Environment > Water > Availability: Countries Compared

Author: Ian Graham, Staff Editor

Chinese scientists studying glaciers on Mount Everest say they are shrinking faster than ever before due to global warming, an indication that world <a href=http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/env_wat_ava>water supplies</a> may be under threat. <p>Researchers found that the melting altitude of one of Everestâ€™s glaciers had risen about 50 meters (165 feet) over a period of two years, more than twice as fast as usual. They also reported that a large, high-altitude cliff observed in 2002 seemed to have disappeared. On the Nepal side of the mountain, similar melting has occurred. In 2002, the U.N. warned that 40 Himalayan glacial lakes were on the verge of bursting and endangering nearby residents, as a result of global warming. <p>Three-quarters of the worldâ€™s fresh water is stored in glacial ice, especially in mountain areas, and released slowly into rivers during dry or hot months. <p>Some scientists say global warming could increase the average global temperature by 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius (2.5 to 10.5 degrees Fahrenheit) over the next century, with catastrophic results, such as glaciers retreating, causing oceans to rise and flooding lowlands around the world.

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DEFINITION: Water availability per capita (1961-1990 (avg.))
Units: Thousands Cubic Meters/Person
Units: This variable measures internal renewable water (average annual surface runoff and groundwater recharge generated from endogenous precipitation).

