science

List of countries by total renewable water resources

List of countries by total renewable water resources is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of countries by total renewable water resources rather than just read about it. In short: This is the list of countries by total renewable water resources for the year 2020, based on the latest data available in January 2024, by World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organization (AQUASTAT data). Fresh and unpolluted water accounts for 0.003% of total water available globally.

Key takeaways

List of countries by total renewable water resources belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of countries by total renewable water resources to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of countries by total renewable water resources from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This is the list of countries by total renewable water resources for the year 2020, based on the latest data available in January 2024, by World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organization (AQUASTAT data). Fresh and unpolluted water accounts for 0.003% of total water available globally. According to Food and Agriculture Organization, ″internal renewable water resources (IRWR) represents long-term average annual flow of rivers and recharge of aquifers generated from endogenous precipitation. External renewable water resources (ERWR) represents that part of the country's long-term average annual renewable water resources which are not generated in the country. It includes inflows from upstream countries (groundwater and surface water), and part of the water of border lakes and/or rivers. Total actual renewable water resources (TARWR) is the sum of internal renewable water resources and incoming flow originating outside the country. The computation of TARWR takes into account upstream abstraction and quantity of flows reserved to upstream and downstream countries through formal or informal agreements or treaties. It is a measure of the maximum theoretical amount of water actually available for the country.″

Water resources

Out of all the water on Earth, saline water in oceans, seas and saline groundwater make up about 97% of it. Only 2.5–2.75% is fresh water, including 1.75–2% frozen in glaciers, ice and snow, 0.5–0.75% as fresh groundwater and soil moisture, and less than 0.01% of it as surface water in lakes, swamps and rivers. Freshwater lakes contain about 87% of this fresh surface water, including 29% in the African Great Lakes, 22% in Lake Baikal in Russia, 21% in the North American Great Lakes, and 14% in other lakes. Swamps have most of the balance with only a small amount in rivers, most notably the Amazon River. The atmosphere contains 0.04% water. In areas with no fresh water on the ground surface, fresh water derived from precipitation may, because of its lower density, overlie saline ground water in lenses or layers. Most of the world's fresh water is frozen in ice sheets. Many areas suffer from lack of distribution of fresh water, such as deserts.

List of countries by total renewable water resources The following table provides information on annual renewable water resources based on data published by World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organization. Total renewable water resources per capita are calculated using the World Bank's population estimates. Sorting is alphabetical by country code, according to ISO 3166-1 alpha-3.

See also List of countries by freshwater withdrawal List of rivers by discharge List of largest unfragmented rivers

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of countries by total renewable water resources

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of countries by total renewable water resources claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of countries by total renewable water resources before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of countries by total renewable water resources ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of countries by total renewable water resources

In research: List of countries by total renewable water resources appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of countries by total renewable water resources in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of countries by total renewable water resources is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Environment-related lists by country, Environmental issues with water, Geography-related lists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of countries by total renewable water resources outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study List of countries by total renewable water resources in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what List of countries by total renewable water resources means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is List of countries by total renewable water resources in simple terms?

Why does List of countries by total renewable water resources matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of countries by total renewable water resources?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of countries by total renewable water resources.