It supplies an replace on renewable water availability, which refers back to the quantity of recent water that’s replenished annually in rivers and aquifers by way of precipitation.
The availability of renewable water per particular person has decreased by seven % over the previous decade, from 5,326 to five,719 cubic meters (m3), in response to the AQUASTAT 2025 water knowledge overview.
Regions like North Africa, South Asia and West Asia have the bottom freshwater assets per capita, with Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Yemen rating among the many prime international locations with the bottom whole renewable water.
Increase in recent water withdrawals
Several areas have additionally seen elevated freshwater withdrawals in recent times, including to strain on already confused river basins and aquifers.
“North Africa noticed the biggest improvewith freshwater withdrawals up 16 %,” the report mentioned.
Most of the world’s withdrawals, nearly 70 %, got here from floor water sources, whereas 23 % got here from groundwater.
Water for agriculture
Agriculture stays the biggest water-consuming sector, accounting for about 72 % of freshwater withdrawals worldwide. The industrial and repair sectors adopted with 15 % and 13 % respectively.
Sixty-six international locations devoted greater than 75 % of their whole freshwater withdrawal to agriculture.
For Afghanistan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mali, Nepal, Somalia and Sudan the determine was 95 %.
Change in availability and demand
The report additionally exhibits how water availability and demand change from area to area.
This consists of North Africa, the place per capita availability of recent water stays among the many lowest on the earth, whereas withdrawals have elevated by 16 % over the previous 10 years.
In West Asia – which the report says consists of many of the Middle East – speedy inhabitants progress and agricultural demand are serving to to extend strain on restricted provides.
Irrigation and effectivity
The report additionally highlights giant disparities in irrigation and water use effectivity on croplands.
“In components of Latin America and Asia, irrigation helps a big a part of agricultural manufacturing, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, irrigated cropland represents solely a small fraction of whole cropland, reflecting persistent gaps in entry to water infrastructure. » FAO mentioned.
At the nationwide degree, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Suriname and Uzbekistan reported the best irrigation protection. More than 90 % of cultivated land in these international locations is supplied with irrigation infrastructure.
In distinction, some 35 international locations – primarily in sub-Saharan Africa – had lower than 1 % of cultivated land irrigated.
