Today we reveal you the countries that have the most fresh water. You may be surprised by our list.
Water is essential for all living organisms. When you hear that 71% of the surface of the Earth is made out of the water, you would think we don’t have anything to worry about. The thing is that we humans and most other mammals need fresh water, and more than 97% of all Earth’s water is saline water. That leaves us with less than 3% of fresh water. Around 2% is contained in ice, snow, and glaciers while 0.75% goes to groundwater. Lake and rivers just contain around 0.01% of all water on Earth. Here goes the final stat. Out of all water on the Earth; we are left with 0.003% of fresh, clean, unpolluted water. In case you want to know more about the freshwater lakes, check out our list of 11 Largest Freshwater Lakes in the World by Volume.
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With a growth of human population, and continued urbanization our water consumption will also grow. The World Bank forecasts sound terrifying. If the world continues with current practices at the current pace, there is an estimate of 40% shortfall between the available water supply and forecasted demand by 2030. Agriculture is accounted for 70% of all water withdrawals. By 2050, the Earth is expected to have a population of 9.5 billion which will increase the agricultural production by 60% and its water withdrawals by 15%. This, combined with other factors will lead to 1.8 billion people having to deal with water scarcity by 2025. Mark my words, the water will be the new gold soon enough. To get your mind from these scary projections, check out our list of 12 Countries with the Cleanest Tap Water.
In order to create our list of countries that have the most fresh water, we used the data from the World Bank which tell us about renewable internal freshwater resources for each country. The 10 countries that had the most billion cubic meters of renewable fresh water resources generated within entered our list. Let’s take a look.
10. Myanmar
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 1,003 billion cubic meters
The country has 18,770 m³ of fresh water resources per capita, which is a significant change compared to 44,684 it had in 1962. The country’s water withdrawal according to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) was 33.23 km³ in 2010, 89% of that being used for agriculture.
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9. India
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 1,446 billion cubic meters
India used 91% of its 761 km3 water withdrawals for agriculture in 2010. The country had 3,089 m³ of fresh water per capita in 1963, with the number dropping to 1,116 in 2014.
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8. Peru
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 1,641 billion cubic meters
Although the country has 4% of world’s renewable water resources, more than 98% is located in the Amazon region while less than 1.8% is located in the part of the country inhabited by more than 15 million people. Peru’s freshwater per capita figure of 52,981 m³may sound impressive, but in 1962 that number was 154,075.
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7. Indonesia
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 2,019 billion cubic meters
In 2000, Indonesia, the number 7 on our list of countries that have the most fresh water had a water withdrawal of 113 km3 with 82% being used for agriculture, and 12% for municipalities. The country now has 7,935 m³ of fresh water per capita compared to 21,813 in 1962.
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6. Colombia
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 2,145 billion cubic meters
The Colombian government has recognized the importance of water resources management and created multiple laws and institutions aimed to regulate the use of water. Despite the government efforts, there are still significant challenges including the drop in water quality. Colombia’s freshwater per capita figure in 1962 was 122,570 m³ while in 2014 it dropped to 44,883.
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5. China
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 2,813 billion cubic meters
Although it is located in top 5 on our list of countries that have the most fresh water, China faces with big problems. The rapid population growth and economic development of the country contributed to water shortages and increased water pollution. The country’s water withdrawal in 2005 was 554.1 km³, with 23% being used in the industry. China now has 2,062 m³ of fresh water per capita compared to 4,225 in 1961.
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4. United States
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 2,818 billion cubic meters
Although the United States, the next one on our list of countries that have the most fresh water look fine when it comes to water resources, the situation could soon change. The increase in population will cause an increase in water withdrawals, and there are estimations saying 70 counties in the nation could face with water scarcity by 2050. In 1961, the country had 15,107 m³ of fresh water per capita, while the current figure is 8,836.
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3. Canada
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 2,850 billion cubic meters
When you know that Canada, the number three on our list of countries that have the most fresh water has 9% of world’s renewable freshwater and 80,181 m³ of fresh water per capita, you would think that there is no way the country could have water issues. The thing is, most of the freshwater resources are in the north and the majority of the population is located in the south. Canada uses most of its water withdrawals for cooling the power generators.
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2. Russia
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 4,312 billion cubic meters
Although Russia is rich in freshwater resources, they are poorly managed and unequally distributed. Particularly disturbing is the fact that 11 million of people in the country use undrinkable water. While there are not data for 1961, current Russia’s fresh water per capita figure is 29,982 m³.
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1. Brazil
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources: 5,661 billion cubic meters
Brazil closes our list of countries that have the most fresh water. Despite Brazil having the largest amount of freshwater resources, some regions and parts of the population still don’t have equal access to water. Also, inadequate management of water resources and increased usage contributed to poor water quality. The country relies significantly on water, generating more than 60% of its energy with hydropower plants. Brazil’s water withdrawal in 2010 was 74 830 million m³. While the country’s fresh water per capita figure in 1961 was 73,512 m³ the number dropped to 27,470 in 2014.
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