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Totals

#	COUNTRY	AMOUNT	DATE
1	IcelandIceland	294.34 thousand cubic metres	1990
2	GabonGabon	176.37 thousand cubic metres	1990
3	Papua New GuineaPapua NG	154.61 thousand cubic metres	1990
4	CanadaCanada	84.51 thousand cubic metres	1990
5	New ZealandNew Zealand	79.81 thousand cubic metres	1990
6	LiberiaLiberia	58.85 thousand cubic metres	1990
7	NorwayNorway	57.71 thousand cubic metres	1990
8	Democratic Republic of the CongoCongo, DR.	53.89 thousand cubic metres	1990
9	BoliviaBolivia	51.39 thousand cubic metres	1990
10	PeruPeru	47.55 thousand cubic metres	1990
11	ColombiaColombia	45.56 thousand cubic metres	1990
12	LaosLaos	40.43 thousand cubic metres	1990
13	Central African RepublicCentral Africa	37.41 thousand cubic metres	1990
14	BrazilBrazil	37.25 thousand cubic metres	1990
15	VenezuelaVenezuela	33.83 thousand cubic metres	1990
16	PanamaPanama	30.79 thousand cubic metres	1990
17	EcuadorEcuador	30.37 thousand cubic metres	1990
18	NicaraguaNicaragua	29.15 thousand cubic metres	1990
19	AustraliaAustralia	27.81 thousand cubic metres	1990
=20	AngolaAngola	24.24 thousand cubic metres	1990
=20	UruguayUruguay	24.24 thousand cubic metres	1990
22	Costa RicaCosta Rica	23.35 thousand cubic metres	1990
23	RussiaRussia	22.82 thousand cubic metres	1990
	High income OECD countries averageHigh income OECD countries average (profile)	22.56 thousand cubic metres	1990
24	MadagascarMadagascar	22.55 thousand cubic metres	1990
25	Sierra LeoneSierra Leone	21.97 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Former Spanish colonies averageFormer Spanish colonies average (profile)	21.79 thousand cubic metres	1990
26	MalaysiaMalaysia	20.24 thousand cubic metres	1990
27	BurmaBurma	20.06 thousand cubic metres	1990
28	ChileChile	19.56 thousand cubic metres	1990
	NATO countries averageNATO average (profile)	19.56 thousand cubic metres	1990
29	Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau	19.15 thousand cubic metres	1990
30	FinlandFinland	18.01 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Cold countries averageCold countries average (profile)	17.78 thousand cubic metres	1990
31	CameroonCameroon	17.3 thousand cubic metres	1990
32	MongoliaMongolia	16.32 thousand cubic metres	1990
33	SwedenSweden	15.91 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Group of 7 countries (G7) averageGroup of 7 countries (G7) average (profile)	14.85 thousand cubic metres	1990
34	BhutanBhutan	14.08 thousand cubic metres	1990
35	GuatemalaGuatemala	14.03 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Former French colonies averageFormer French colonies average (profile)	14.01 thousand cubic metres	1990
36	HondurasHonduras	13.09 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Non-religious countries averageNon-religious countries average (profile)	12.54 thousand cubic metres	1990
37	IrelandIreland	12.47 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Emerging markets averageEmerging markets average (profile)	11.59 thousand cubic metres	1990
38	IndonesiaIndonesia	10.96 thousand cubic metres	1990
39	ParaguayParaguay	10.77 thousand cubic metres	1990
40	GuineaGuinea	10.13 thousand cubic metres	1990
	failed states averagefailed states average (profile)	10.02 thousand cubic metres	1990
41	ZambiaZambia	10.01 thousand cubic metres	1990
42	CambodiaCambodia	9.92 thousand cubic metres	1990
43	SloveniaSlovenia	8.04 thousand cubic metres	1990
44	Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina	7.91 thousand cubic metres	1990
45	ArgentinaArgentina	7.65 thousand cubic metres	1990
46	EstoniaEstonia	7.4 thousand cubic metres	1990
47	United StatesUnited States	7.09 thousand cubic metres	1990
48	Cote d'IvoireCote d'Ivoire	6.87 thousand cubic metres	1990
49	AustriaAustria	6.37 thousand cubic metres	1990
50	LatviaLatvia	6.31 thousand cubic metres	1990
	OPEC countries averageOPEC countries average (profile)	6.06 thousand cubic metres	1990
51	CroatiaCroatia	6.01 thousand cubic metres	1990
52	NepalNepal	5.97 thousand cubic metres	1990
53	MozambiqueMozambique	5.81 thousand cubic metres	1990
54	SwitzerlandSwitzerland	5.74 thousand cubic metres	1990
55	TajikistanTajikistan	5.56 thousand cubic metres	1990
56	KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan	5.47 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Eurozone averageEurozone average (profile)	5.19 thousand cubic metres	1990
57	LithuaniaLithuania	5.1 thousand cubic metres	1990
	European Union averageEuropean Union average (profile)	4.72 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Former Soviet republics averageFormer Soviet republics average (profile)	4.56 thousand cubic metres	1990
	South Asia averageSouth Asia average (profile)	4.12 thousand cubic metres	1990
58	AlbaniaAlbania	4.09 thousand cubic metres	1990
