BAROMÈTRE DE L'EAU 2016

Water, a source of inequality

"Many States suffer more from a severe lack of investment in the field of water than from a physical shortage" David Blanchon

If at the global level, a few States have extremely abundant resources, others,

on the other hand, have resources close to nothing.

There is no link between the level of development and water availability. There are developed countries and poor countries in potential situations of shortage as in situations of abundance.

This animation crosses data from two maps: water resources per State and the Water poverty index per State.

To compare them, move the white cursor at the centre of the map.

Iceland: 500,000 m³ / inhabitant / year

Canada: 90,000 m³ / inhabitant / year

Brazil: 45,000 m³ / inhabitant / year

Russia: 30,000 m³ / inhabitant / year

Kuweit: 7 m³ / inhabitant / year
Malta: 89 m³ / inhabitant / year

Singapor: 137 m³ / inhabitant / year

Water availability per capita gross figures give only a schematic view of potential problems related to water. They must be weighted by the adaptability of the individual States to their natural hydrological situation.

Water-related issues can be apprehended considering the volume of water available, because the capacity of States to bring water where it is needed, when necessary, must be taken into account. Many States suffer more from a lack of investment in the field of water than from a physical shortage.

With the joint reading of the two maps, three major groups appear according to the dominant issues. In North Africa and West Asia, the pressure on the resource is the most important issue. Conversely, the poorest States, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and secondarily in Latin America and Asia, are facing issues of access to water and sanitation, so that the low control of resources for agriculture, even if the resource is sometimes very abundant.

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