Countries by Total Renewable Freshwater Resources

About This Dataset

Countries ranked by total internal renewable freshwater resources in cubic kilometres per year, encompassing surface water and groundwater replenished by precipitation, according to FAO AQUASTAT database. Brazil possesses the world's largest renewable freshwater resources — holding approximately 8,233 km³ per year, driven by the Amazon River basin which carries roughly 20% of all freshwater discharged into the world's oceans from a single river system. This extraordinary hydrological wealth sits in sharp contrast to Brazil's persistent water governance challenges, particularly in the drought-prone semi-arid northeast where the Caatinga region experiences chronic water scarcity despite the nation's aggregate abundance, illustrating that total resource endowment and equitable distribution are entirely separate problems.

✨ AI Insight

The data reveals a stark contrast between Brazil's vast freshwater resources and the challenges it faces in water governance, particularly in the drought-prone northeast. While Brazil's 8,233 km³ dwarfs that of Russia (4,508 km³) and the U.S. (3,069 km³), the distribution of these resources is uneven, leading to chronic water scarcity in regions like the Caatinga. This disparity suggests that having abundant resources does not guarantee access or sustainability, indicating a need for better management and infrastructure. Countries like Colombia (2,132 km³) and Indonesia (2,019 km³) also demonstrate that significant freshwater resources do not automatically translate into effective water supply systems.

Source: Wikipedia

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

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Brazil leads with 8,233 in All Time.

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Average value in All Time: 3,452 · median: 2,871.

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Gap in All Time: Brazil is 4.3× larger than Peru.