At a time when the world's population is growing rapidly, freshwater reserves, which are the source of life, are becoming a strategic asset. Recent World Bank reports show that water resources are extremely unevenly distributed across the globe.
Zamin.uz presents interesting information about the world's "water resources" and the impending threat of global drought.
Today, Brazil is the absolute leader on the planet in terms of water resources. This Latin American state has 5,661 billion cubic meters of fresh water at its disposal. Russia took second place with 4,312 billion cubic meters. Canada, the USA, and China are also in the top five.
Ranking of the richest countries:
Due to their tropical climate and vast river systems, the following countries rank high in terms of water resources:
- Canada and the USA: 2,850 and 2,818 billion cubic meters, respectively.
- China: 2,813 billion cubic meters.
- Colombia and Indonesia: more than 2,000 billion cubic meters of reserves.
- Peru and India: placed in the next rows of the list.
There are many backups, but not many problems
Interestingly, even in the most water-rich countries, local shortages are observed. The main reason for this is the remoteness of water sources from populated areas.
- Brazil's example: The main water is in the Amazon basin, but the highest demand is in megacities like São Paulo.
- On the example of Russia: huge reserves are concentrated in Siberia, and the main part of the population lives in the European part of the country.
2030: Global Thirst Risk
World Bank experts warn that if consumption continues at this rate, by 2030 the need for water will exceed existing opportunities by 40 percent. This is due to population growth, rapid urbanization, and climate change.
Where is the solution?
Currently, many governments are focusing on improving water use efficiency. Because 70 percent of the world's total fresh water is used for agriculture. Therefore, the construction of energy-efficient irrigation systems, desalination of seawater, and new reservoirs has become a strategic task.
Dear readers, in your opinion, can water scarcity cause conflicts between countries in the future? What are you doing to save water in your daily life?
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