The Unquenchable Global Thirst
Too Much Demand, Too Little Water
- The world’s conventional fresh water sources: lakes, rivers and underground aquifers are finite, limited and over developed.
- Globally, we consume around 10 billion tonnes of water every day, with agriculture accounting for 70%, industry 20%, and the remaining 10% used for human consumption.
- The total global annual water consumption amounts to a staggering 3.8 trillion cubic meters.
- Globally, we need approximately 3800 cubic kilometre of freshwater annually to sustain ourselves. This includes the use of freshwater for agriculture, industry, and human consumption. In contrast, we generate around 52,580 cubic kilometre of freshwater annually through renewable resources such as rainfall, snow, and surface runoff, which replenish lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Although the majority of the freshwater is locked in glaciers and ice caps, smaller amounts are available for use in groundwater, lakes, and rivers.
- Only about 1.2% of the total freshwater generated annually is surface water that we can access, which amounts to only 630 cubic kilometre available for use.
Water: The Most Critical but Most Used Resource of the World – Development Alternatives | Blogs
Saltwater Intrusion: A Growing Threat to Freshwater Supplies
- Every island nation and most coastal populations worldwide experience some degree of saltwater intrusion into their freshwater aquifers. Despite this challenge, these regions remain some of the most desirable and fastest-growing areas, attracting better-educated, more affluent populations who tend to buy more, eat more, and consume significantly more water.
- Sixty million people worldwide are currently experiencing, or are at risk of, saltwater intrusion into the aquifers they rely on for freshwater.
- Approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide lack adequate access to safe and clean water.
- Four out of five people lacking at least basic drinking water services in 2022 lived in rural areas.
- The situation with respect to safely managed sanitation remains dire, with 3.5 billion people lacking access to such services.
Statistics | UN World Water Development Report