59	PhilippinesPhilippines	3.79 thousand cubic metres	1990
60	TanzaniaTanzania	3.64 thousand cubic metres	1990
61	KazakhstanKazakhstan	3.63 thousand cubic metres	1990
	South and Central Asia averageSouth and Central Asia average (profile)	3.5 thousand cubic metres	1990
62	ThailandThailand	3.5 thousand cubic metres	1990
63	MexicoMexico	3.47 thousand cubic metres	1990
64	ZimbabweZimbabwe	3.4 thousand cubic metres	1990
65	FranceFrance	3.26 thousand cubic metres	1990
66	PortugalPortugal	3.25 thousand cubic metres	1990
67	JamaicaJamaica	3.24 thousand cubic metres	1990
68	United KingdomUnited Kingdom	3.1 thousand cubic metres	1990
69	GreeceGreece	2.96 thousand cubic metres	1990
70	VietnamVietnam	2.8 thousand cubic metres	1990
71	BelarusBelarus	2.79 thousand cubic metres	1990
72	TogoTogo	2.71 thousand cubic metres	1990
73	JapanJapan	2.6 thousand cubic metres	1990
74	TurkeyTurkey	2.59 thousand cubic metres	1990
75	Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia Rep.	2.55 thousand cubic metres	1990
76	DenmarkDenmark	2.49 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Muslim countries averageMuslim countries average (profile)	2.37 thousand cubic metres	1990
77	SpainSpain	2.33 thousand cubic metres	1990
78	NigeriaNigeria	2.26 thousand cubic metres	1990
79	BeninBenin	2.25 thousand cubic metres	1990
80	SlovakiaSlovakia	2.24 thousand cubic metres	1990
81	EthiopiaEthiopia	2.17 thousand cubic metres	1990
82	North KoreaNorth Korea	2.11 thousand cubic metres	1990
83	ItalyItaly	2.04 thousand cubic metres	1990
84	CubaCuba	2.01 thousand cubic metres	1990
85	BulgariaBulgaria	2 thousand cubic metres	1990
86	DominicaDominica	1.92 thousand cubic metres	1990
87	GhanaGhana	1.87 thousand cubic metres	1990
88	MoldovaMoldova	1.83 thousand cubic metres	1990
89	ChinaChina	1.72 thousand cubic metres	1990
90	Sri LankaSri Lanka	1.62 thousand cubic metres	1990
91	El SalvadorEl Salvador	1.59 thousand cubic metres	1990
92	Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad+	1.58 thousand cubic metres	1990
93	IndiaIndia	1.56 thousand cubic metres	1990
94	MalawiMalawi	1.55 thousand cubic metres	1990
95	KenyaKenya	1.51 thousand cubic metres	1990
96	PolandPoland	1.48 thousand cubic metres	1990
=97	Czech RepublicCzech Republic	1.45 thousand cubic metres	1990
=97	RomaniaRomania	1.45 thousand cubic metres	1990
99	GermanyGermany	1.35 thousand cubic metres	1990
100	UkraineUkraine	1.26 thousand cubic metres	1990
101	South AfricaSouth Africa	1.25 thousand cubic metres	1990
102	BelgiumBelgium	1.19 thousand cubic metres	1990
103	HungaryHungary	1.17 thousand cubic metres	1990
104	South KoreaSouth Korea	1.16 thousand cubic metres	1990
105	ArmeniaArmenia	1.12 thousand cubic metres	1990
106	UgandaUganda	1 thousand cubic metres	1990
107	SenegalSenegal	0.96 thousand cubic metres	1990
108	RwandaRwanda	0.95 thousand cubic metres	1990
=109	OmanOman	0.93 thousand cubic metres	1990
=109	HaitiHaiti	0.93 thousand cubic metres	1990
111	Burkina FasoBurkina Faso	0.86 thousand cubic metres	1990
112	AzerbaijanAzerbaijan	0.79 thousand cubic metres	1990
113	LebanonLebanon	0.66 thousand cubic metres	1990
=114	NetherlandsNetherlands	0.65 thousand cubic metres	1990
=114	BurundiBurundi	0.65 thousand cubic metres	1990
116	IranIran	0.63 thousand cubic metres	1990
=117	LibyaLibya	0.6 thousand cubic metres	1990
=117	BangladeshBangladesh	0.6 thousand cubic metres	1990
119	MoroccoMorocco	0.42 thousand cubic metres	1990
=120	The GambiaThe Gambia	0.4 thousand cubic metres	1990
=120	MaliMali	0.4 thousand cubic metres	1990
122	AlgeriaAlgeria	0.39 thousand cubic metres	1990
123	IsraelIsrael	0.36 thousand cubic metres	1990
124	SyriaSyria	0.35 thousand cubic metres	1990
125	UzbekistanUzbekistan	0.31 thousand cubic metres	1990
126	SomaliaSomalia	0.24 thousand cubic metres	1990
127	PakistanPakistan	0.23 thousand cubic metres	1990
=128	Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia	0.22 thousand cubic metres	1990
=128	TunisiaTunisia	0.22 thousand cubic metres	1990
	Middle Eastern and North Africa averageMiddle Eastern and North Africa average (profile)	0.203 thousand cubic metres	1990
130	MauritaniaMauritania	0.18 thousand cubic metres	1990
131	JordanJordan	0.07 thousand cubic metres	1990
132	KuwaitKuwait	-0.2 thousand cubic metres	1990
133	EgyptEgypt	-0.24 thousand cubic metres	1990
134	NigerNiger	-0.33 thousand cubic metres	1990
135	IraqIraq	-0.45 thousand cubic metres	1990
136	TurkmenistanTurkmenistan	-0.49 thousand cubic metres	1990
137	SudanSudan	-0.53 thousand cubic metres	1990
138	United Arab EmiratesUAE	-0.91 thousand cubic metres	1990
139	NamibiaNamibia	-1.94 thousand cubic metres	1990
140	ChadChad	-3.28 thousand cubic metres	1990
141	BotswanaBotswana	-7.46 thousand cubic metres	1990

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