Who Has the World's Water
The world’s freshwater resources are under increasing pressure from growing human population and industrial activity. Here’s a look at how the world’s top six water-abundant countries are dealing with their resources
Brazil
Share of total world resource: 19%
Share of world’s population: 2.82%
Status
Government taking steps to guard world's largest freshwater reservoir from environmental hazards, giving birth to a $100 million water protection industry.
Canada
Share of total world resource: 7%
Share of world’s population: 0.49%
Status
Traditionally against exporting water, but is selling bottled water to the US.
Russia
Share of total world resource: 10%
Share of world’s population: 2.04%
Status
Exporting water to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Fresh water supplies may equal that of oil and natural gas. Government officials say, “When we run out of oil, we’ll export water.”
China
Share of total world resource: 7%
Share of world’s population: 19.27%
Status
70% of its water bodies are contaminated, while half of its cities have polluted groundwater. Faces shortage. In talks with Alaska to import water.
Columbia
Share of total world resource: 5%
Share of world’s population: 0.67%
Status
Contaminated freshwater. Threatened with issues like drying up of water bodies.
Indonesia
Share of total world resource: 7%
Share of world’s population: 3.47%
Status
Plagued by water contamination. At this rate, by 2025, it would be facing a water crisis.
India
Share of total world resource: 4%
Share of world’s population: 17.8%
Status
Deficient monsoons often lead to shortage of drinking and irrigation water. Groundwater is polluted due to poor land practices, atmospheric deposition of pollutants and direct discharge of sewage into water bodies.
Source: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-01-17/news/28431152_1_fresh-water-ground-water-water-bodies ;
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/26/news/26iht-water.html?pagewanted=all ; http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100604-brazil-watershed-protection/ ; http://colombiareports.com/opinion/julian-e-torres/16636-save-the-water-for-a-rainy-colombian-day.html http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/06/28/in-the-news-water-shortage-strains-capital/ ; http://www.worldvision.or.id/mod/2/?aID=309; http://www.livemint.com/2012/08/03002031/It8217s-a-drought.html
(This story appears in the 28 September, 2012 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
