- In many countries, only a very small proportion of available water is actually extracted for use. The total resource that is available to a country or a region is usually termed the ‘supply’. The amount that we extract for use is termed the ‘withdrawal’.
Graph:
Annual freshwater resources data taken from Gleick, Peter (2003) “The World’s Water: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources” Island Press, pp239-242, Table 1: Total Renewable Freshwater Supply, by Country (2002 Update)
Annual freshwater withdrawals data taken from Gleick, Peter (2003) “The World’s Water: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources” Island Press, pp245-251, Table 2: Freshwater Withdrawals, by Country and Sector (2002 Update)
Countries arranged in descending order of Human Development Index rank as taken from United Nations Development Programme (2005) “The Human Development Report – International Cooperation at a Crossroads: Aid, trade and security in an unequal world” Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York
