largest municipal water user.
The United States, despite having a much lower population, is the second largest user as a result of higher per capita water demands.
Domestic uses of water withdrawals can also dominate in some countries across Europe with high rainfall …
Agriculture (& Irrigation)- More Information
Per ourworldindata.org:
[Water used in agriculture can be rain fed, or pumped irrigation]
[Water is used for] food crop, livestock, biofuels, or non crop production
Per globalagriculture.org:
Irrigation provides approximately 40% of the world’s food, from an estimated 20% of agricultural land, or about 300 million hectares globally.
In the US, agriculture accounts for 38 percent of the nation’s freshwater withdrawals but it accounts for approximately 80 to 90 percent of the nation’s consumptive water use (water that is evaporated, or otherwise removed from the watershed) (watercalculator.org)
Industry – More Information
Per ourworldindata.org:
Industry water use involves industrial applications such as … dilution, steam generation, washing, and cooling of manufacturing equipment. [It also includes] cooling water for energy generation in fossil fuel and nuclear power plants (hydropower generation is not included in this category), or as wastewater from certain industrial processes.
Industry accounts for nearly 20% [of fresh water withdrawals] … and there are indications this demand will rise (ge.com)
Municipal (Households & Public Services) – More Information
Per ourworldindata.org:
[Defined as water use] for domestic, household purposes or public services.
[Examples include water we use for] drinking, cleaning, washing, and cooking.
Freshwater Withdrawals By Sector – Future Projections
Pacinst.org also has a graphic which shows both the global water withdrawal and water consumption volumes, by sector, by the year 2040.
Agriculture by far has the highest withdrawal and consumption rates.
Past Freshwater Usage & Withdrawal Trends
Overall, the trend is that freshwater use and withdrawals has increased significantly over the last century, and over the last 50 years
Rates of global freshwater use have increase six fold since the year 1900, and tripled over the last 50 years, according to two separate reports
One graph shows they’ve increased sharply from the 1950s onwards, but since 2000 slowed somewhat (up to 2019 at least)
From ourworldindata.org:
[Globally, there is a ‘fresh water withdrawals since the year 1900’ graph available at ourworldindata.org]
A growing global population and economic shift towards more resource-intensive consumption patterns means global freshwater use … has increased nearly six-fold since 1900.
Rates of global freshwater use increased sharply from the 1950s onwards, but since 2000 appears to be plateauing, or at least slowing.
From worldometers.info: Freshwater withdrawals have tripled over the last 50 years.
You can view a live global water use counter at worldometers.info – it shows withdrawals by year
Per Capita Renewable Fresh Water Trends Across Major Countries
Per capita renewable fresh water resources appear to be declining across some major countries
Brazil, the US and China are three potential examples of this
According to ourworldindata.org:
[… many major countries’ per capita renewable fresh water resources are declining as replenishment slows or isn’t moving quick enough, and populations grow]
[Brazil by far has the biggest per capita supply decrease from 1962 to 2014, with the US and China being examples of other countries with notable decreases]
At worldometers.info, if you click through to India’s data for example, you can see a decrease in per capita renewable fresh water resources since 1962.
Forecast For Water Use In The Future
Global freshwater demand appears to be increasing each year for a range of reasons
Additionally, both the agricultural and energy industries are forecast to increase water use in the future too
Demand is also forecast to outstrip supply by 2030 according to one report
Some of the potential reasons for this freshwater demand increase are given below
Global Freshwater Demand In General
From worldometers.info:
Demand for freshwater is increasing by 64 billion cubic meters a year (1 cubic meter = 1,000 liters)
[Some of the reasons for these increases might be:]
The world’s population is growing by roughly 80 million people each year.
Changes in lifestyles and eating habits [are more water intensive]
The production of biofuels has … increased sharply in recent years [and it’s water intensive]
Energy demand is also accelerating, with corresponding implications for water demand.
[Global freshwater] withdrawals [will] continue to increase at a rate of about 1.6 percent per year (pacinst.org)
Forecasted Agriculture Related Water Usage
– By 2050, the global water demand of agriculture is estimated to increase by a further 19% due to irrigation needs (globalagriculture.org)
– As the world’s population reaches 9 billion, demand will require a 50 percent increase in agricultural production and a 15 percent increase in … water withdrawals (worldbank.org)
Forecasted Energy Related Water Usage
By 2035, the world’s energy consumption will increase by 35 percent, which in turn will increase water use by 15 percent and consumption by 85 percent (worldbank.org)
Projected Future Water Demand
worldometers.info has more information on projected future water demand, including a graph on current water use, and some estimations of how much water demand is projected to grow in the future, and why
An increase in water intensive economic activity (meat consumption and the use of fossil fuels might be two examples of this) could contribute to an increased water demand in the future
pacinst.org also indicates that ‘Global demand for water is predicted to increase by 55 percent between 2000 and 2050’
Projected Global Water Demand vs Supply In The Future
Adding some relevancy to the above factors, watercalculator.org indicates that ‘By the year 2030, experts predict that global demand for water will outstrip supply by 40 percent.’
A Note About Water Efficiency & Energy Efficiency
It’s worth noting that if water efficiency or energy efficiency increase in the future, this may impact the total amount of water being used alongside the increase in water demand.
Will We Have Enough Fresh Water In The Future? (To 2050 & Beyond)
Variables & Factors That Can Affect Available Natural Freshwater Resources & Supplies
There’s three main global fresh water problems that can impact available fresh water resources supplies in an area – quantity related problems, quality related problems, and access related problems.
Each one of these categories of problems has different factors and variables to consider.
Read more about global fresh water problems in this guide.
Sources
1. Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser (2018) – “Water Access, Resources & Sanitation”. Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: ‘https://ourworldindata.org/water-use-stress’ [Online Resource]
2. http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4473e/y4473e06.htm
3. Miaschi, John. “Which Country Has the Most Fresh Water?” WorldAtlas, Sept. 24, 2018, worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-most-freshwater-resources.html
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_total_renewable_water_resources
5. https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/indicators/ER.H2O.INTR.PC/rankings
6. http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4473e/y4473e08.htm#TopOfPage
7. https://web.archive.org/web/20150612123716/
8. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2201.html
9. http://www.worldometers.info/water/
10. https://www.ge.com/reports/global-thirst-water-use-industry/
11. https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/other/industrial/index.html
12. https://pacinst.org/worlds-water-challenges-2017/
13. https://sustainabilityreport.duke-energy.com/2008/water/withdrawal.asp
14. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/01/16/will-water-constrain-our-energy-future
15. https://www.globalagriculture.org/report-topics/water.html
16. https://www.watercalculator.org/water-use/foods-big-water-footprint/
17. https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/will-we-have-enough-usable-water-in-the-future-what-will-happen-if-we-dont-have-enough-the-future-of-freshwater-for-humans-society/
18. https://www.livescience.com/29673-how-much-water-on-earth.html
19. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4626
20. https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/06/17/groundwater-depletion-nasa-study_n_7603292.html?ri18n=true
21. https://www.the71percent.org/the-worlds-fresh-water-sources/
22. https://www.watercalculator.org/footprint/what-is-a-water-footprint/
23. https://www.sciencealert.com/17-countries-are-facing-extreme-water-stress-and-they-hold-a-quarter-of-the-world-s-population
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